8.7 seconds…that is exactly how long it took for me to become a big fan of the 2008 Yamaha Jog 50. That my fellow scooter riders is exactly how long it takes the Jog to hit 50kph. Now 8.7 seconds also happens to be the fastest 0-50kph (0-31MPH) time we’ve ever recorded for a 50cc machine. The ironic part is that the bike it knocked off to become number one was also a Yamaha Jog; a 1988 model nonetheless. So it seems that in twenty years time things have only improved a total of one second; 9.7 to 8.7 seconds. I’m not sure you could really call that progress. In fairness back in the eighties manufactures weren’t hamstrung by the currently ridiculous 50cc power output restrictions so older bikes tend to develop more power than modern equivalents.

So the Jog…well it’s a scooter. I’m such an observant man. The jog reminds me of what I wrote about the Honda Lead 100, it isn’t the flashest looking machine in the Milky Way. It won’t turn heads as you ride down High St and it certainly won’t increase the quality and frequency of your love life escapades. What the Jog will do however is zap you around town at as close to warp speed as you can get on a 50cc machine. This isn’t actually that close…with a max speed of 61kph it’s actually a hell of a long way from warp speed. The two words; Jog and Warp should probably never be used in the same sentence. Let’s invent a new speed, Jog speed. Jog speed is fast compared to say, a normal scooter, a wombat or maybe a parking meter.