FOCUS JAM2 SL 9.9

£7,499 Highly-adaptable geometry and a powerful motor make for a promising performer

The JAM2 SL is FOCUS’s first lightweight e-MTB, with 29in wheels and 150mm of travel. It shares the looks of the JAM trail bike, but gains a FAZUA motor and battery, plus adjustable geometry.

THE FRAME

Built from FOCUS’s ‘MAX’ carbon fibre and sporting their ‘FOLD’ suspension system, the JAM2 SL uses the same FAZUA RIDE 60 motor as the Haibike LYKE, with up to 60Nm of torque and 450W of peak power. You get the same removable 430Wh battery, too, with a 210Wh range extender available for longer rides. The motor has three stock modes, plus a boost function.

Geometry is highly customsiable, thanks to two sets of flip-chips – which allow you to alter chainstay length by 7mm and BB height by 10mm – plus adjustable headset cups. Elsewhere, geometry straddles the trail and enduro categories. The JAM2 SL can accommodate a 650b rear wheel, too.

THE KIT

Value for money is impressive. You get a Fox 36 Performance Elite fork with GRIP2 damper, paired with a Float X Performance rear shock. Shimano provide their Deore XT M8100 drivetrain and four-piston XT M8120 brakes. DT Swiss’s e-bike-specific HX 1700 LS wheels are wrapped in Schwalbe rubber – a Magic Mary GroundControl ADDIX Soft up front and a Nobby Nic SuperTrail ADDIX Speed Grip at the rear. Elsewhere, a host of FOCUS-branded kit is specced.

THE RIDE

We settled on four volume spacers in the fork and 25.5 per cent sag, with just 22 per cent sag and the pre-installed volume spacer out back. Geometrywise, we prefered the longest chainstay position (447mm), lowest BB height (338mm) and slackest head angle (63.5 degrees).

The relatively steep 76.5-degree seat tube angle places your hips above the BB while the long chainstays put you in a balanced position between the wheels. This makes for a comfortable ascending position, although the tall front end (stack figures sit between 614 and 650mm) gives a ‘winch and plummet’ feel, suited to a more chilled climbing pace. At the rear, the JAM2 SL delivers good grip.

The FAZUA motor is very quiet. It’s economical, too – on a single charge in Breeze mode, we exceeded 2,500m of ascent. Higher modes take the bike close to full-power e-bikes. Overall, its battery life and grunt make it the lightweight e-bike motor to beat.

Downhill, the JAM2 SL is very stable, thanks to its balanced front and rear centres, generous reach and slack head angle. Add the relatively tall stack and low BB, and you can drive grip

through the front wheel on steep terrain and reach high speeds on flatter trails. The long, stable chassis doesn’t equate to a lack of agility, either. While weight shifts are needed on tight trails, the rider input required isn’t tiring, keeping the bike feeling nimble.

Not only does the frame have a smooth, damped feel, but the suspension is supple, too, delivering plenty of traction and comfort. An active beginning stroke is combined with plenty of mid-stroke support. Speed is easy to generate around berms, as the bike can be worked into the terrain without bottoming-out.

In turns, the low BB feels great. Leaning the bike over feels smooth, and the suspension and geometry combine to give a balanced feel. Sharper, tighter corners only require small weight shifts and a flick of the hips. The rear end responds well to movements without feeling too skittish.

The long seat tube and tall stack height of the seatpost prevented us from dropping the seat as far as we’d like. This could be improved with a lower-stack post. Also, the lightweight, hard-compound tyres aren’t right for this bike. While the Magic Mary’s tread pattern is a favourite, the SuperGround casing isn’t stable enough to support the FOCUS’s weight. Out back, the SuperTrail casing has a better feel, but the SpeedGrip rubber and Nobby Nic tread are more suited to downcountry riding than trail or enduro. We swapped to a Magic Mary SuperTrail and Big Betty SuperGravity, both in the ADDIX Soft compound, and the bike’s true performance was unleashed.

These niggles aside, the FOCUS’s adjustable geometry combines with stable suspension to create comfort and poise on every type of terrain. Compared to the Levo SL, The JAM2’s FAZUA motor isn’t only more powerful at the top end, it’s also more frugal and quieter. Add better value for money and a still-decent spec, and the Focus takes the lead over the Spesh. You’ll need to upgrade the tyres, but once you’ve done so, that’ll be it.

Impeccable performance across the gamut of riding styles/terrain, with great battery life and plenty of power