CAN’T BEAT THIS CHEEKY MONKEY
As I’m bringing this week’s test bike out of my garage I bump into my neighbour Justin. “Is that a Monkey bike?” he says, stopping in his tracks.
“It sure is,” I reply. “A brand new one.”
“Wow,” says Justin, bending down for a closer inspection. “I remember those from back in the day. That looks pretty darn cool.”
We chat a bit more while admiring the machine and he finishes by saying: “Well, you know, I have never really been interested in motorbikes, but I fancy one of those.”
That says it all about this latest incarnation of this popular little motorcycle – there’s something about it people just love.
It just looks cool and playful, with its bright colours, teardrop tank and original Honda wing logo.
And that’s even without riding the thing. Because, as I found, when you do that, it just gets better.
On such a small bike I had been expecting a rather cramped riding set-up – but, in fact, it is the exact opposite. The triangle between bars, seat and foot pegs is just about perfect for comfort.
The seat is super plush and you can slide back or forward on it to select your ideal riding position.
The finish quality is high and includes plenty of metal and chrome, and minimal plastic. Switch on and the circular, digital LCD clock playfully winks at you. Head off, and the bike is smooth and controlled as you shift through the four gears.
With a kerb weight of just 107kg, the little 125 motor is plenty pokey enough to keep you whizzing through the traffic – and because it’s so small you can nip in and out of gaps.
The soft suspension, via USD forks and retro-style twin rear shocks, does a perfectly adequate job – and, combined with that seat, makes for an extremely comfortable ride. Braking employs a single disc front and rear, and the front has Imu-based ABS, which means you can grab a huge handful and still not experience any front dive. It’s worth noting that, although the petrol tank is tiny, this bike achieves an incredible 189 miles to a gallon of fuel.
Honda’s Monkey has been an iconic bike since it first appeared in 1961. This latest version is the best yet.
It looks great, is wellpriced, is amazingly economical – and best of all it’s tremendous fun to ride. Honda Monkey
125cc air-cooled, fourstroke Power: 9.3bhp @ 7,000rpm
8ft lb @ 5,250rpm.
Yellow, red, black Fraser rides the Monkey
Retrostyle twin rear suspension and LED lights and the cockpit