Focus Bikes..Any good?

fatboyonabike

fatboyonabike

Captain oblivious
I am at the point where I need to upgrade my boys's bikes, having twin 12yo's, this never comes as a cheap exercise.
But through a contact with their MTB coaching clinic, we have an opportunity to get them onto a Focus Jam 6.8 for a red hot price, and having to buy 2 of the damn thing at the same time, any money left in my pocket is a winner.
I have read that they can easily run both 27.5 and 29, which is a good thing, as they did lean more torward the smaller wheels... it seems that not many manufacturers spec 27.5 and trying to find one for a good price is an added bonus.
Any thoughts on Focus, other brands or simply shooting the breeze?!
 
The Duckmeister

The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
Focus are pretty decent, but I think still struggling to find a decent foothold in our market. The shop I used to work in sold them for a while when they were a fairly new brand here, and they were a hard sell simply because they were unknown. I never came across any quality issues (except maybe their RAT through-axles for roadies) that would suggest to stay away.
 
Litenbror

Litenbror

Eats Squid
fatboyonabike said:
I am at the point where I need to upgrade my boys's bikes, having twin 12yo's, this never comes as a cheap exercise.
But through a contact with their MTB coaching clinic, we have an opportunity to get them onto a Focus Jam 6.8 for a red hot price, and having to buy 2 of the damn thing at the same time, any money left in my pocket is a winner.
I have read that they can easily run both 27.5 and 29, which is a good thing, as they did lean more torward the smaller wheels... it seems that not many manufacturers spec 27.5 and trying to find one for a good price is an added bonus.
Any thoughts on Focus, other brands or simply shooting the breeze?!
Click to expand...
I've had two over the years and they were fine, good spec for the money.
 
D

DrHarry

Do you feel lucky? Do you pup?
My local bike shop got into them in a big way the last couple of years. He's had good things to say, no issues that I know of. Don't like they've gone for cables through the headset in the newer bikes, but they seem solid.
 
andrew9

andrew9

Likes Dirt
Watch out buying a non-ebike Aluminium focus!

They state a six year warranty on CARBON frames....
Focus then very generously offers a ten year warranty on both carbon and Aluminium ebikes.
Notice no mention of Aluminium bikes without a motor?


In 2021 I had the warranty denied on my two and a half year old Aluminium Focus, and it took extra effort over five months to get them to cover it.
They did cover it in the end, just a shame they made me fight for it.

I now buy bikes that aren't made by Focus
 
andrew9

andrew9

Likes Dirt
The Duckmeister said:
Out of interest, what was the issue with the bike?
Click to expand...
Cracked around the bottom bracket, first they rejected it as a "paint crack." So I sprayed WD40 down the seat tube. When the dirty wd40 came dripping out they just rejected it again, now claiming it only ever had a two year warranty.

They sent me an outdated warranty PDF from 2012 as "evidence" of the two year warranty.
My bike was a 2017, purchased in 2018. The then-current 2016 warranty document conveniently only mentions the six year warranty of the carbon bikes, it pretends "regular" aluminium bikes don't exist, just like the website does now
 
fatboyonabike

fatboyonabike

Captain oblivious
this is the rig anyhows
bikes.com.au

Focus Jam 6.8 Mountain Bike - Sky Grey Glossy - bikes.com.au

The Focus JAM 6.8 Mountain Bike is a high-performance full-suspension bike designed for tackling the toughest trails. With its advanced frame technology and top-quality components, this bike delivers a smooth and efficient ride. Discover the thrill of the trail with the Focus JAM 6.8 Mountain Bike.
bikes.com.au bikes.com.au
I believe the deal we are being offered is 50% of the RRP!....is this too good to be true, or perhaps offloading 2023 models for a new shipment of freshies!
 
andrew9

andrew9

Likes Dirt
fatboyonabike said:
is this too good to be true, or perhaps offloading 2023 models for a new shipment of freshies!
Click to expand...
I'd recommend them emailing Focus directly to confirm the warranty period.
Don't email the shop, get a confirmation from Focus and then save it.

Even after getting my bike covered, I don't know what warranty an aluminium Focus like that has. They don't state it anywhere, that I have seen.
 
fatboyonabike

fatboyonabike

Captain oblivious
andrew9 said:
I'd recommend them emailing Focus directly to confirm the warranty period.
Don't email the shop, get a confirmation from Focus and then save it.

Even after getting my bike covered, I don't know what warranty an aluminium Focus like that has. They don't state it anywhere, that I have seen.
Click to expand...
did this...they have come back and said all aluminium bikes without e-drive have the pescribed warranty of 24 months.
I guess thats pretty standard for mass produced stuff, if something is gonna break due to dodgy welds or misalignment, its going to show up in the first few months and years of riding, I guess all the other parts and assembly would be covered by the dealer and Aust consumer law!
pretty shit really, as the last two bikes/frames have had lifetime warranty!..but need to remember that they will be ridden by pre-teen kids and will probably outgrow them before they break them
 
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Haakon

Haakon

has an accommodating arse
Giant is a lifetime warranty for the original owner… And they don’t fight you if you need to claim, often just giving you a whole new bike if the old frame or a compatible new one is NLA.
 
Haakon

Haakon

has an accommodating arse
www.giant-bicycles.com

The Trail Sale | Giant Bicycles Australia

We’ve got dirty deals, done dirt cheap on selected Trance models when you shop online or in-store at participating dealers. Whether you are looking to upgrade your ride, or jump to the ultimate trail rig, we’ve got you sorted for a whole lot less. Plus, go into the draw to win back the value of...
www.giant-bicycles.com www.giant-bicycles.com
 
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