The Joker is a wild child

By Roger Wakefield

Honda's little green Joker, quite possibly the most aesthetically endearing scooter ever built, must be a contender for fashion statement of the year.

An unlikely mix of Harley Davidson-style handlebars and 50s-inspired design values place the 90cc stepthrough firmly in a class of its own, making comparison with other scooters difficult.

For starters, the 7PS (about seven horsepower) produced by the Joker's 89cc single-cylinder two-stroke engine means riders must hold a motorcycle licence to operate it, unlike lesser engined machines which can be ridden legally by car licence holders.

That alone places the Joker, at $4995, in competition with larger scooters such as the definitive Italian Vespa Piaggio which has a 200cc engine with double the power for $500 less new and comes complete with a spare wheel.

But it would be unfair to rate the bulbous chrome and metallic green Honda against anything else because it is outrageously unique.

There are no gears to change thanks to a fully automatic gearbox using Honda's V-matic belt and expanding pulley system. The sensation is similar to driving a jet ski on the road.

Front disc and rear drum brakes are operated from the handlebars, making feet virtually redundant once the machine is under way.

Top speed is just 100kp/h with a tailwind, but the Joker - designed "to appeal to the exhibitionist in us all", claims the company's press release - is not aimed at the highway., nor for steep hills.

More at home on Ponsonby Rd, it could become the cafe racer of the late 90s - the English Scooterist magazine recently described the Joker as "a quality Japanese poser."

Zippy in city traffic, Japan's funkiest scooter weighs just 92kg dry but has electric start, ample accommodation and big grab rails for pillions.

The basic nature of the Joker makes it supremely simple to operate.

A nine-year-old could, and did, ride it. Then he took me for a spin, and now he wants it back.

The Joker gets an F, for fun and frugality.