Monkey-ing
Honda’s tiny Monkey Bike is one of motorcycling’s quirkiest icons. While the original version was something of a novelty, the latest one is a fully usable rider’s machine...
With its chunky tyres, mini-‘ape’ style handlebars, miniscule fuel tank and big, squashy seat, the Monkey is arguably one of the most iconic motorcycles in existence. Its popularity was mainly as a result of its instantly likeable design, tiny dimensions and ultra-light weight – which made it a whole load of fun around town.
And because it was so easy to ride and unintimidating to look at, it could be argued that the original Honda Monkey sold the idea of motorcycling to the general public, more than any other machine in history.
It’s fitted with a four-speed gearbox, which I found smooth and assured – and the ratio is spot on for round town too. In fact, for the vast majority of the commute across London I stuck to first and second as we nipped in and out of queues, and made steady progress through the swathes of traffic due to the nimble Monkey’s miniature dimensions, and thoroughly agile nature.
For braking, the Monkey comes with a fairly basic single 220mm front disc and a 190mm single rear disc. Don’t worry though – they’re well up to the job, with the help of its IMU-based ABS system. On the trek across London, a couple of chances to put the brakes through their paces presented themselves – and in a couple of hairy situations they handled my hard braking admirably and pulled me up without too much trouble. As I said, the brakes are basic – but the actual machine weighs so little that they don’t need to be as sophisticated as they would be on a bike twice its size and weight.
Suspension comes in the form of USD front forks up front, and a twinshock setup at the rear. In practice, it helps to soften the bumps and lumps on sketchy surfaces while offering an extremely comfortable ride. As you’d expect, it’s not especially refined, or performance focused – but it helps to deliver (probably) one of the most comfortable rides I’ve ever experienced. Another highlight of the Monkey is its fuel efficiency. One full tank should hold enough for close to 220 miles of riding – which translates to close to almost 190mpg. That’s bloody good. We left Ace Café at about 9am with a full tank of fuel each, and rode across London (with a couple of stops) until 4pm and the fuel gauge had barely moved.
Priced at £3699, I think the Monkey’s good value for money too. Sure, it’s £310 more than Honda’s MSX125, but I also think it’s much cooler in every respect.
I genuinely love the new Honda Monkey. I was a fan when I first saw it and after spending a full day in London (and an evening in Nice) putting the stylish little urban commuter through its paces, I remain deeply impressed by it.
It’s not going to be for everyone, granted, but it’s capable, economical and very comfortable and if you were doing a lot of close quarters riding in towns and cities, I don’t really know why you’d want anything else. If I lived in London I’d have one in a heartbeat.