Got a kid who wants a moto-style e-bike, but you're worried about speed-related dangers? The Macfox X2 Pro is capped at 20 mph but has the looks and tech to make riding fun.
Macfox
In the U.S. e-bike market, there's something of a war going on. Unlike the more regulated EU e-bike market, the U.S. is still pretty loose about how fast e-bikes can go, and there's no shortage of machines that can easily top the Class 3 28 mph speed cap (read more about the three e-bike speed classes in the U.S. here). Where wheels and motors are involved, pride (and market share) can drive vehicle makers to push the limits. Sure, those not-quite-legal speed settings are for "off-road use only" or on private property, but anyone thinking riders - especially young riders - are abiding by those regulations is foolish at best. It's fun to go fast.
The problem is that kids (and many inexperienced adult riders) are now showing up in emergency rooms with injuries sustained on e-bikes. My sister-in-law is an ER trauma nurse in a large West Coast city, and she says the trend has become alarming (crashes of those rental scooters aren't helping). Even when ridden at law-abiding speeds, e-bikes in the U.S. and most other countries go much faster than regular pedaled "analog" bikes. The Class 2 throttle speed limit of 20 mph is a pretty good clip on any bike - roughly double the speed most people go when pedaling a traditional bike. And I'm certainly no saint: When an e-bike maker offers me a bike to review that's stacked with tech and some (wink wink) extra-legal velocity capabilities, the temptation is real, especially for someone with 40-plus years of motorcycling experience, often on very fast motorcycles.
One company that has decided to forego the e-bike speed wars is Macfox. Its marketing, aimed largely at teen riders and their parents, emphasizes its commitment to safe riding by capping speeds at the e-bike class levels most companies have agreed on - and some U.S. cities have now codified into law. Still, the $1,899 Macfox X2 Pro they sent for review is less of a bicycle and more of an urban scooter with pedals and a single gear. It tops out at 20 mph on throttle, which is the current Class 2 speed limit, so it is in the clear on regulatory compliance. And, admittedly, at the legal limit, the X2 Pro is good fun to ride, even if you're not doing much (or any) pedaling.
Flying Purple Mile Eater: MacFox X2 Pro Tech
Nebula Purple is one of three color options, and certainly the most conspicuous.
The $1,899 X2 Pro arrived in a typical bike box and once the packing materials were removed, the Nebula Purple metalflake paint had me recalling the sparkle-painted Schwinn "crate" bikes of my youth. I mean, this thing is purple. Black and white are your other paint options. Assembly was straightforward: Install the front wheel, handlebars, pedals, a few trim pieces and then tighten it all up while the battery charges. Juiced up, the base X2 Pro will go a claimed 40 miles on a charge using its 750-watt nominal rear hub motor, likely at less than 750 watts. For quicker acceleration, it can jump to 1,000 watts for a bit more zip off the line or for hill-climbing power.
A simple display shows the usual bits but does add battery voltage as well. The LED headlight has both low and high beams and is very bright.
Up front, a large LED headlight sits in a front numberplate-style fascia, and a red LED taillight also works as a brake light. Tires are heavily treaded 20-inch mudders, five inches wide. Hydraulic disc brakes give the purple show some decent whoa. Again, there's only one gear, but no worries, you're going to be using the thumb throttle most of the time. A small backlit monochrome LCD display shows speed, battery charge level, odometer and a few other metrics. Fairly normal e-bike stuff.
The 24-inch-long flat seat is comfortable and roomy - and big enough for two. Good thing there are also passenger footpegs.
The 72-pound X2 Pro features front and rear suspension, with pre-load-adjustable twin rear shock absorbers giving the X2 Pro a good dose of moto messaging. The front forks are basic, with some adjustability plus lockout. The long, 32-inch-high seat, like the paint, calls back to those banana-seat bikes of old, but it's much more comfortable and can realistically seat two humans, provided they are not adults. Fold-up rear passenger foot pegs are standard, add comfort, and keep toes out of the wheels while adding a bit more moto cred to the X2 Pro. A large 48-volt 960 Wh battery sits on the lower frame rail, and you can add a second battery under the seat for more range (but not more speed). There were no fenders or racks on my test bike, but you can get those and more from Macfox.
Riding Experience
Riding bikes is fun. Crashing them is not. Make sure you and your kid always wear helmets when riding an e-bike, since it can go much faster than a traditional bike. And keep bare skin to a minimum.
With its fixed seat height of 32 inches, the Macfox X2 Pro was comfortable for this 6-foot-1 adult, but pedaling it is a bit cramped. Fortunately, pedaling the X2 Pro is largely optional. Once rolling, the short-geared pedals sign off just above 10 mph (for my 34-inch inseam at least), but pedal assist or the thumb throttle is in play by then. Yes, it can be pedaled, but I wouldn't want to do it for miles and miles - or maybe even a mile. Anyway, that's not really the point of the X2 Pro; it's a dedicated urban electric cruiser, and the big battery is rated for 40 miles of smiles - at lower settings, of course.
Riders will want to use the included tools to adjust handlebar position and then the bar controls as well for maximum comfort. I aired the tires up to about 20 PSI which tightened up steering and decreased rolling resistance. Set for maximum power, the X2 Pro accelerates calmly but with purpose, and reaches its 20 mph maximum quickly. The thumb throttle suffers from the usual lack of progressiveness, but that's a minor quibble; on the X2 Pro it's usually either pinned to the stop or disengaged while coasting.
Rear shocks have threaded preload adjusters for two-up riding or heavier riders. Note the footpeg for passengers.
The rear suspension is easily adjusted for preload using threaded collars while the front can be fiddled with a bit for preload and some compression damping. On pavement, it works great, swallowing up imperfections as the tires hum down the pavement. Head off the pavement, and its limits, especially with the front fork, are quickly apparent as bigger hits reveal a lack of rebound damping as the shocks clunk into their extension limit if the front tire leaves the ground. This is fairly typical for this e-bike segment; these are not mountain bikes. The aggressive tires do find good purchase on dirt and turf; riders just need to slow their roll a bit so the suspension can help tame the terrain. My review bike did not include fenders, and while the 24-inch seat keeps the spray at bay out back for the most part, riding in the Oregon rain did include a continuous bath of spray off the front tire. Fifty dollars spent on a pair of wide fitted fenders from Macfox's accessory section will solve that problem, and you can also add racks, another battery and more as needed.
I took the X2 Pro on my hill test, and it chugged dutifully up the slope at around 10 miles an hour without triggering thermal protection, which I have seen other similar bikes do. Pedaling only helps so much; it's better to just enjoy the slower ride. Heading back down, gravity got the X2 Pro going just over 30 mph, which feels about like the limit over rougher sections of pavement. The dual disc brakes scrubbed off the speed without drama, and in everyday riding at 20 mph and less, they have good feel and power.
I did ride a bit at night as fall gradually shortened the days, and the front LED headlight is very, very bright; you won't need to add any bar-mounted lights to see where you're going. The rear LED brake light is also plenty bright day or night. The speedo screen is also backlit for easy viewing at night. I didn't try riding anyone two-up on the X2 Pro since my longer inseam meant I was usually sitting toward the back of the seat, but for younger/shorter riders, the folding footpegs and long, flat seat mean two-up trips are definitely possible.
Conclusions
Cool styling, a bright headlight and a gold-colored chain help make the purple paint pop. Did I mention it's purple?
I've often said that my primary criteria for judging e-bikes is whether they are fun to ride. You can have the highest tech, the fastest speed and the coolest design, but if the bike doesn't work as a bike, it's all wasted effort. Fortunately, X2 Pro is indeed a fun bike to ride, and the can't-miss-it sparkle purple paint scheme got more than a few compliments. I didn't like it much at first, but it grew on me over time.
The usual caveat for some riders will be that it doesn't reach Class 3 speeds of 28 mph, but given Macfox's commitment to safety, I count that as a positive. Also, there's no way to "mod" the X2 Pro to unlock more speed. If you're a parent with a youngster who just has to have this style of e-bike, I'd say pull the trigger with confidence. They won't have the fastest e-bike among their friends, but 20 mph is plenty quick on any bicycle. And since it also fits this 6-1 adult rider reasonably well, don't count it out for yourself either. You could be the coolest parent on the block.
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