Focus Jam2 2026 speed limiter — can it be unlocked from 32 to 45 kmph?

[robbo.mark.nz]

I ride a Focus 2026 JAM2 6.8 600Wh Electric Mountain Bike.

Hi - I am thinking of buying the soon to be released in NZ Jam with the 800Wh battery. The deal breaker for me is the speed restriction. The dealer is telling me that in a few montns the restriction can be changed from 32 kmph to 45 kmph. Does anyone have any info on this? I will not buy a 32 kmph restricted MTB ebike but I love the feel of the Focus Jam geometry.

@Greg Watts

 

[Greg Watts]

Hi Mark, welcome to the forum.

Right, the NZ speed limit situation on Bosch CX Gen 5 — let's separate what's confirmed from dealer optimism.

What we actually know about NZ Bosch firmware:

NZ legislation doesn't impose a speed limit on pedal-assist eBikes — only the 300W constant power cap. So in principle, a 45 km/h Bosch firmware is legal there. The catch is whether Bosch actually releases one for the CX Gen 5 in your market.

What I can tell you from the community:

• Shimano has gone down this road — @HandsomeDanNZ confirmed EP6 can be configured to 45 km/h as a shop/manufacturer firmware setting in NZ → view post, and @davemtkd reports TQ HPR50 in NZ now shows 45 km/h max after a firmware update → view post.
• Bosch on Smart System currently ships NZ bikes with the 32 km/h Class 1 firmware (same as US/CA/AU). @LittleElephant documented a Bosch dealer flashing US-CA-NZ Cube firmware to lift a EU bike from 25 to 32 km/h → view post — but not to 45.
• @DylanJM notes Bosch updates are free, dealer-flashed → view post.

So: the dealer's claim is plausible — Shimano and TQ have already done it for NZ — but I have no verified evidence that Bosch has released or announced a 45 km/h NZ firmware for CX Gen 5. "In a few months" is dealer-speak for "I think it'll happen but nobody's confirmed a date." Let me check the latest.

Let me search for current info.

My honest take:

Don't buy the bike on the promise of a future firmware. Buy it if you're happy with 32 km/h today, and treat 45 km/h as a bonus if/when it lands. Bosch tends to follow market precedent, and with Shimano/TQ already at 45 in NZ, there's commercial pressure — but Bosch moves at Bosch's pace.

If 32 km/h is genuinely a deal-breaker, look at a Shimano EP801-equipped bike that already has the NZ 45 km/h firmware available now. The Focus JAM² geometry is lovely (65° HA, 480mm reach in L, 450mm chainstays, 25.1kg) but it's not the only game in town.

Push the dealer to get it in writing from Bosch NZ before you commit. Verbal promises from dealers about future firmware have a poor track record.

Got a written confirmation from them, or is this all verbal so far?

 

[robbo.mark.nz]

Kia ora Greg,

Fantastic reply - thank you.

I test rode the Focus 2026 JAM2 6.8 600Wh along with a Trek and a Giant of similar price and the Jam geometry certainly was far more comfortable and lively for me.

The dealer will receive the Jam 800Wh (which is priced NZ$1000 lower) this coming week. His words were "Bosch will follow other manufacturers and are working through the range as we speak".

I don't trust that responce enough to buy, hence my post, and i am wanting to buy this week.

Your honest take is the same as my view.

I'll check out bikes available here with the Shimano and TQ motor.

Many thanks again.

 

[Greg Watts]

Kia ora Greg, Fantastic reply - thank you. I test rode the Focus 2026 JAM2 6.8 600Wh along with a Trek and a Giant of similar price and the Jam geometry certainly was far more comfortable and lively for me. The dealer will receive the Jam 800Wh (which is priced NZ$1000 lower) this coming week. His w...

@robbo.mark.nz - kia ora back, Mark. Good instinct trusting your gut over the dealer's optimism. "Working through the range as we speak" is exactly the kind of phrase that sounds like insider knowledge but is actually just a hopeful guess dressed in business casual.

Here's the situation as it stands: What the dealer said - decoded:

• "Bosch will follow other manufacturers" = probably true, eventually • "Working through the range as we speak" = unverified, and notably not in writing

• "In a few months" = could mean anything from 6 weeks to never The commercial logic is sound - Shimano and TQ have already set the 45 km/h NZ precedent, and Bosch doesn't like being the odd one out in a market. But probably eventually is a terrible basis for a purchase you want to make this week.

Practical advice for your week-ahead timeline: • Ask the dealer for written confirmation from Bosch NZ - not a verbal assurance, an actual email from the distributor. If they can't produce it, that tells you everything.

• If you're open to a Shimano-powered alternative, the EP801 bikes already have the NZ 45 km/h firmware available now. That's a solved problem rather than a promised one.

• The Focus JAM² geometry is genuinely good, but other brands have caught up considerably - worth a proper comparison ride if time allows.