Bigger and Better, the Honda Monkey Bike is Back
At the 45th International Tokyo Show, Japanese brand Honda surprised everyone with the resurrection of the Honda Monkey bike - but this time with an upgrade.
(All images taken from Asphalt and Rubber)
The Honda Monkey has quite a fascinating history behind it; initially produced as a children’s ride at a Japanese amusement park, it was eventually refined and put into mass production.
Up until recently, however, the monkey bike concept disappeared off the market, with many motorcycle fans thinking the limited Monkey 50th Anniversary Special white and red model would be its final run.
But now, this motorbike is back with both aesthetical and mechanical improvements. (Although, unfortunately, only slated for a Europe release so far.)
Design wise, the vehicle has managed to keep the iconic Monkey look with a retro flare. LED lights were adopted for both the round shaped compact headlight and tail light, with graphic digital meters on an all new circular instrument console for further enhancement.
The exhaust of the machine runs underneath the seat with a steel heat-shield and also features steel fenders and 12-inch ten-spoke alloy wheels. Suspension is front and inverted, while the brakes are assisted by an IMU and with single-channel ABS.
Taking a leaf out of the current Monkey favourite, the ‘Grom’, this Monkey 125 is powered by a 125cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled fuel-injected engine with a 4-speed gearbox.
Honda has also developed a new customization platform for the Monkey 125, which includes bolt-on panels and seats with a myriad of colours, materials and patterns, and possibly even special made-to-order Scrambler and Café editions.
The Monkey 125 will be available in 3 different colour schemes - Banana Yellow, Pearl Nebula Red and Pearl Shining Black.