FOCUS JAM2 6.7 PLUS

RATINGS

IN THE STAND

8/10

ON THE TRAIL

8/10

OVER ALL

8/10

Without a doubt, the biggest Achilles heel for the current generation of electric mountain bikes is the fact that on average they weigh about six or seven kilograms more than their pedal-powered equivalent, and this weight manifests itself in ways that can affect the riding experience. For example, storing a larger, more awkward bike can be a problem in tighter apartments and garages, while slinging more than 22 kilos of awkwardly shaped object onto the roof of a taller car is made infinitely more difficult with that extra mass.

So what’s the answer? Less weight, obviously. German company Focus, the brainchild of multiple cyclocross world champion Mike Kluge, reckons it might have come across the solution.

To quickly summarise the build of an e-MTB, the electric motor nestles around the bottom bracket and is powered by a battery which is almost universally stowed in the down tube of the bike. How can you reduce the mass on an e-MTB? Simple, make the battery - which is the largest and heaviest