Dissapointed

[ricardowight]

Yeah Russ, if you put in the effort, you reap the rewards.
I'm happy to do that - I just want to go further faster.

 

[ricardowight]

Russ, I forgot to say sorry to hear about the electrical issues you are experiencing.
I agree totally that a UK wet winter is really going to put these bikes to test.
Maybe you should put it in the lounge in front of the fire to dry out for a couple of days?
My wife loves it when I do that.......

 

[ggrin]

I totally agree with this, I was averaging about 15 miles on a ride , range indicator in red when I arrived home , riding all in eco( before the bike completely packed up, yet to be sorted , looks like battery management system failure ?)
Anyway I distinctly remember keeping up a much higher cadence on the last ride 70 to 80 rpm as said and arrived home with 3 bars on battery indicator.
So yes be lazy and battery Will not last as long.
Put in proper effort , and as if by magic the battery lasts longer !!
A note on my terrible electrical failure, having opened up the battery casing , (yes that's the warranty knackered!)
I discovered moisture inside the casing, whether this is from water ingress ( seems unlikely, casing very well sealed) more likely condensation and some of the printed circuit board tiny connections starting to turn green with corrosion , all very worrying!
It's only ever been used in the wet, mud snow etc proper Scottish wet!
I do seriously wonder whether these bikes are developed enough for the crap weather conditions we have in UK to be reliable enough
Russ

How old is your bike, will warranty not cover it? Mine is only ever used in good old Scottish conditions too, lots of mud and rain. I also wash it every time, trying to avoid water in sensitive areas, so I am bit concerned it is getting like yours I don't see it.

 

[Shaun]

I have seen in another thread that the default eco setting assist is 30% for the E8000 steps motor which compared to my Levo which I run at 10%. I reported earlier in this thread that the Levo was far more efficient. Now I know why. As my Jam2 is a new bike I’m going to ask the bike store to use their software to adjust the eco mode down to 15% and then give that a few rides to see its effect on range.

 

[Andy A]

Well I have just drained the battery for the first time on my Jam2 and while the rides I did were mainly on roads with some bridleways thrown in and not a huge amount of climbing I did 38 miles on one charge with 1650 ft of climbing

 

[Eckythump]

The Jam2 was never designed to be a long distance cruiser it’s always been about smashing out a couple of hours of Enduro style riding.
Like was said a few posts ago you need to keep the cadence in the 70-80 range if you want a Shimano setup to last any distance, otherwise it throws in loads of torque which eats through any battery. Keep the assist meter along the bottom of the screen and you will probably be surprised how far you can get. Turn the corner and start taking the assist meter up the right hand side of the screen and you just eat through the watt/hours.
You need to use the gears and spin not grind at low pedal revs.

 

[R120]

I have seen in another thread that the default eco setting assist is 30% for the E8000 steps motor which compared to my Levo which I run at 10%. I reported earlier in this thread that the Levo was far more efficient. Now I know why. As my Jam2 is a new bike I’m going to ask the bike store to use their software to adjust the eco mode down to 15% and then give that a few rides to see its effect on range.

Your shop won't be able to do that - the ECO mode is fixed at the factory level and cant be changed, unless using third party software like Freemax to "hack" the settings

 

[Shaun]

Your shop won't be able to do that - the ECO mode is fixed at the factory level and cant be changed, unless using third party software like Freemax to "hack" the settings

Thanks for the heads up on the software. I’m thinking as I can tune trail and turbo then I’ll try setting trail to a assist level below that of eco and use original eco as mode as my trail setting.

 

[R120]

You cant do that either - you can essentially tune trail and boost to threes levels within each setting using the Tube app - the lowest trail setting is still more than ECO

 

[mark.ai]

I have seen in another thread that the default eco setting assist is 30% for the E8000 steps motor which compared to my Levo which I run at 10%. I reported earlier in this thread that the Levo was far more efficient. Now I know why. As my Jam2 is a new bike I’m going to ask the bike store to use their software to adjust the eco mode down to 15% and then give that a few rides to see its effect on range.

I think Shimano eco is equivalent to 20% on the Levo scale of 0 to 100%. (It is 60% rider power out of a max 300%). So not 30%, but not 10% either.

 

[Shaun]

You cant do that either - you can essentially tune trail and boost to threes levels within each setting using the Tube app - the lowest trail setting is still more than ECO

You are indeed correct. I can’t understand why Shimano give us the app but then dumb it down and place tuning constraints beyond speed restriction.

Hopefully they will provide user tuning freedom rather than the current almost presets.

Specialized have it right in Mission Control just need Shimano to play catch-up.

 

[ggrin]

All good advice. Shimano Eco power assist level not adjustable with current version.
For me (at 16 stone) , I can pretty much guarantee 20 miles and 2000ft of climb over 1.5 to 2 hours. My best is 26.5 mile 2150 ft climbing over 2 hrs 30 minutes, but I reckon I did 7 or 8 miles of that with no assist.
Dealer getting a TEC pack for me to try, but I am not sure because most of my rides are around 20 miles and 2000 ft or less.
Seems like the 2018 Levo with 504w battery might have given me a bit extra range, more suited to my normal rides, but I do like my Focus!

 

[DeeJay88]

Am I the only person on this forum who is disappointed with their Focus Jam 2?

I bought a 6.9 drifter last November along with the Tech pack which I was hoping not to use too frequently.

I love the bike, it looks great and rides superbly but there are two issues which are making me consider getting rid of it.

Firstly, the battery is a pain to remove. I knew this before purchasing but did not think it would be an issue, but I am finding it is.

Secondly, and more importantly, I am finding the battery range very disappointing. I ride in the Derbyshire Peak District so every ride I am looking at at least 2000 ft of climbing and conditions are currently very sticky.

Even so, I was expecting more than !8 miles off the main battery.

Now you could say that at 68 I am old (true), fat (a little perhaps) and unfit (definitely not, I have been riding these hills three times a week for the last thirty years).

Also my mate, who has just bought a Giant Trance, ironically on my recommendation, is getting almost 50 miles per battery charge on the same rides. He is almost my age, slightly heavier and not as fit, (he cannot keep up with me on a pedal only bike). Now I realise his bike has a 500wh battery compared to the Focus' 378wh, but even so.

I have read on here that people are getting 30 to 40 miles on the main battery. I would be very happy with that but am getting nowhere near it.

I rarely ride in trail now let alone boost, but still the range is rubbish.

Can anyone tell me where I am going wrong?

Am I the only person on this forum who is disappointed with their Focus Jam 2?

I bought a 6.9 drifter last November along with the Tech pack which I was hoping not to use too frequently.

I love the bike, it looks great and rides superbly but there are two issues which are making me consider getting rid of it.

Firstly, the battery is a pain to remove. I knew this before purchasing but did not think it would be an issue, but I am finding it is.

Secondly, and more importantly, I am finding the battery range very disappointing. I ride in the Derbyshire Peak District so every ride I am looking at at least 2000 ft of climbing and conditions are currently very sticky.

Even so, I was expecting more than !8 miles off the main battery.

Now you could say that at 68 I am old (true), fat (a little perhaps) and unfit (definitely not, I have been riding these hills three times a week for the last thirty years).

Also my mate, who has just bought a Giant Trance, ironically on my recommendation, is getting almost 50 miles per battery charge on the same rides. He is almost my age, slightly heavier and not as fit, (he cannot keep up with me on a pedal only bike). Now I realise his bike has a 500wh battery compared to the Focus' 378wh, but even so.

I have read on here that people are getting 30 to 40 miles on the main battery. I would be very happy with that but am getting nowhere near it.

I rarely ride in trail now let alone boost, but still the range is rubbish.

Can anyone tell me where I am going wrong?[/QUOTE

I have the Jam2 27+ with second Battery which sits on a Bone which screws to the Bottle cage mount and the battery comes with a mount for the cage also which clips on the Battery Mount - I Just dod a Rail Trail 110ks was a soft clime but 1000m peddling all the way most of was in 90% was in Eco and only used trail and boost due to being a but stuffed towards the end and still had 1 bar left on the 2nd battery. 6.5 Hours Ride

I would check the soft ware is up to dat i also have used the App to knock all setting down to the lowest possialbe if that fails i would go see dealer and have it checked out Batteies can fail my bike shops loan/test bike had a faulty battery so thet could be the problem.

Souns like you are useing the second battery by swapping the main battery in the frame dont understand they have a prevision for second Battery it is as easy as putting your water bottle in and out of the cage????

Cheers David

 

[Peaky Rider]

Hi Dave

You seem to be getting a bit confused over my original post. I have the TEC pack battery which, like you, mount on the bottle cage. I only thought it would be a good idea to be able to take the main battery out easily to take it inside in cold weather.

You seem to be getting a good range, as is Jonnie Brads in his 'Amazed' thread but I am quickly drawing the conclusion that, if you want a good range, don't use the motor.

 

[R120]

The reality with any current EMTB, is that you are only going to be getting 20-30 miles and 2000 - 3000ft of climbing, ( rider weight, terrain, bike set up etc etc all being subjective variables) on a just get out and ride it basis, unless you are being deliberately conscious of extending your range, or have a bigger than standard battery.

 

[Andy A]

Just had a great day out today on the Jam2 it's my first real off road ride and it was on the North York Moors and gorgeous weather.

I used the TEC pack for the first time and I did 26.3 miles with 2421 feet of climbing and when I got back to the car I was on one red bar, looking at the range left it said 6 miles in eco so for me I think that is a great range on one battery as I know I could have broken 30 miles on it

 

[Gasser]

With regards to cadence and battery range, there is a post going on in the Shimano Section on here where someone has tested high cadence against low cadence and the low cadence ride gave a longer range? Thoughts?
Edit, that discussion is in the General section (and getting quite heated!!)

 

[ggrin]

With regards to cadence and battery range, there is a post going on in the Shimano Section on here where someone has tested high cadence against low cadence and the low cadence ride gave a longer range? Thoughts?

 

[ggrin]

I agree if you keep cadence down you can keep the power assistance meter from going too high. Not sure if it's the low cadence or low torque that makes the difference.
I also find that if I compare a route on eco and then trail, I only get maybe 100 extra metres on eco before i lose my first bar and I get there a lot quicker on trail.

 

[Akiwi]

I was able to do some massive rides on my Focus Jam2 with the Tec Pack.
My best one was at lake Garda, from Torbole to Mt Altissimo. Elevation 2300m (7546 feet) and 57 KM (35 miles). When I got back I had 3 stripes left on the Tec Pack battery left. Yes I sweated like shit, and spun my way up in Eco or Trail reserving Boost only for when absolutely necessary. But If I wanted a motorbike, I would have bought a motorbike. Sweat a bit, and you can extend the length of your rides.

 

[ggrin]

Does the tec pack signifantly affect the bike handling?
My dealer is getting one for me to have a look at but I am not sure I need it.

 

[Andy A]

Does the tec pack signifantly affect the bike handling?
My dealer is getting one for me to have a look at but I am not sure I need it.

I rode with mine for the first time off road on Saturday and didn't notice it was there!

 

[Peaky Rider]

Does the tec pack signifantly affect the bike handling?
My dealer is getting one for me to have a look at but I am not sure I need it.

Several reviews I have seen/read all say that the TEC pack has a detrimental effect on the handling.
Now I'm no flying fish on a bike, but I can't feel any difference on mine. After all, it's 2 kg on a 23 kg bike, although I usually carry mine in my back pack until I need it but really just for aesthetic reasons.
It doesn't help when lifting over styles and gates though.

 

[ricardowight]

What do we all consider to be low or high cadence?
I generally ride in around the 75-80 rpm range which is a healthy spin. Of course gear selection is important, so I go through the gears to try to maintain this level over differing gradients.
Sometimes it creeps up higher and on steep climbs it drops.
I feel like I'm getting decent range (went for a short one today: 15 miles 1300ft climbing, three bars and 16 Eco miles left,. So potential to go twice the distance I actually rode).
I reckon 30 miles and 2000 - 2500ft is pretty much exactly what the Jam2 is designed to do?
The 42 mile range Eco that the computer states when the bike is fully charged must only be possible if there is very little climbing involved.
What are the thoughts on this?

 

[ggrin]

What do we all consider to be low or high cadence?
I generally ride in around the 75-80 rpm range which is a healthy spin. Of course gear selection is important, so I go through the gears to try to maintain this level over differing gradients.
Sometimes it creeps up higher and on steep climbs it drops.
I feel like I'm getting decent range (went for a short one today: 15 miles 1300ft climbing, three bars and 16 Eco miles left,. So potential to go twice the distance I actually rode).
I reckon 30 miles and 2000 - 2500ft is pretty much exactly what the Jam2 is designed to do?
The 42 mile range Eco that the computer states when the bike is fully charged must only be possible if there is very little climbing involved.
What are the thoughts on this?

Just checked my averages for first 600 miles on my Jam squared:
Ave distance 16 miles
Ave climb 1600ft
Ave duration 1h 45min
Ave bars left 1.9
Ave range remaining on eco 10.5 miles
On flat cycleway I can get range up to 50 miles but that is often going above assistance speed, but I have never actually run this distance.
My best is 26.5 miles, 2300ft climbing duration 2h45m, coasted back down with zero juice left. However I did first 6 or 7 miles of that without power assistance.
Thinking about TEC pack for extra confidence, but most times I won't need it.

 

[DeeJay88]

Hi Dave

You seem to be getting a bit confused over my original post. I have the TEC pack battery which, like you, mount on the bottle cage. I only thought it would be a good idea to be able to take the main battery out easily to take it inside in cold weather.

You seem to be getting a good range, as is Jonnie Brads in his 'Amazed' thread but I am quickly drawing the conclusion that, if you want a good range, don't use the motor.

I have also just changed the front ring to a 38t (was 34t) as on the first cassette I was using like 3, 4, 5, rings a lot on the cassette - my reasoning is to use the cassette range, or more of it to spread the ware and I feel it is working as apart from having done a lot more k's and feel I'm a better rider now. I also feel I'm in a better gear coming into obstacles, the other day I climbed a very shaly fire road that I had previously not been able to ever get up on any bike so it feels like my logic is sound and very happy with the bigger front ring.

Just feels like I'm not trying to drop 3-5 spaces on the cassette now only 1 or 2 so all feels smoother and not so harsh on the backend also I'm 118kg so the weight is great downhill but up it loads things instantly.

Also, have just put a 29er with a 2.3 up front but haven't been on the trails yet as just had an opp on both legs so in a week I should be back on singletrack - Cheers

 

[stiv674]

Just to add my two cents worth...

I've had my Jam2 for a couple of months, mostly ridden on by-ways and the local ridgeway, the going has particularly heavy most of the time.

I'm definitely not that fit but I usually get about 20 miles before the battery level goes red, that's a mixture of eco and trail with the odd boost if required, I carry a spare battery so usually change it soon after.

I rode 32 miles on Saturday with 3,000ft of ascent, again heavy going and I had about 55% left on my second battery. I did give myself a boost now and again for the last few miles though

 

[sputnik275wce]

Hi all

I ride my focus jam2 6.9 drifter in eco mode and i get about 50km/32miles with 1500m of uphill. I think with 378wh it is absolutely OK. I am looking forward to get the TEC pack for the alpine season.

 

[Peaky Rider]

Hi all

I ride my focus jam2 6.9 drifter in eco mode and i get about 50km/32miles with 1500m of uphill. I think with 378wh it is absolutely OK. I am looking forward to get the TEC pack for the alpine season.

I have the same bike as you and if I got that range out of my battery I'd be more than happy, but I don't. And believe me, I'm no lazy fatty.

Have you had any of the charging issues?

 

[sputnik275wce]

I have the same bike as you and if I got that range out of my battery I'd be more than happy, but I don't. And believe me, I'm no lazy fatty.

Have you had any of the charging issues?

I had no issues with charging ir the battery. Only issue i had was with the headset. It started to make noises after three rides.