FOCUS JAM² 7.9 2022 in our 2022 budget eMTB group test – The best 2022 budget eMTB under € 6,500

Scandinavian elegance straight out of Stuttgart – with its sophisticated design language and excellent build-quality, the FOCUS JAM² 7.9 is reminiscent of a Volvo – and it also feels like one! The Shimano EP8 motor and clever details make it suitable both for touring and trail adventures. But does this make it the perfect all-rounder?

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best eMTB of 2022 for € 6,500 – 11 budget eMTBs in our eMTB group test

The FOCUS JAM² 7.9 is the Volvo among eMTBs. Needless to say, functionality goes hand in hand with German… erm, sorry, Scandinavian elegance. With its distinctive design, the JAM² 7.9 is understated yet at the same time extremely elegant. On top of that, it inspires lots of confidence – just like a Volvo during a moose test. The intuitive handling appeals to both beginners and advanced riders. The FOCUS is particularly well-suited for touring, offering a high level of comfort and useful features such as the frame bag on the down tube and charge port on the top tube, which both underline the functional character of the bike. However, the JAM² 7.9 doesn’t shy away from sporty riders either, cutting just as good a figure on trails. Unlike Volvo, the German bike manufacturer doesn’t offer a corrosion protection warranty, but then again, you don’t need one with the FOCUS! The robust and burly alloy frame looks like it’s made from one piece and distinguishes itself through its harmonious design language. Moreover, the JAM² has a whopping 150 kg maximum permissible weight, leaving 124 kg for a fully-kitted rider!

With love for detail – The clever features of the FOCUS JAM² 7.9

At the heart of the FOCUS JAM² 7.9 lies a 85 Nm Shimano EP8 motor, which is beautifully integrated into the frame and offset laterally to the drive side. The 720 Wh battery is neatly integrated into the down tube and can be removed with a downward motion by undoing a solid Allen bolt. When you’re low on juice, you can charge your battery up using the well-positioned and neatly-integrated charge port, which is of higher quality and thus less prone to damage compared to other bikes with a similar design, like the Canyon Spectral:ON.

The FOCUS JAM² 7.9 doesn’t like to brag and is elegantly understated!

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Size	S	M	L	XL
Seat tube	390 mm	420 mm	450 mm	470 mm
Top tube	572 mm	602 mm	637 mm	671 mm
Head tube	105 mm	110 mm	130 mm	150 mm
Head angle	65.0°	65.0°	65.0°	65.0°
Seat angle	76.0°	76.0°	76.0°	76.0°
Chainstays	448 mm	448 mm	448 mm	448 mm
BB Drop	25 mm	25 mm	25 mm	25 mm
Wheelbase	1,192 mm	1,224 mm	1,262 mm	1,301 mm
Reach	420 mm	450 mm	480 mm	510 mm
Stack	612 mm	617 mm	635 mm	653 mm

Not only does the beautifully-accentuated power button fire up the motor but also allows you to charge a mobile phone or navigation device via the integrated USB-C port. Just as practical is the frame bag on the down tube, which isn’t nearly as spacious as a Volvo estate car, but offers enough space to stow away all your trail essentials like a multitool, spare inner tube and a snack. The bottle cage adapter allows you to carry a big 750 ml water bottle on all frame sizes. Moreover, the rear end features a discrete kickstand mount. Just as discreet is the standard frame protection film, which prevents minor scuffs and paint chips. Countless cables make for a crowded and untidy-looking cockpit. However, the in-house C.I.S. stem routes all cables internally through the headset directly into the frame, allowing FOCUS to dispense with conventional cable ports. Unfortunately, the clamps are very tight and kink the cables slightly.

Everything you need – The FOCUS JAM² 7.9 on the trail

The FOCUS JAM² 7.9 has a relaxed and upright pedalling position, which makes it suitable for long tours. The weight is evenly distributed between the hands and saddle and the plush suspension adds to the excellent comfort. The FOX 36 Performance fork and FLOAT X Performance air shock control 150 mm travel at the front and rear, respectively. While the Shimano-powered FOCUS negotiates steep technical climbs without breaking a sweat, here, it lags behind the Moustache Trail 7 with its potent Bosch motor. Downhill, the FOCUS offers balanced and intuitive handling, both on flowing and technical trails, responding to steering input with great precision and reassuring inexperienced riders with its plush suspension.

Unfortunately, the plushness comes at the expense of support, causing the suspension to blow through its travel and swallow up the rider’s input like a sandbag, making it hard for experienced and fast riders to play with the terrain. With heavy riders, the fork reaches its limit on rough terrain, offering less lateral stiffness than the RockShox Zeb of the Rossignol and MERIDA, thus making it hard to hold your line through brake bumps and rock gardens at high speeds. Together with the large volume 2.6” MAXXIS Minion DHF tires, this makes for rather nervous and vague handling. Overall, the FOCUS isn’t your bike of choice for rowdy trail sessions. In our best eMTB of 2022 group test, the JAM² 7.0 flagship model impressed our test team with excellent all-round and touring qualities. Compared to its high-end counterpart, the affordable JAM² 7.9 offers an even better price-performance ratio. The FOX 36 fork may not be as potent as a ZEB or a FOX 38, but the FOCUS delivers an excellent performance on the trail nevertheless.

Tuning tip: sporty riders should add volume spacers to the fork and shock

Conclusion

The FOCUS JAM² 7.9 is the Volvo among eMTBs, impressing with painstaking attention to detail and top-notch build quality. The FOCUS feels at home on long tours, where it offers the same excellent level of comfort as the MERIDA and Moustache. On singletracks, the FOCUS JAM² 7.9 delivers a solid performance, convincing with intuitive and confidence-inspiring handling. However, the fork reaches its limits on steep and rough terrain. Playful trail acrobats are better off with a livelier bike.

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You can find out more about at focus-bikes.com

The test field

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best eMTB of 2022 for € 6,500 – 11 budget eMTBs in our eMTB group test

All bikes in test: Bulls Sonic EVO AM-SL1 (Click for review) | Canyon Spectral:ON CF8 (Click for review) | Centurion Numinis R2700i (Click for review) | FOCUS JAM² 7.9 | Giant Trance X E+19 (Click for review) | MERIDA eONE-SIXTY 975 (Click for review) | Mondraker Crafty R (Click for review) | Moustache Trail 7 (Click for review) | Orbea Rise H15 (Click for review) | Rossignol Mandate Shift XT (Click for review) | SCOTT Patron eRide 920 (Click for review)

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Words & Photos: Mike Hunger