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Ariel Rider has proven time and again that it knows exactly how to build fast, powerful electric mopeds that push e-bike performance to entirely new levels. And the Grizzly 52V dual motor e-bike is yet another great example of the brand’s dedication to high-performance bikes that combine light electric motorcycle specs with e-bike parts for a line-blurring ride.

If you recall the high-performance Ariel Rider X -Class 52V e-bike that we reviewed earlier this year, then much of the Grizzly will seem familiar.

It retains the high speeds and dual-suspension setup, but improves upon those parts while also adding a second motor, second battery, and a more relaxed ride position.

The result is basically a small electric motorcycle. Yet because the Grizzly uses bicycle parts (including functional pedals) and can be limited to street-legal power and speed levels (and in fact ships locked in 20 mph mode), it qualifies as an electric bicycle for on-road use without a motorcycle license.

Of course that means you can’t unlock the true potential until you’re off-road, but it’s worth the wait.

Check out my video review of the Ariel Rider Grizzly below, then keep scrolling for my complete review of this powerhouse e-bike.

Ariel Rider Grizzly Video Review

Ariel Rider Grizzly Tech Specs

  • Motors: Dual 1,000W continuous hub motors (1,850W peak)
  • Top speed: 36 mph (58 km/h) when unlocked, but can be limited to Class 2 speeds
  • Range: Up to 75 miles (120 km), less when riding at top speed
  • Battery: 52V 35Ah (1,820 Wh) between two removable/lockable batteries
  • Weight: 105 lb (47.6 kg)
  • Wheels: 20 inches with 4-inch fat tires
  • Brakes: Tektro hydraulic disc brakes (180 mm rotors)
  • Front suspension: Adjustable inverted suspension fork
  • Rear suspension: Adjustable coil-over shocks
  • Extras: Long bench seat and rear rack/basket accessories available, included fenders, large LED headlight and tail/brake light, LCD display, kickstand, Shimano seven-speed drivetrain, beefy passenger pegs, front/rear/dual-motor selector

All the power, some of the time

The Ariel Rider Grizzly is a powerful e-bike, make no mistake. The dual 1,000W motors are rated for a peak output of 1,850W each for a total of 3,700W combined.

The motors are not quiet, mind you. They use steel gears internally instead of the typical nylon gears. That helps them provide that power over many years without tearing themselves apart, but it also means you get a constant whirring sound from the motors. It doesn’t bother me, though, as it fits the ride. This bike is visually loud, so it might as well announce its presence as well.

A selector switch on the handlebars lets you choose between front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive. I generally leave it in all-wheel drive, but flicking it to rear-wheel drive is a good way to drop the power if you ride through a wet spot or know you’re coming up on a patch of sand.

Or if you just don’t want to do dual-wheel burnouts after each stop sign.

To hit the top speed of the mid 30’s of mph, you’ll need to unlock the bike from its factory settings. That also means it will no longer be street legal in areas that limit e-bikes to Class 1, 2, or 3 performance (i.e. most places). So keep that in mind if you want to go through the unlocking procedure.

Even if you don’t unlock it to the “off-road only modes” and instead you stick to 20 mph (32 km/h) on throttle or 28 mph (45 km/h) on pedal assist, the extreme power of dual motors still has the added benefit of impressive hill climbing and quick acceleration.

To supply those two hungry motors, you also get two giant batteries. Between the pair of them are 1,820 Wh of capacity. That’s enough for up to 75 miles (120 km) of range, which in technical terms is “more than enough.” If you’re riding off-road, or just going fast on the pavement, you won’t get nearly that much range. But just shy of 2 kWh on an e-bike is plenty for nearly everyone.

The bike also comes with two chargers so you can charge both batteries at the same time. I’ve seen dual battery e-bikes come with a single charger, which can be annoying to switch back and forth between batteries. Dual-chargers cost the company a bit more, but it’s the way to go for anyone who uses their e-bike often and wants to be back on the road quickly.

What about the “bike” side of things

Technically this is an electric bicycle and so technically it has bike parts. The dual-piston hydraulic disc brakes, seven-speed Shimano shifter, and KMC chain are all typical bike parts, though I can tell you that you’re unlikely to get much real-world use out of the last two. The bike pedals just fine, but it’s so much fun on throttle-only operation that many people are just going to treat it like a motorcycle with eccentric footrests.

Speaking of footrests, it even has pegs for a passenger. If you want to carry a friend with you, which the powerful motors absolutely make possible, you’ll want to upgrade to the two-person seat. Without it, there’s room left on the rear rack for a cargo box or rack.

The only other bike-like parts left are likely the 4″ CST tires, which work great both on and off-road. After those, we’re back to quasi-motorcycle parts. The front fork is an inverted hydraulic specimen designed to fit those giant tires. The rear suspension consists of a pair of coilover shocks that are definitely more moped than bike. And both the front and rear suspension are adjustable to dial them in for your weight and ride style.

Speaking of weight, this isn’t a lightweight e-bike. At 105 lb (47 kg), it’s one of the heaviest I’ve ever ridden. It weighs right up there with other moped-style e-bikes like the Juiced HyperScorpion.

Don’t expect to load this into a truck by yourself without throwing out your back – it’s a team carry situation.

But even though the weight limits its portability, it has the opposite effect on the road. The bike feels solid and planted, more like a vehicle than a bicycle. I ride a scooter-style moped as my daily driver and it gives me more of that feeling, like I’m on a motor vehicle and not a commuter e-bike.

That’s really where the value in the Grizzly rests: as a solid, powerful e-bike that serves a nearly motorcycle role on the street and a dirtbike role on the trail.

As an urban transport vehicle, the bike is powerful enough to climb hills, haul gear, keep up with traffic, and ride all day without fear of running out of battery.

As a trail warrior, it fills the role of a fat tire adventure bike with the suspension and handling to turn an abandoned lot or empty rock quarry into the best playground ever.

What I wouldn’t recommend doing is making enemies in the bike lane with a monster like the Grizzly here. Yes, it’s legally an electric bicycle (in the US). And yes, you can definitely ride it in the bike lane (I did). But that also requires some serious self-control.

When you’re around other cyclists, you have to tame yourself and ride with the speed of traffic. When you’re out with the real traffic and mixing it up with cars, that’s when the full power and speed of the bike can really come alive, assuming you’re into that.

Just like with masked superheroes, with great power comes great responsibility. Just because a minivan can do 90 mph with the pedal to the floor doesn’t mean it should be driven that way all the time. And just like a powerful e-bike can exceed the speed limit with the throttle pinned doesn’t mean it always should. Riding safely and respecting everyone around you (and your local laws) is always the way to go.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some more riding to do!


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Stalker who believed Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas was his aunt avoids jail

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Stalker who believed Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas was his aunt avoids jail

A man who stalked Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas for six years has avoided jail.

Kyle Shaw, 37, got a 20-month suspended sentence and a lifetime restraining order on contacting Ballas, her mother, niece, and former partner.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that he thought Ballas was his aunt and “began a persistent campaign of contact”.

“He believed, and it’s evident from what he was told by his mother, that her late brother was his father,” said prosecutor Nicola Daley.

The court heard there was no evidence he was wrong, and “limited evidence” he was correct.

Ms Daley said Shaw’s messages had accused Ballas of being to blame for the death of her brother, who took his own life in 2003 aged 44.

He also set up social media accounts in his name.

Shaw had pleaded guilty to stalking the former dancer between August 2017 and November 2023 at a hearing in February.

Incidents included following Ballas’s 86-year-old mother, Audrey Rich, while she was shopping and telling her she was his grandmother.

The court heard in messages to Mrs Rich, Shaw had asked: “Where’s my dad?”

Ballas was so worried for her mother’s safety that she moved her from Merseyside to London.

Shaw outside court on the day of his sentencing. Pic: PA
Image:
Kyle Shaw outside court on the day of his sentencing. Pic: PA

In October 2020, Ballas called police after Shaw messaged her and said: “Do you want me to kill myself, Shirley?”

Posts on X included one alongside an image of her home address that warned: “You ruined my life, I’ll ruin yours and everyone’s around you.”

Another referenced a book signing and said: “I can’t wait to meet you for the first time Aunty Shirley. Hopefully I can get an autograph.”

The court was told Ballas’s niece Mary Assall, former partner Daniel Taylor and colleagues from Strictly Come Dancing and ITV’s Loose Women were also sent messages.

‘I know where you live’

On one occasion in late 2023, Shaw called Mr Taylor and told him he knew where the couple lived and described Ballas’s movements.

The court heard the 64-year-old TV star become wary of socialising and stopped using public transport.

Prosecutor Ms Daley said: “She described having sleepless nights worrying about herself and her family’s safety and being particularly distressed when suggestions were made to her that she and her mother were responsible for her brother taking his own life.”

Man accused of stalking Shirley Ballas
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Ballas has been head judge on Strictly Come Dancing since 2017. Pic: PA

Shaw cried and wiped away tears as he was sentenced on Tuesday.

The judge said the stalking stemmed from his mother telling him Ballas’s brother, David Rich, was his biological father.

“I’m satisfied that your motive for this offending was a desire to seek contact with people you genuinely believed were your family,” he said.

“Whether in fact there’s any truth in that belief is difficult, if not impossible, to determine.”

Kyle Shaw leaves Liverpool Crown Court, where he is charged with stalking Strictly judge Shirley Ballas.
Pic: PA
Image:
Shaw pictured at court in February. Pic: PA

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Defence lawyer John Weate said Shaw had been told the story by his mother “in his mid to late teens” and had suffered “complex mental health issues” since he was a child.

He added: “He now accepts that Miss Ballas and her family don’t wish to have any contact with him and, importantly, he volunteered the information that he has no intention of contacting them again.”

Shaw, of Whetstone Lane in Birkenhead, also admitted possessing cannabis and was ordered to undertake a rehab programme.

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Gary Glitter made bankrupt after failing to pay £500k compensation to victim

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Gary Glitter made bankrupt after failing to pay £500k compensation to victim

Gary Glitter has been made bankrupt after failing to pay more than £500,000 in damages to a woman he abused when she was 12 years old.

She sued the disgraced singer, whose real name is Paul Gadd, after he was found guilty of attacking her and two other schoolgirls between 1975 and 1980.

Glitter, 80, was jailed for 16 years in 2015 and released in 2023 but was recalled to prison less than six weeks later after breaching his parole conditions.

A judge awarded the woman £508,800, including £381,000 in lost earnings and £7,800 for future therapy and treatment, saying she was subjected to abuse “of the most serious kind”.

The court heard she had not worked for decades due to the trauma of being repeatedly raped and “humiliated” by the singer.

Gary Glitter has lost a parole board bid to be freed from jail.
Pic:Met Police/PA
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Glitter was jailed for 16 years in 2015. Pic: Met Police/PA

Glitter was made bankrupt last month at the County Court at Torquay and Newton Abbot, in Devon – the county where he is reportedly serving his sentence in Channings Wood prison, in Newton Abbot.

Richard Scorer, head of abuse law at Slater and Gordon, the law firm representing the woman, said: “We confirm that Gadd has been made bankrupt following our client’s application.

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“As he has done throughout, Gadd has refused to cooperate with the process and continues to treat his victims with contempt.

“We hope and trust that the parole board will take his behaviour into account in any future parole applications, as it clearly demonstrates that he has never changed, shows no remorse and remains a serious risk to the public.”

Glitter was first jailed for four months in 1999 after he admitted possessing around 4,000 indecent images of children.

He was expelled from Cambodia in 2002, and in March 2006 was convicted of sexually abusing two girls, aged 10 and 11, in Vietnam where he spent two-and-a-half years in prison.

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His sentence for the 2016 convictions expires in February 2031.

Glitter was automatically released from HMP The Verne, a low-security prison in Portland, Dorset, in February 2023 after serving half of his fixed-term determinate sentence.

But he was back behind bars weeks later after reportedly trying to access the dark web and images of children.

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Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan revealed in line-up for Sam Mendes’ four Beatles films

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Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan revealed in line-up for Sam Mendes' four Beatles films

Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan will play Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in the upcoming Beatles films – with a Stranger Things star also portraying one of the Fab Four.

The two Irish actors will be joined by London-born performers Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison.

The cast for the Sam Mendes project was revealed at the CinemaCon event in Las Vegas, with all four appearing on stage and taking a bow together in Beatles style.

Paul Mescal, Joseph Quinn, Barry Keoghan and Harris Dickinson stand onstage to promote the upcoming "The Beatles" movies during a Sony Pictures presentation.
Pic: Reuters
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(L-R) Mescal, Quinn, Keoghan and Dickinson appeared together at the announcement. Pic: Reuters

Mendes is making four interconnected films – one from the perspective of each of the band members – and they are all set to be released “in proximity” to each other in April 2028.

It marks the first time The Beatles and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film.

Playing McCartney is another big role for 29-year-old Mescal, who recently starred in the Gladiator sequel and was nominated for an Oscar in 2023 for Aftersun.

Barry Keoghan – who also got an Oscar nod for The Banshees of Inisherin – will portray the other surviving Beatles member, Ringo Starr.

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The Beatles
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Pic: PA

Meanwhile, Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn, who appeared with long hair as Eddie Munson in the fourth series, takes up the role of George Harrison.

Harris Dickinson has the challenge of stepping into the shoes of perhaps the most famous Beatle, John Lennon.

The 28-year-old recently starred in erotic thriller Babygirl with Nicole Kidman and also appeared in satire Triangle of Sadness.

Mendes told the industry audience at CinemaCon there is “still plenty to explore” despite the Beatles’ rise having being well chronicled.

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The Oscar-winning British director is known for films including American Beauty, First World War movie 1917, and Bond outings Skyfall and Spectre.

Sony Pictures boss Tom Rothman said the close release of all four films in three years’ time will be “the first bingeable theatrical experience”.

“We are going to dominate the culture that month,” he added.

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