Focus JAM2 SL 9.9 bottom lineĪlex Evans is BikeRadar’s senior mountain bike technical editor. Pitted head-to-head, with more power, a longer range and quieter operating, the dial edges in favour of the Focus.Īdd in almost identical geometry adjustment, better value for money and an impressive spec and the Focus takes the lead for me.
The Fazua motor is quieter than the Turbo SL 1.2. The Fazua is not only more powerful than the Specialized’s Turbo SL 1.2 at the top end, it’s also more frugal in each of its modes.Īlthough its range is helped by the bigger battery (430Wh versus 320Wh), there’s no denying its economy. Their motors are a tale of two halves, however. This might edge it ahead for some customers, while others might prefer the all-guns blazing S-Works Levo SL II. The Focus’s rather canny spec means this JAM SL 9.9 represents – in the word of electric bikes at least – reasonable value for money, especially when lined up next to the Specialized. Their price tags – £7,499 for the Focus and £13,000 for the Levo SL II – and corresponding componentry are rather disparate, however.īut that doesn’t give either a particular advantage the Levo SL’s components, such as SRAM’s Eagle Transmission, justify the cost, but neither do they blow the Focus’s components into obsolescence. Ian Linton / Our Mediaīoth bikes share a carbon frame construction, the same front and rear travel figure, and immensely adjustable geometry helping them span the trail and enduro bike segments. This gave 22 per cent sag.Īfter playing with the extensive geometry adjustments, I set the bike to its longest chainstay position (447mm), lowest bottom bracket position (338mm) and slackest head angle (63.5 degrees). During testing, this felt too soft and unbalanced with the front, so I increased pressure to 195psi. I initially set the shock to 185psi, giving 30 per cent sag the exact amount Focus recommends.
I left the shock’s yellow volume-reducer spacer installed and fully opened the external rebound adjustment. Set in this way, it had 25.5 per cent sag. During testing, I found this felt quite harsh, so I decreased it in increments to 93psi. The fork’s air spring was initially set to 108psi, giving 18 per cent sag. I set all the external rebound and compression adjusters to fully open. I installed two additional volume-reducer spacers in the fork, taking the total to four. The Float X Performance shock performs brilliantly. Each of its pivots runs on double sealed cartridge bearings. This, the brand says, has been tuned to separate the impact of braking forces on the suspension’s action. The JAM2’s 150mm-travel Horst-link rear suspension is called ‘Focus Optimised Linkage Design (F.O.L.D.)’.
It uses SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger. Bottle cage mounts feature inside the front triangle and the chainstay is clad with a soft chain-slap protector. The shock mount is semi-integrated into the underside of the top tube, while the down tube has a battery door on its underside for quick and easy off-bike battery charging.Ĭables are routed internally via the stem into ports in the headset, dubbed the ‘Cockpit Integration Solution (C.I.S.)’ by Focus. Ian Linton / Our Mediaīuilt from Focus’s MAX layup carbon fibre – featuring more high-modulus fibres than the standard carbon material – the JAM2 SL’s frame is designed to be as light as possible without sacrificing strength and durability. Some may dislike the cable routing (via the stem and headset), while others might appreciate the tidier front end.
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