FOCUS JAM2 7.0
£7,499 The German brand’s latest e-bike is built for fun – let’s see how much of a party animal it is!
Focus reckon e-bikes can help more people reach their “happy place”, whether that’s thrashing out laps, hitting the jumps or heading off into the back of beyond. As a result, their goal hasn’t been to produce the fastest bike, but one that’ll inject more fun into your riding. To achieve this, they haven’t just made a few minor tweaks, they’ve built a whole new bike. This 7.0 model tops a new, three-bike JAM2 7-series range.
THE FRAME
Focus have carried the aluminium construction and 150mm of travel of the old JAM2 frame (still used on the 6-series bikes) over to the new design. However, the 7-series chassis is 29in-wheel-only on all sizes (S-XL) and is built around a Shimano EP8 motor, with 85Nm of max torque. This is powered by Focus’s own integrated 720Wh battery. The German brand have revised the suspension layout, too, positioning the shock horizontally under the top tube. This has enabled them to lower the standover height and shorten the seat tube, allowing use of longer-travel dropper posts. The suspension kinematics have been altered, too. In place of the old two-phase ‘humped’ leverage curve (regressive then progressive), Focus say the bike now has a linearprogressive curve, to give it a more active ride character.
The geometry is modern without being too wild. In the frame’s ‘low’ setting, it sports a 65-degree head angle, 76-degree effective seat tube angle and reach numbers spanning from 420mm (S) to 510mm (XL). A flip-chip in the shock yoke puts the bike in its ‘high’ position, steepening the head and seat tube angles by 0.5 degrees, increasing the BB drop by 5.5mm, shortening the chainstay length by 1.5mm and extending the reach on each size by 5mm.
There are frame mounts for a custom tool bag, which sits between the top and down tubes, and has room for essentials such as a spare tube, tool and tyre levers. Focus use a bottle cage adapter to maximise space inside the front triangle, so on the medium and larger frames you can carry a 750ml bottle. Other details include doublesealed bearings, a SRAM universal mech hanger, a clear-film sticker kit to help prevent scratches and a hefty bolt-on chainstay protector. There’s also a USB-C charging port, which could be handy for keeping lights and GPS units topped up.
THE KIT
Our test JAM2 7.0 came with a slightly different fork to production bikes – a RockShox ZEB Select+ with the Charger 2.1 damper, instead of the base-level ZEB with the less refined Charger R – but the same Fox Float X Performance shock. SRAM’s GX Eagle AXS wireless drivetrain is paired with e*thirteen e*spec Plus cranks. You also get SRAM’s Code RSC brakes, with big 220mm rotors at both ends for extra stopping power. However,
because the frame’s post mount is sized for a 203mm rotor and fitted with a 20mm adapter, the pads contact the rear disc 3mm higher than they should. We had to custom-space the calliper to rectify this.
DT Swiss HX 1700 wheels shod with Schwalbe Magic Mary and Big Betty tyres keep the bike rolling. Focus’s CIS (Cockpit Integration Solution) sees the brake hose, gear cable (on non AXSspecced bikes) and electronic wiring threaded through the stem and into the head tube for a neat look.
THE RIDE
This definitely isn’t a lightweight bike, weighing 25.3kg. However, with a system limit (rider plus bike) of 150kg, it’s built to take some punishment, and when it comes to having fun, Focus have hit the nail on the head. The seated pedalling position is comfy for smooth, extended drags, and our weight felt well-balanced between the wheels for good climbing traction and front-wheel tracking on steep pitches. Pedalling support from the suspension is good and we rarely felt the need to firm-up the shock. There’s no denying it’s a lot of bike to ride, but the well-thought-out geometry keeps it agile enough to throw into turns and manoeuvre without hesitation. Plus, it doesn’t feel too ‘bored’ on more flowing trails, as some very long and slack bikes can.
The new suspension kinematics help here too, with the latest JAM2 exhibiting much less mid-stroke wallow than the old design. This additional support does indeed give the bike a more active ride character, along with a smooth progression through its travel, which makes it feel like it has more than 150mm of bounce on offer. One benefit of the extra weight is that the Focus’s greater sprungto-unsprung mass ratio means the suspension is very sensitive during its initial travel and tracks the ground well, helping to maintain grip in corners and under braking. Luke Marshall www.focus-bikes.com
A serious contender if you prioritise fun and durability over weight savings and boundary-pushing geometry