Ariel Rider has officially opened pre-orders for its new MUDD 72V, a high-performance two-wheeler that blurs the line between electric bikes (in the loosely defined sense) and lightweight electric motorcycles. In fact, the company itself is careful to market it as a “high-performance PPB (private property bike)” intended for off-road and closed-course use.
While it may resemble a fat tire e-bike at first glance, the performance figures tell a very different story.
The MUDD 72V is powered by a 72V system built around a 3,500W-rated oil-cooled rear hub motor capable of peaking at 8,000W. Ariel Rider claims the bike produces up to 330 Nm of torque and can reach speeds exceeding 65 mph (105 km/h), making it one of the fastest hub motor-powered machines in its category.
Power comes from a massive 72V 39Ah battery, providing 2,808 Wh of capacity. Ariel Rider estimates between 80 to 120 miles (130 to 200 km) of range, depending on riding conditions and mode selection.
The drivetrain is managed by a 95A sine-wave controller, considerably larger than the roughly 65A controllers commonly found on similar high-performance machines. According to the company, that higher current capability allows stronger acceleration and more sustained power delivery during aggressive riding or steep climbs.
Despite its motorcycle-like performance, the MUDD still features functional pedals and a cadence sensor alongside a half-twist throttle. Riders can choose between Eco, Sport, and Boost modes, each offering six assist levels.
The chassis looks equally substantial. A linkage-driven rear suspension pairs with a 100 mm travel thru-axle suspension fork, while stopping power comes from four-piston hydraulic brakes gripping oversized 220 mm rotors front and rear.
The bike rolls on 24×4.0-inch fat tires and weighs in at 95 lb (43 kg), while supporting a maximum payload of 400 lb (181 kg).
Ariel Rider also says the battery placement was designed to improve weight distribution and reduce the high-speed instability, often referred to as a “death wobble,” that can occur on powerful bikes carrying heavy rear rack batteries.
The MUDD 72V is currently available for pre-order at an introductory price of $2,799, discounted from a listed MSRP of $3,099.
Electrek’s Take
I’ll say the same thing here that I’ve said about several other machines entering this increasingly crowded category: this isn’t really an electric bicycle. The term e-bike can also only be used loosely, largely because it’s a meaningless catchall term with no legal standing. Before the keyboard warriors try and tear me a new one, remember that nearly everywhere in the US, the term “electric bicycle” is the legally-defined three-class device you’re thinking of, whereas the term “e-bike” is just a colloquialism, used to refer to many types of vehicles. Motorcyclists still call an electric Harley an “e-bike”, for example, in the same way they refer to their own gasoline-breathing rides as “bikes”.
So call it what you will, an e-moto, a high-power e-bike, an electric motorcycle… just don’t call it an electric bicycle, because legally speaking, it isn’t one. And even the term e-bike is stretching it for most people who use the term interchangeably with electric bicycles.
Sure, the MUDD here has pedals. But when a vehicle has an 8 kW peak motor, a 72V battery with nearly 3 kWh of energy, and a claimed top speed north of 65 mph, it has moved well beyond what most people reasonably think of as an e-bike. This is much closer to lightweight electric motorcycles like the Sur Ron, Talaria, or E Ride Pro, even if it uses bicycle components in some places.
To Ariel Rider’s credit, the company isn’t pretending otherwise. The product page repeatedly identifies the MUDD as a private-property, closed-course, off-road machine rather than something intended for public streets or bike paths. Before you even begin scrolling, you’re greeted with three disclaimers, including one that requires you to check a box indicating that you recognize that it is for off-road use only before you can even start the pre-order process. That’s a far more honest approach than trying to squeeze a motorcycle into an e-bike label.
And if you ask me? It looks like a blast.
For riders with access to large private properties, ranches, farms, or dedicated off-road trails, the MUDD appears to offer serious performance at a surprisingly attainable price. And the fact that it has pedals means you can actually enjoy riding it with pedal assist sometimes – a trick you won’t get on a Sur Ron or Talaria.
It’s just important that we call it what it is: not an electric bicycle, but a lightweight electric off-road motorcycle that happens to have pedals attached.
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