2021 Sam2 headset and cis

Huw169

New Member
Nov 7, 2021
39
20
Hampshire
Ok, so 2021 Sam2 is 5 months old with less than 200 miles on and headset bearings are shot. Noisy and crunchy to turn bars.

As I need to change I’m thinking I just delete the CIS and re-route cables out side of frame.
Anyone done this? Where did you get frame cable grommets from? Any drawings, exploded views, or even YouTube vids showing the CIS in all its detail? I haven’t found any so far.

I’m not worried about doing the job, just want to know what I’m into before pulling it apart, rather than being half way through then trying to source parts.
Cheers
 

dropbear14

Member
Apr 19, 2021
9
8
Brisbane
These are great bikes (I own a 21' Sam2 also) however the headset bearings are probably the absolute most garbage part that comes on the bike, closely followed by the whole CIS setup. Plastic cups, non sealed bearings, and in many cases they even bind up after pressing the cups into the frame, as well as they creak like a MF. What the hell were they thinking. Replacing them with a good aluminium cupped aftermarket headset should be the first upgrade anyone does to this bike.

You're gonna need to cut your rear brake line at the lever (the line is too long once you bypass the CIS anyway), disconnect your dropper line at the post, derailleur cable at the derailler, drop the battery and the cable cover above it, disconnect the Purion display cable at the motor. Then dismantle the whole CIS setup, pull all the cables through the stem and head stock so it's all hanging out the battery port.

The frame grommets you're gonna need to hit your Focus dealer up for them, some bikes they come with blank grommets, some come with the grommets with holes in them, it's purely luck of the draw. Re-run your cables out through the side ports and trim them all to length as they are all too long from previously going through the CIS (except the Purion cable of course, just stuff the excess cable behind the headset in the frame, and install a decent new aluminium cupped headset. Funn makes a good headset for this frame at a decent price and you'll probably never need to replace it again.

When I did my bike it took me about 5 hours, but I've done a couple of other now and I've got it down to about 3-4 hours. Takes a while but it's totally worth it.
 

Huw169

New Member
Nov 7, 2021
39
20
Hampshire
These are great bikes (I own a 21' Sam2 also) however the headset bearings are probably the absolute most garbage part that comes on the bike, closely followed by the whole CIS setup. Plastic cups, non sealed bearings, and in many cases they even bind up after pressing the cups into the frame, as well as they creak like a MF. What the hell were they thinking. Replacing them with a good aluminium cupped aftermarket headset should be the first upgrade anyone does to this bike.

You're gonna need to cut your rear brake line at the lever (the line is too long once you bypass the CIS anyway), disconnect your dropper line at the post, derailleur cable at the derailler, drop the battery and the cable cover above it, disconnect the Purion display cable at the motor. Then dismantle the whole CIS setup, pull all the cables through the stem and head stock so it's all hanging out the battery port.

The frame grommets you're gonna need to hit your Focus dealer up for them, some bikes they come with blank grommets, some come with the grommets with holes in them, it's purely luck of the draw. Re-run your cables out through the side ports and trim them all to length as they are all too long from previously going through the CIS (except the Purion cable of course, just stuff the excess cable behind the headset in the frame, and install a decent new aluminium cupped headset. Funn makes a good headset for this frame at a decent price and you'll probably never need to replace it again.

When I did my bike it took me about 5 hours, but I've done a couple of other now and I've got it down to about 3-4 hours. Takes a while but it's totally worth it.
Thanks man. I got a superstar headset. Just waiting on grommets. No stock in UK at all.
Cheers for the tips. I'm still riding it but the noise is really winding me up now.
 

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