Focus JAM2 Pro Plus 2018!
- Thread starter jared1843
- Start date
sdcoffeeroaster
New Member
Does anyone know if Focus replacement batteries will be available when the time comes (since Focus left the US market). Lots of good deals out there but if you can't get a battery in 3 or 4 years then the bikes value is a lot less. I'm still on the fence about getting an e-bike but going thru a long rehab from a bad crash on my shoulder. I now have something called adhesive capsulitis, aka frozen shoulder and not even an e-bike will make up for the lack of mobility. I am riding again but no shoulder strength and limited movement. Legs are also shot after not riding for 11 weeks. I'm at the 17 week mark and my broken collar bone, scapula and 2 ribs are healed but the shoulder joint has only 40-50% movement now. DON'T FALL ON YOUR SHOULDER, lol!!!!
Chris Nolte
Well-Known Member
Sorry to hear about your fall. The good news about the Focus bikes is that Focus is still producing these bikes in Germany for the EU market and that Gazelle, a sister company under the Derby Cycle brand umbrella is still in the US among several other notable non-e brands. At the moment future support will he handled by Gazelle in the US.
Based on my experience in the past with working with Derby for the past 5 years, you should be able to continue get parts for your bike. I can’t promise you can get them quickly as they sometime take the slow boat from Germany to the west coast, but outside of that you should continue to recieve support. Fortunately the rest of the parts aren’t really proprietary so supporting those parts will be much easier.
I do believe there are limited TEC packs available in the US right now which is concerning, but maybe there is a different strategy for core parts and add-ons. This is part of the reason I’m heavy on Bosch in our shop with all the volatility in the market Bosch is consistently investing more and building a stronger network of support. We’re in the early days here and I feel it’s critical to have reliable partners for success. Sorry for my little rant at the end, it’s not too often that I say that, but I feel it’s a big deal in the industry right now.
sdcoffeeroaster
New Member
Thanks Chris. I have not bought the Focus yet. I'm starting to think about a bike with an external and off the shelf battery. The integrated batteries look cool and make the bike look more like a regular mtn bike but they do have a slightly higher cg and are generally not removable without removing the motor. So unless you bring the bike in the house, the battery is subjected to either a hot or cold garage during the seasons (not too bad in SoCal). The Canyon Spectral ON is a good example of an external mounted battery with the standard Shimano battery. But the Canyon is not yet available in the US but will be in 2020 according to Canyon. I think the Bosche motors are overdue for an update and have not kept up with Shimano or Brose as far as ease of use and controllability. I might be considering a Giant e-bike except for their continual use of the Yamaha motors which are just not as controllable as Shimano or Brose and a bit unpredictable but powerful. I was really impressed with the new Specialized e-bike after riding one for about 45 minutes a few days before my accident. The 2019 Specialized Carbon Comp I rode was both incredibly smooth and powerful and easy to control. And it was also very quiet and also very expensive! One other interesting new bike is the Norco. And their entry level model is using the smaller, new E7000 Shimano motor that is said to be both quieter and smoother although less powerful.
sdcoffeeroaster
New Member
After some waffling and almost buying a Norco for $5400. I settled on a 2018 Jam2 plus carbon with Fox suspension. I pick it up tomorrow and really saved a lot over the Norco. The Norco is great but would have cost me almost $6k out the door. I like the concept of the Focus Jam2 and this one is extra light. I was not sure about the plus tires and Rekons are really bad in the wet but I'm going to give them a try. The rims at 40mm are pretty heavy to but I'll at least go tubeless right away. Does anyone know if the factory tapes the rims with tubeless tape? Thanks
Ebiker01
Well-Known Member
I wonder if when cars came out , people with ? carriages were going to the drivers and show this similar behaviour ? ? Is prob. an ego thing, i have yet to meet someone who may exhibit an aggresion towards ebikes, but may happen sooner rather then later.Forrest4trees,
Well 4 months later and I still love the bike! No problems to speak of. I'm really liking the Di2 electronic shifting by wire. Never thought I would but do really enjoy it. Love that it is customizable in many ways too. The bike still handles everything I throw at it like a champ. And that is everything from simple rails to trails days to very technical downhill single track where I need to stop and rest my hands from braking so much! The motor is surprisingly quiet. You can definitely hear it working while you pedal, but I don't even notice it any more. My friends that pedal with me say they can't hear it at all if they're more than 10 feet away. Its the Shimano Steps motor system so all bikes with that setup should be the same.
Also, I did get the Tec pack as I bought the bike to do very long touring days or multiple trail days of 30+ miles on the regular. Particularly back to back days. Anyway, the pack works great and doubles your battery capacity. Each battery works independently of the other and some people complain about that, but I see it as a plus. I like draining one of the batteries and getting to evaluate where I am for the day and if past half way just cruise on, etc....
My only regrets right now are the slow adoption of e-bikes on trails I want to ride. I've had some dirty looks and a run in with outright aggressive people. I do mostly stick to whats open to me as well as fire roads and other multi use areas. My favorite is pedaling up ridiculously steep roads to shuttle myself instead of paying for shuttles
J
Slowly, regular bikes in US will be a thing of the past. They already are in many countries in Europe.
bob armani
Well-Known Member
Congrats! Great looking bike and nice components! Curious how much lighter is this bike with the carbon built frame?
sdcoffeeroaster
New Member
I've heard about 400 grams or almost a lb . But it still has those heavy 40mm wheels! It's really so tough getting a bike much below 46 lbs or so. I don't think the Rekon tires are all that great and the Minions will add about 120 gms each but much better traction. And they used 200 gm tubes in my bike so not much savings going tubeless ( but better for flat prevention) and you need to use at least 3 oz of Stans. And ebikes really need to use a steel cassette driver not aluminum, 100 g more for that. They did use a steel driver on this focus, probably all the others too. The 40 mm rims are heavy but necessary for plus tires. If you go to 2.6" then 35 mm is what you want although 30 mm will work but only 50-100 gms savings there. Everything is a bit of a trade-off and it's best to ignore weight and go for function and durability because the weight isn't all that apparent once you're on the trail and moving. The carbon frame is good because some testers have commented that the regular Focus jam2 with an Al frame had some flex but the 400 gms weight savings is probably not that apparent.
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Steve G 3232
New Member
Late to this forum, but would have to agree that these bikes are made for the heavy terrain. I rode all weekend on the North Shore trails in Vancouver, BC and this bike was superb to ride and handled great on the steep and bumpy down hills.
Steve G 3232
New Member
Does anyone know where to get a replacement charger for the battery now that they are not in North America market?
Thanks
Steve
Thanks
Steve
Largoroom
New Member
I have the 2018 and yes....the walk assist works just fine.
From Focus Bikes:
Many thanks for your email.
We don't sell our bikes in the US anymore but still provide a level of support. You can contact Darrell at [email protected] for help.
and
We have the JAM2 376Wh battery in stock in North America. You can purchase a Jam2 battery through a Gazelle retailer. The battery is $799 MSRP. If you would like to purchase a Jam2 battery, please contact your closest Gazelle dealer and ask them to contact Gazelle to order a replacement.
To find a Gazelle dealer near you: https://www.gazellebikes.com/en-us/bike-store
From Focus Bikes:
Many thanks for your email.
We don't sell our bikes in the US anymore but still provide a level of support. You can contact Darrell at [email protected] for help.
and
We have the JAM2 376Wh battery in stock in North America. You can purchase a Jam2 battery through a Gazelle retailer. The battery is $799 MSRP. If you would like to purchase a Jam2 battery, please contact your closest Gazelle dealer and ask them to contact Gazelle to order a replacement.
To find a Gazelle dealer near you: https://www.gazellebikes.com/en-us/bike-store
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