Anyone tried the Focus Jam2 Plus LTD?

[Kendoji]

Hey folks, I’m coming back to mountain biking after 20+ years, currently have a hardtail Cube ‘analogue’ bike but seriously considering an electric mountain bike because I’m now old, out of shape and e-bikes are fun. I already have a Stromer speed pedelec, which is an amazing machine.

I was looking at Cube and the Levo of course, but then I stumbled into the Focus Jam2 in a shop this week as a local dealer here in NL happened to have one and encouraged me to ride it.

JAM² Plus LTD

It’s a bit of a quirky bike with its small (around 380whr) battery that’s basically built into the frame, with the optional add-on battery that takes it to 750whr. What I like about it is how the bike is exceptionally light without the second battery, the fact that it has a ‘normal’ front chain and apparently has very little resistance when pedalling without the motor. So in theory, pedalling the bike to above 25km/hr should feel fairly natural and not like the brakes suddenly come on as the motor stops pushing. It felt lovely when I tried it, though I don’t have much to compare it to as it’s the first of this type of ebike I’ve ridden.

Has anyone tried it? Or any thoughts on the Shimano Steps E8000 that this bike has vs the Brose or Bosch?

 

[Iain at the back]

Hi Kendoji,

I’m just looking for my first eMtb at the moment too. I currently ride a Whyte G160 and i’d Like something with similar travel.
I had a quick go on a friends Haibike with a Yamaha PX and his wife’s Scott HT with Bosch performance line cx. They were both really nice to ride but the Bosch felt a little more natural to me as the Yamaha tried to “run away” with the lightest touch on the pedals. I haven’t ridden a Shimano E8000 yet though so I can’t compare them.

 

[Eckythump]

Hey folks, I’m coming back to mountain biking after 20+ years, currently have a hardtail Cube ‘analogue’ bike but seriously considering an electric mountain bike because I’m now old, out of shape and e-bikes are fun. I already have a Stromer speed pedelec, which is an amazing machine.

I was looking at Cube and the Levo of course, but then I stumbled into the Focus Jam2 in a shop this week as a local dealer here in NL happened to have one and encouraged me to ride it.

JAM² Plus LTD

It’s a bit of a quirky bike with its small (around 380whr) battery that’s basically built into the frame, with the optional add-on battery that takes it to 750whr. What I like about it is how the bike is exceptionally light without the second battery, the fact that it has a ‘normal’ front chain and apparently has very little resistance when pedalling without the motor. So in theory, pedalling the bike to above 25km/hr should feel fairly natural and not like the brakes suddenly come on as the motor stops pushing. It felt lovely when I tried it, though I don’t have much to compare it to as it’s the first of this type of ebike I’ve ridden.

Has anyone tried it? Or any thoughts on the Shimano Steps E8000 that this bike has vs the Brose or Bosch?

I have the Jam2 Factory, same bike with different finishing components.

You might call it a 'niche' emtb as it is definitely about lighter weight and handling. It is the most spritely ebike I have ridden and is the reason I bought one over the others I tried.

The inbuilt battery is enough for a couple of hours hard trail riding. For longer rides you will want the piggy back battery which doubles the range also taking the weight up to the same as the competition but with a few more watt hours. I like the quick release rail that comes with extra battery which you can install a bottle rack on. It is a moments job to slide on the bottle rack if you don't want to bother with a hydration pack.

Im not sure the cut off is as nice as with the Brose motor, I find it a bit draggy but I think this is more to do with you being in a higher gear than you would be without the motor assisting you there. If you ride the bike with assistance turned off it pedals fine with no drag. I use it like that quite a bit, assistance to climb the steep hill onto the moors then shut it off to ride the flat terrain once up there.

Trail mode on the Shimano motor is really good, it is louder than the Brose and maybe isn't quite as 'natural' feeling but there isn't a lot in it.
The inbuilt battery is less convenient when it comes to charging which maybe a consideration.

Anything else you would like hear about?

 

[Eckythump]

I’m going to take the bait after seeing your ‘Welcome’ post from Holland!?

Whilst I have a Dutch Mountain Rescue Team sticker on my Discovery and also appreciate the highest point in the Netherlands is just over 322M do you think a full suss ebike is maybe a little over the top for the Amsterdam countryside?
Perhaps a hardtail might be worth considering. If you choose one with plus tyres that would take the edge off bumps. There are major cost savings and reduced complexity and probably an increased range to be had.
Hard tail versions of the popular bikes are generally available. Bold2 being the Jam2’s sibling.
Just a thought.....

 

[Kendoji]

Thanks for all the info! Sounds like you’re quite happy with it? And haha yes that’s a fair callout, there’s not a great need for full suspension on the trails I ride here in the Netherlands. However, I think I do want to go full suspension anyway just for the extra comfort and sheer fun / cool factor of it. I’ve never had a full suspension bike and, well, I think I just want one and will have more fun on it. And we occasionally do have to ride over some minor tree roots here, you know. :-D

 

[Doomanic]

Surely he needs a Sam2 for those conditions.

 

[Jase37]

Hi

I own a Sam2 limited and really like it. I like the small battery in the frame for local rides and trails rides and then add the extra one for longer rides our. The extra range with the 2 batteries useful. Spec wise seems good value. Not massively keen on the dropper post so might change that but otherwise seems good. Done a few hundred miles and like the steps motor, only thing that would improve ebikes is a slight increase in mph maybe to 18mph as you do sometimes ride on the edge of the cutout.

 

[Kendoji]

So I’m edging my way to a decision, going to go to my local dealer again today and just might order the Jam2. It’s going to be a bit of a financial apocalypse but I’ll hopefully forget about that when I’m out riding. Been out on my analogue Cube bike a fair bit the last couple weeks and it has been glorious.

Oh and one quick comment following the very fair suggestion above to not go hardtail for the Amsterdam countryside - I live in Amsterdam but have a cabin where I spend most of my weekends in the Dutch ‘Veluwe’ area. That’s where I do all my biking. It’s not exactly epic in terms of hills but it is a gigantic area with endless forests and trails, and definitely one of the nicest parts of the country. I think full suspension is a sensible thing to have around here, especially on an e-bike.

 

[ccrdave]

Before you hand out cash take a look at the e-sommet from chainreaction cycles

 

[Kendoji]

Thanks, I’ll take a look but I really don’t want to go mail order. I’d like to buy from a friendly local dealer and options are then limited. That’s one reason I’m looking at Focus, but I do also think they’re a great option for my needs.

 

[jfkbike]

I have the aluminum Jam2 Pro and like it. Have not ridden anything else other than the Specialized Levo. I have made some changes to mine. Mine was the 29" wheel model and I have upgraded the wheels to 29+ with carbon rims and better hubs. I am running the McFly 2.8 x 29 tires with no clearance issues. We have a lot of sand here and the wider rubber helps with float and also dealing with exposed roots. Also changed to a smaller rear cassette as I did not need a 46T rear. Changed out bars and stem to my liking and also the seat. I have the XL model and while heavy ~47 lbs. it does not feel real heavy during use. I usually only ride with the internal battery and get around 26-28 miles but I am mostly in eco mode. I still ride a regular mtb most of the time but the e-bike thing is a lot of fun. For the $$ I think the Focus is a good buy.

 

[Kendoji]

Great to know, thanks! I went ahead and ordered the Jam2 Plus Ltd and maaaybe will get to pick it up tomorrow. It’s the base model, which I hope I won’t regret as some of my test rides were on the more expensive versions. But for my riding I think it’ll be fine, and it’s still a ton of money for a bike that’ll probably be technologically obsolete in 2-3 years. Pretty excited to pick it up.

 

[Eckythump]

Great to know, thanks! I went ahead and ordered the Jam2 Plus Ltd and maaaybe will get to pick it up tomorrow. It’s the base model, which I hope I won’t regret as some of my test rides were on the more expensive versions. But for my riding I think it’ll be fine, and it’s still a ton of money for a bike that’ll probably be technologically obsolete in 2-3 years. Pretty excited to pick it up.

Enjoy the new ride??

 

[Kendoji]

She’s here! Charging her back up after the ride back from the shop and will then go for my first bit of off-road.

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

What a beaut!

 

[Kendoji]

She is! Just did my best to empty the battery completely like the instructions said, had to do the last 30 minutes in Boost mode. Three hours of biking, 50km and really not being sparing with the battery. That’s not bad range for this ‘little’ battery. Terrific fun - this was my first real ride on an e-mtb and my first ride on a full suspension bike, it’s hilarious how you can power through the uphill bits and over just about anything. ?

54.1 km Mountain Bike Ride on April 7, 2018 by Ken R. on Strava

 

[PabloNZ]

How have you gone with the Jam2 in the last week or so @Kendoji? What are your feelings on the smaller battery? I don't think i'll ever be riding more than ~50km at a time and really do like the look of the Jam2/Sam2 but don't want to spring for the TEC battery straight away.

 

[Kendoji]

I only managed two long rides last weekend since getting it, as I go back to the city for work during the week. But from those two rides I’ve been extremely impressed - it’s a great bike, handles beautifully and the Shimano system is smooth and powerful. The riding I do does not include extreme uphills as I’m in the Netherlands, but for me it’s clear that I can ride in Eco just about all the time and still get plenty of power, and can then easily do well above 50km per ride on the small battery. That might be different if you had more hilly terrain. I’m back out in the countryside now and will be hammering it plenty over the next three days.

So far perhaps the only tiny niggling doubt I have is if maybe I should have gone up one model for the slightly fancier spec. Not that I’ve had any issues with the bike, the Recon fork is actually performing very well, but I’m just a gear nerd lol.

 

[Kendoji]

I also have the TEC pack on order btw, though honestly it doesn’t look like I’ll need it very often at all.

 

[PabloNZ]

Thanks for your thoughts. I live in Wellington, New Zealand and we pretty much only have hills to ride on. Plus i'm worn out and lazy so turbo mode is on the foreseeable horizon until my fitness gets better.

I'm also considering higher spec options (do I just grab a Merida and live with the external battery?) but down here it's tough to find anything other than the Jam2 Plus. I'll probably end up having to wait for it to be ordered and even then i've seen a store here stocking the Jam2 Plus with a Sektor fork rather than the Revelation shown on the Focus site. They wouldn't tell me what the story was there...

Enjoy your weekend rides. I'll be sitting here scouring the interwebs for more reviews and trying my best to not change my mind for a 10th time.

 

[Kendoji]

Well the research is half the fun, enjoy it! I think there are tons of great ebike options these days and it’s probably hard to go wrong. But from my research, I do think that along with the Levo, the Focus bikes are probably up there as one of the best options around if you want something relatively ‘stealthy’ that isn’t too far away from a ‘regular’ bike.

 

[PabloNZ]

Well the research is half the fun, enjoy it! I think there are tons of great ebike options these days and it’s probably hard to go wrong. But from my research, I do think that along with the Levo, the Focus bikes are probably up there as one of the best options around if you want something relatively ‘stealthy’ that isn’t too far away from a ‘regular’ bike.

Agreed.

 

[OldBean]

Just sorting out some protection film for,my Jam 2... worked out some shapes to cover the critical areas , took measurements to,local sign shop who fit Venture Shield to cars , they cut out my shapes ,gave me some tips on application so I am about to embark on the job tomorrow.
Cost me £20. Rather less than the commercial ones . ok its not the same coverage but it should keep the important areas shiny.
Will post a pic when completed
Have fun

 

[stiksandstones]

Just got one this weekend, did a long ride, the STEPS motor is fantastic, coming off of a Brose equipped bike for 2 years, I think I am going to like this motor more-feels more like a mountain bike, I feel like I was still in control.

 

[OldBean]

Loaned my Jam2 to my daughter who was a bit sceptical about e bikes ......after 5 mins she was completly sold and I now have difficulty keeping her off it...this is a girl who does triathlons and other bike a thon events..
I think we are on to good thing peeps.
Have fun

 

[MartinW148]

Great to hear good reviews on the range for this bike.

I am stuck between this and a levo, although I probably will go up a model, only because it suits my budget.
What size frame are you running? I expect to be a medium and at 70kg, I am hoping for 30 miles from the battery...


Thanks
M

 

[OldBean]

i run Medium frame ..68kg and 5ft 10...advice was if between sizes go for the smaller .......med suits me OK.
..So far 30 miles easily on a mix of trails Guess it will do 45 +- but I do turn power off on the easy bits.....just so I feel better !!!
Have fun.

 

[OldBean]

PS. Chose the Jam over the Levo for its lightness, the ease of switching modes (I thought having to lean down to adjust the batt mode was an accident asking to happen) Garmin thingy was not offered, the Focus read out is small but clear and gives me all the info I need . Love it .
Have fun

 

[ccrdave]

PS. Chose the Jam over the Levo for its lightness, the ease of switching modes (I thought having to lean down to adjust the batt mode was an accident asking to happen) Garmin thingy was not offered, the Focus read out is small but clear and gives me all the info I need . Love it .
Have fun

???? levo has mode changer on the bars

 

[R120]

Only this years model, if you demoed a 2017 it would not have had the controller.