Macfox X1S

The X1S is a cheap motorcycle-style e-bike from the relatively new e-bike brand, Macfox.

Macfox has been around for just over two years, and already, reviews of its bikes and feedback from owners raise concerns about build quality and customer support.

In this review, we’ll find out if the X1S is a budget-priced entry into the world of exciting e-biking or just an expensive gamble likely to leave buyers with nothing but regrets.

About Macfox

Since starting to sell e-bikes in the US around two years ago, Macfox has specialized in the motorcycle-style category, focusing on the budget end of the market. Macfox sells five models at the time of writing.

Macfox has a business address in California, but it’s a Chinese company. The brand’s website is littered with the kind of sparse, vague, and inconsistent information that characterizes the websites of many cheap e-bike brands. Communicating with the company to clarify specifications is also a frustrating process.

What Is the Macfox X1S?

Macfox markets the X1S as a budget-friendly, Class 2 commuter bike and “wheelie sidekick” ready to “own the streets.”

Macfox also says the bike has a top speed of 25mph with pedal assist or throttle, which means it doesn’t comply with Class 2 limits.

The X1S has a 120mm coil suspension fork and 20” × 4” fat tires. Power comes from a removable 48V, 10.4Ah, or 500Wh battery. Macfox offers the bike in a single-battery configuration with a claimed range of 38 miles and a dual-battery setup with 76 miles of range.

Macfox is a relatively new and unproven brand with limited transparency around the manufacturing, support, and certification of its products, including this bike.

For example, the Macfox website says the motor puts out 65Nm of torque, but the user manual says it’s 50Nm. In emails, they insist it’s 65Nm, but, based on our testing, even 50Nm seems high.

Another example is the payload capacity. The Macfox website lists both 220lb and 300lb. Macfox finally confirmed via email that it is 220lb.

Safety certification and weather-proofing are another grey area. The Macfox website says nothing about UL certification or an IP rating, which is a big miss for both e-bikes and commuters.

When we contacted them for clarification Macfox supplied a certificate showing the X1S complies with UL 2849.

The website states this bike has IPX4 protection from water splashes, but customer service told me the bike has IP65 and IP54 in two separate communications, making it seem like they’re either guessing or making things up.

These components are simple, keep costs down, and reduce maintenance requirements. However, they also don’t perform very well, and seriously reduce this bike’s performance and practicality. The result is a bike that looks good in marketing photos, but both Macfox and their X1S give cause for concerns about quality control, long-term reliability, and after-sales support.

Pros

Comfortable Seat

It was challenging to find aspects of the X1S that deserve praise. One of the bike’s few standout features is the padded bench-style seat. It’s thick and plush, and does a great job of softening impacts and absorbing vibration, but it isn’t adjustable, and it’s set too low for efficient pedaling, forcing riders to rely on the throttle.

Off-Road Comfort

The X1S is surprisingly comfortable over dirt and gravel trails, doing a great job of ironing out bumps. The bike was easy to control and seemed to soak up impacts well despite the cheap, non-adjustable suspension fork. And that is it for the pros of this bike.

Cons

Motor Performance

Macfox says the X1S’s motor has a continuous power output of 500W and a peak power of 750W. Peak torque is listed as both 65Nm and 50Nm, but it feels like the latter.

Whatever the reality of the motor’s specification, its performance is uninspiring, and pedal assist is painfully unresponsive. It takes up to three rotations of the cranks for pedal assist to kick in, leaving the rider on their own for the first 10 or 15 feet, which makes pedaling away from a standstill very hard work.

Even when the bike gets going, things don’t improve much, with sluggish acceleration, whether using the throttle or pedal assist. Even with the motor at its full output, the bike takes a long time to reach 24mph, and it never reached the stated 25mph top speed during our tests.

Throughout testing, it never felt like the motor peaked at 750W or was putting out 65Nm of torque. This meant disappointing performance on hills.

Pedalability

The X1S has a single-speed drivetrain with a 42t chainring and 16t rear cog. This gearing both makes it hard to get the bike moving and impossible to do any meaningful pedaling above 16mph. The low, non-adjustable seat results in a cramped pedaling position, though this is almost universal in the motorcycle-style e-bike category.

Again, like most similar e-bikes, the X1S is essentially a throttle-only ride, with the option to pedal for brief periods at lower speeds. Shorter riders may find the pedal position more comfortable.

Battery Range

The X1S’s 500Wh battery should be a good match for the 500W motor, but the X1S struggled to a pathetic 16 miles in our PAS 5 range test. The charge indicator also falls by three bars whenever the motor is under strain, such as when climbing hills.

With the displayed battery capacity fluctuating by up to 60% while riding, it’s tough to estimate how much range is left, making it far too easy to end up with a dead battery and a painfully heavy bike to push home.

Commuter Readiness

Macfox markets the X1S as a commuter, and it might do the job for a commute of five miles each way over level pavement if it never rains.

The X1S doesn’t have fenders, which are essential for commuting in most areas, especially as fat tires throw up a lot more water and dirt than regular tires. Also, the bike doesn’t have a rear light, which is standard, even on cheap e-bikes these days; another missed opportunity. The bike’s weather protection is also unclear. Can it resist water ingress if caught in a heavy downpour? Not if it’s rated for IPX4.

Overall, the X1S cannot be recommended for commuting.

The X1S in Detail

The Macfox X1S is described as a Class 2 e-bike, but the stated top speed of 25mph using throttle or pedal assist means it doesn’t actually comply with US e-bike rules. No e-bike should exceed 20mph using the throttle.

The regular X1S comes in an all-black colorway or a Bs.zay collab edition, which is finished in an eye-catching mix of purple and white. The Bs.zay edition has an upgraded fork and display.

The X1S comes in one size, and Macfox says it fits riders from 5’3″ to 6’6″, but the non-adjustable, 33” seat height means this stated height range isn’t realistic.

With only a basic 120mm coil suspension fork and no rear shock, the X1S is only suited to paved surfaces and very light off-road trails.

The small 2A charger takes five to six hours to charge the 10.4Ah battery. There are three PAS levels, and assist is modulated by an insensitive cadence sensor.

The X1S’s 20” wheels have alloy rims and nutted axles. They come fitted with 4” fat tires with an off-road tread. There’s no indication of the tires having puncture protection or being tubeless-compatible.

The best thing about the single-speed drivetrain is that it should require less maintenance than one with a derailleur. However, the gearing provided by the 42t chainring and 16t sprocket makes it hard to pull away, climb hills, or pedal at speeds over 16mph.

Braking is handled by mechanical disc brakes and 180mm rotors. Considering most budget e-bikes have hydraulic brakes, this is another letdown.

The cockpit has a backlit LCD screen that shows the speed, which pedal assist level is selected, and the battery charge as a five-bar readout. There’s a twist throttle and controls for the headlight.

The seat is 24” long, the grips are hard plastic, and the pedals are a standard aluminum platform-style. So far, this bike’s basic specification, lack of adjustability, cheap components, and unclear safety and water resistance raise big questions, but does the Macfox X1S deliver where it matters most?

Testing the X1S

Some e-bikes, even budget options, pack a strong punch and do well in our standardized testing. However, the Macfox X1S is not one of those bikes.

Hill Climb Tests

The X1S completed our small-elevation hill climb in 2:56 as it managed to sneak past 20mph in the flatter sections of the route, and this was enough to put it in second place in this group of e-bikes with 500W motors.

The X1S fell on its face in our medium-elevation hill-climb, where the single-speed drivetrain and weak acceleration left it languishing at the back of the pack. Most 500W e-bikes with seven or eight speed drivetrains climb this hill in 2:30-2:40. The X1S staggered its way to the top of the hill in 3:13, more than 30 seconds behind the other bikes up this 0.65-mile climb.

Acceleration Tests

From pulling away to reaching its top speed, the X1S feels slow and underpowered. The lack of pep from both the cadence sensor and motor is clear to see in the acceleration tests, with the X1S needing 16 seconds to reach 20mph, whether using the throttle or the pedal assist.

Range Tests

The disappointment continued in the range tests. Using max assist, the X1S only managed 16.37 miles. This result is pretty pathetic, even compared to the other bikes with 10.4Ah batteries, which traveled 23 to 25 miles in this test.

Things didn’t improve much in the PAS 2 test, in which the range was extended by eight miles to 24.02 miles and 915 feet of elevation. However, the other bikes, all powered by batteries of the same capacity, traveled 32 to 35 miles in this test, leaving the X1S far behind.

Brake Tests

Our braking test measures how far a bike takes to go from 20mph to zero on dry pavement. The Macfox needed 23 feet to stop, which is one of the longest distances we’ve recorded in this test. Among recent competitors, it’s one of the worst performances, with other bikes generally stopping in 18 to 20 feet.

Riding the Macfox X1S

As described in the cons section, the first thing I noticed upon mounting the X1S was the low seat and cramped pedaling position.

The seat is well-padded and comfortable, but with my feet on the pedals, my legs were bent exactly 90° at the knees. There was no room for proper leg extension while pedaling, so I had to stand on the pedals to pull away or climb hills.

The cadence sensor is also very slow to respond, making it even harder to get going. It takes two or three full rotations of the cranks to trigger any pedal assist, and then the power comes in very lightly, with a long ramp-up to reach the motor’s “full” power.

Riding the X1S using the throttle is better than pedaling, but it’s still disappointing. The motor is gutless, sluggish, and slow to respond. This runs completely counter to Macfox’s claim of “Wheelie Ready Power” and is pretty disappointing for a moped-style bike that relies on sleek looks and motor performance as key selling points. Using the throttle, I could eventually hit 24mph, but only on perfectly level ground.

What little power the motor provides is overcome at the first sign of a hill. On inclines of 12%, the speed fell to 6mph, and I had to stand on the pedals to help the struggling motor.

When this miserable performance is combined with a range of just 16 miles using max pedal assist, I don’t see how this can be called a “Commuter” bike. It also weighs a hefty 73.4lb, 8.4lb more than Macfox claims.

The only positive ride characteristics are the comfortable seat and decent comfort over light off-road terrain. The frame and suspension fork absorb bumps well, and the 4” tires provide cushion and traction on dirt roads.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, the X1S falls short of the bold promises made by Macfox. The 500W motor delivers sluggish acceleration and struggles with moderate hills. The single-speed drivetrain and cramped pedal position make the X1S little more than a weak electric motorbike with poor range.

The X1S lacks commuting essentials like fenders, a rack, and a rear light. At 73.4lb, it’s also very heavy, and the brakes are among the worst we’ve tested.

At this price point, established brands have better motors, UL compliance, and genuine commuter features. The Macfox X1S is only suitable for short, throttle-only rides on paved or light off-road terrain in areas without long or steep hills, and there are similar, moto-style e-bikes out there that offer much better performance at a lower price.

Score Breakdown

• Build quality: 45
• Performance/Innovation: 40
• Design: 45
• Ride quality: 45
• Price/Value: 20

Overall: 39

Detailed Specs

Electric Bike Class: Unrestricted
UL Certification: UL 2849
IP Rating: IPX4
Total Weight: Claimed: 65lb – Actual: 73.4lb
Motor Brand: Macfox
Motor Type: Rear hub
Motor Nominal Output: 500W
Max Torque: 50Nm
Battery: 48V 10.4Ah (500Wh)
Range Claimed: 38/76 miles
Range Tested (PAS 2/3): 24.02 mi – 915 ft. – 14.7mph avg.
Range Tested (PAS 3/3): 16.37 mi – 753 ft. – 15.3mph avg.
Claimed Top Speed: 25mph
Throttle: Thumb-style
Pedal Assist: 3 levels
Charger: 2A
Charge Time: 6 hours
Display: 2.4” Monochrome LCD
Frame: Steel
Fork: 120mm coil suspension, non-adjustable
Brake Levers: Mechanical levers – Macfox
Brake Calipers: Mechanical – Macfox
Brake Rotors: 180mm
Chain: KMC
Crankset: 170mm, 42t
Freewheel: single-speed, 16t
Rims: 20” aluminum alloy
Tires: 20” x 4”
Fenders: None
Lights: Headlight only
Grips: Integrated plastic
Saddle: 24” bench seat, non-adjustable
Pedals: Aluminum platform
Handlebar: 700mm, BMX-style
Kickstand: Single-sided
Payload Capacity: 220lb

Geometry Details

Reach: 11.81” (300mm)
Stack: 23.81” (605mm)
Stand Over Height: 33.75” (857mm)
Virtual Top Tube Length: 11.5” (292mm)
Saddle Height: 33” (838mm)
Handlebar Height 38.3” (982mm)
Wheelbase: 42.1” (1069mm)

Would I recommend it? Depends. If you’re a speed demon, a comfort queen, or a tech junkie—hard pass. But if you’re budget-conscious, mechanically curious, and not afraid of a little rough riding, the Macfox X1S just might be your new two-wheeled misfit soulmate.