2024 eMTB SHOOTOUT

ARI WIRE PEAK 2.0 PRO REVIEW

WELL SPEC’D BUDGET ALL-ROUNDER

Photos by Max Rhulen & Dusten Ryen
Video by Brian Niles / Treeline Cinematic

After a couple of year hiatus from our eMTB Shootouts, the Wire Peak is back, now under the Ari brand name and with updates throughout to bump its performance up a few notches. We were excited to see what Ari’s interpretation of the best all-round eBike for under $6k would offer out on the trails.

2024 EMTB SHOOTOUT SERIES – The Ari Wire Peak 2.0 Pro was one of 14 eBikes that our staff thoroughly tested with absolute objectivity in mind. From different types of riders to terrain, our goal is to present the best and most honest information possible to help you make your best decision. Of course, we’d love to thank Fox Racing and Schwalbe Tires for being invaluable partners to this series and making it happen and to Howler Bike Park for hosting us for our testing.

QUICK HITS

• 145mm Tetralink Suspension
• Shimano EP6 Motor
• 635Wh Darfon Battery
• 2-position GA Link

Price: $3,899 – $5,699

WE DIG

WE DON’T

ABOUT THE ARI WIRE PEAK 2.0 PRO

FRAME AND FEATURES | The Ari Wire Peak 2.0 is built around a new aluminum alloy frame, with 145mm rear travel delivered by Ari’s TetraLink four-bar suspension system. As standard you’ll receive a pair of 29” wheels, however the frame is mixed-wheel (with a 27.5” rear) compatible should you wish. Ari worked to improve the suspension kinematics to deliver better performance both when climbing and descending on the new Wire Peak 2.0, and our testers agreed that the result was a solid all-round trail performance.

Ari infuses their frame paint with epoxy to boost its durability and keep the frame looking fresh for longer, which is a neat touch. Rubber protection on the chainstay helps to keep chain slap to a minimum, and there’s internal cable routing that avoids the headset for easier maintenance. There’s an angle-adjusting “GA Link” to allow for the geometry to be tailored to rider preference. Ari backs the Wire Peak 2.0 frame with a lifetime warranty, giving peace of mind that you’ll be covered should you encounter any issues.

DRIVE UNIT AND ELECTRONICS | Ari changes the motor in each of their different Wire Peak 2.0 spec levels. The base “Comp” spec receives the E7000; the mid-tier “Elite” gets an EP8; and the top-spec “Pro” we tested is equipped with a Shimano EP6. All of these are powered by a Darfon battery with a 635Wh capacity, which is integrated and removable thanks to Ari’s rail system with key lock.

The Shimano EP6 drive unit offers 85Nm torque, with 500W peak power and weighs in at 3kg (6.6lbs). Ari fitted the EM800 display and EM800 switch instead of the EM600 units that we’d have preferred to see. The E-Tube Project app allows the user to connect to the EP6 system and tailor the power mode setups to their liking, from 3 independently controlled modes up to a whopping 15 with the Fine Tune mode.

GEOMETRY | The Ari Wire Peak 2.0 had generally well-rounded geometry for a Trail eMTB, with no stand out numbers. The GA Link allowed for adjustments to be made to the Head Angle, BB height and Seat Tube Angle, letting the rider tailor between a high and steep mode or low and slack. We opted to test the Wire Peak 2.0 in the low and slack mode exclusively during this group test.

BUILD SPECS | Ari is offering three build specs in the Wire Peak 2.0 at the time of writing, from the entry-level Comp build at $3,899 to the $5,699 Pro spec we tested. This ensured the Ari would sit comfortably within our sub-$6k “budget” subcategory of this group test.

The Pro level Ari Wire Peak 2.0 featured some impressive spec for the price tag. Adding to this value proposition is their 23-Point size, fit and customization program, which allows riders to pick and choose some aspects of their build. It’s a feature we appreciate as it can help customers save time and money from having to select and swap out parts on their own. As standard they spec a 160mm crank, reducing the chance of pedal strikes and making a faster cadence easier to maintain.

Fox Performance Elite Suspension offered much appreciated adjustability, with their 160mm 36 fork and a Float X shock with custom tune. Shimano’s XT Linkglide 11-speed drivetrain offered dependable gearing performance. TRP’s Trail EVO brakes stopped well on a pair of 203mm rotors, and were our favorite brake spec in this category. The TransX dropper post isn’t the highest quality option out there, but performed well, and was topped with a Selle Italia X3 saddle. The cockpit was Ari’s Team alloy bar and Charger CNC alloy stem.

Finally a set of DT Swiss H1900 wheels were wrapped in a pair of Maxxis Tires as standard. For this year’s eMTB Shootout, every bike was equipped with the same Schwalbe Magic Mary tires in 2.4” width and with Super Gravity casings and Addix Soft rubber, giving dependable grip and an even playing field across all bikes.
Once equipped with the Schwalbe control tires, our Ari Wire Peak 2.0 weighed a chunky 56.7lbs (25.7kg).

THE DIRT – RIDING THE ARI WIRE PEAK 2.0 PRO

SETUP | Getting the Wire Peak set up proved to be an easy task, with un-fussy suspension units that felt good across a wide pressure range. Middle-of-the-road geometry had our crew of 5’10”-6’2” riders feeling comfortable on the size large from the get-go.

ELECTRONICS AND INTEGRATION | The Shimano EP6 drive unit on the Ari Wire Peak is not integrated with exceptional cleanliness, but it’s satisfactory overall. The standard Shimano system falls behind other systems in terms of integration due to the wiring and separate power button in the frame, but it’s not bad enough to detriment the overall ride notably.

Getting connected to the Shimano E-Tube Project App was easy, allowing us to maximize the power of the BOOST mode to create an even playing field without any headaches. Notable is the reduced 500W Peak Power of the EP6 drive unit, as well as its steel casing which brings its weight up to 3kg.

Interestingly, the cover for the removable battery on the Wire Peak looks to be better integrated than on the more expensive Timp Peak, fitting the lines of the frame more closely. Having this removable system is a point of contention for our crew, but we’re all in agreement that there are some serious merits for travel, charging convenience and of course having the ability to swap-in a backup second battery to double your battery life for the longest days out.

CLIMBING | Climbing character on the Ari Wire Peak was well-mannered, with a particular highlight being suspension suppleness and the impressive traction and comfort that resulted for its 145mm travel. The geometry is nicely balanced and avoids being overly long for the tighter, twistier sections of trail. It was only on the steepest sections of climb where a longer rear end would have been appreciated, but for most riding scenarios we appreciated this compromise for improved descending agility.

The reduced 500W Peak Power output of the EP6 drive unit was notable when going up against the other bikes in the group. That said, 500W will still get you up some impressive bits of climb, so if you’re not trying to set uphill e-KOM’s or keep up with buddies on more powerful systems, we wouldn’t rule it out.

DESCENDING | The Wire Peak is intended to be a well-rounded all mountain machine, and that’s exactly what it delivered when we hit the trail. The suspension platform worked well, offering a healthy amount of sensitivity to keep comfort and traction in check. There was plenty of pop too, helping to offset the fairly high weight to support a playful riding style. Make no mistake, it’s still a heavy bike overall at 56.7lbs and won’t be the easiest for lighter or less strong riders to get airborne. But it did ride a little lighter than that weight figure might suggest.

Being a 145mm travel trail bike, it’ll likely come as no surprise that it was easy to get in above its head at times. But all said and done, the Wire Peak delivered well rounded performance and sufficient capability to have fun and survive some gnarlier terrain.

FINISH AND VALUE | The spec-to-price ratio on Ari’s Wire Peak 2.0 Pro is impressive on paper, and the result out on the trail was notable. The exception to this is the EP6 drive unit, which undoubtedly aided Ari’s pursuit in spec’ing the Wire Peak Pro. While many riders will be appreciative of the good suspension and brake spec especially, Drew suggested that the more powerful and lighter EP801 drive unit would be preferable at the expense of a drop-down in a few of the other component tiers, at least for how he likes to ride.

Finish quality on the Wire Peak is reasonable, but as with most of the bikes in the sub-$6k category, there were a few areas that highlighted the cheaper overall price tag. From the higher overall frame weight and slightly less refined finish, to smaller bearings that don’t receive any extra sealing, there’s still justification for higher quality frames.

The Wolf’s Last Word

Ari’s Wire Peak 2.0 Pro is a solid all-rounder, that’ll likely make less advanced riders in particular quite happy in supporting their adventures. The Shimano EP6 drive unit spec didn’t please the whole crew, and many would like to see a drop in the overall weight, but the parts spec for the money is undoubtedly impressive.

WHO’S IT FOR?
Riders looking for an all-rounder trail mountain bike for flow trails and generally less steep and gnarly descents are likely to enjoy the comfort of the Ari Wire Peak. The geometry lends itself to being agile enough to allow for some playful riding, and helps to offset a fairly high overall build weight. 

Price: $5,699
Weight: 56.7lbs
Website: Aribikes.com

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR 2024 eMTB SHOOTOUT SPONSORS

Without their support, we would not be able to make this series possible.

FOX RACING

SCHWALBE TIRES

HOWLER BIKE PARK