There was a time in the '70s when a moped company called Famel was ruling the streets of Portugal. Fun, easy-to-ride 50cc mopeds with zippy five-speed gearboxes were all the rage back then. However, by the '90s, with the influx of European manufacturers entering the fray, Famel soon went bankrupt.
Now, more than 30 years later, the bikemaker makes a comeback, with an electric offering no less. The Famel E‑XF, an electric café racer, was unveiled at this year’s EICMA, and almost went under the radar. But it could well prove to be the most sensible electric two-wheeler purchase for urban riding.
The E‑XF comes powered by a 72 -V/40 -Ah battery pack and a 5.5-kW rear-hub-mounted motor that offers a range of up to 75 miles (120 km). Famel claims that the bike is akin to 125cc ICE motorcycles, promising a top speed of around 60 mph (100 km/h).
The battery pack itself is removable, allowing you to swap another one when you run out of juice, with a full charge taking anywhere between 4 to 5 hours to get to 100% from empty.
The battery is concealed inside the motorcycle’s design – something which looks to be a deliberate attempt to embrace the needs of an electric, sustainable future while maintaining the essence of the popular XF-17 moped of yesteryear.
The bike comes fitted with all-LED lights, a simple digital display, and a single bench-styled seat. Weighing around 265 lb (120 kg), E-XF’s weight distribution, the steel-tube frame, and the punchy little motor all suggest it is equally well-built for brief excursions outside of cities as well as for city streets.
Is it revolutionary? Nope. Does it come with any pathbreaking tech? Nope. Famel has done nothing extraordinary with the E-XF. Rather, it’s a very simple machine that’s designed like one, too.
The intention looks to be clear: Attract people who appreciate simple, easy motorcycles and are looking for something new in the electric segment. And for all that, I think the company has got most things right.
That starts with keeping its production largely local and limiting itself to European suppliers, at least at first. As for the price, the electric bike retails for €7,000 (just north of US$8,000). It’s expected to the available in Europe by the first half of 2026.
We don’t know Famel’s global ambitions just yet. It may or may not come to other markets, but if it did, it would mostly compete with the likes of the $20,495 Zero SR/F and the recently-released Maeving RM1S – another beautiful, simple, retro-styled electric motorcycle. We'll just have to wait for news.
Source: Famel
