New iconic mini-bike
Honda’s marvellously minuscule Monkey is back — and bigger than ever
AH, THE MONKEY. That itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny bundle of densely packed, sepia-tinted silliness. Honda’s minuscule miracle has been putting smiles on faces for almost six decades but now, the titan of tiny has grown up. Where the original had a 50cc engine and fitted in the boot of a car, Honda’s 2018 Monkey Z125A takes its foundations from the MSX125. Its 9bhp motor is as simple as you can get away with today: an air-cooled undersquare single with two valves and a single cam. Its dinky 12in wheels are little more than a metre apart, and even with its gallon-anda-bit fuel tank brimmed, the whole bike weighs just 107kg. With a heave it’s possible to pick the Monkey clean up off the ground, so while this might be the King Kong of Monkeys, it’s still a daft wee thing.
And then you sit on it. The seat is higher than a Gold Wing. The ground clearance is greater than a Fireblade. Inevitably the riding position is compact, but you’re not cramped up. The bars reach up to a reasonable height and there’s far more legroom than your eyes would imagine. The Monkey is now a small motorcycle, not a big toy.
This significant change is evident in how the Monkey rides too. Its manual clutch and a four-speed gearbox require motorbike dexterity rather than offering twist-and-go scooter simplicity. It’s geared neatly though: first gear revs to 30mph, but is also short enough that you can totter along at 5mph without touching the clutch. Stick to congested city streets and you could, conceivably, go the whole ride without changing gear.
Honda’s engineering magicians have made the diminutive chassis dimensions behave sensibly too. Despite its balloon tyres the Monkey steers quite normally, with no terrifying drop-in to corners or worrying wobbles. The skinny upsidedown forks and twin shocks are laughably squishy, crashing straight to their stops over speed bumps, though they give a reasonable ride over everyday potholes and drain covers. The basic brakes work nicely, supported by a front-wheel-only ABS system that uses a simple IMU to prevent the rear wheel lifting (though a test proves it doesn’t completely stop stoppies).
There are some thoughtful touches too, from the metal mudguards, to the retro winged Honda tank badge, to the circular LCD dash that winks cheekily when you turn the ignition key. By accident or design there’s even a hint of character from the softly spoken single. At idle the motor vibrates enough to blur mirrors and shake bar ends, but add a wisp of throttle and it turns creamy smooth. Oddly, it also calms even if you just pull the front brake lever…
The Monkey has plenty going for it. It’s a deceptively useable fusion of fun, form and function – irresistibly unintimidating nostalgia mated to surprising practicality. Riding across central London, the Monkey slips through torturous traffic, finds space within gridlock and stays ahead away from the lights. If you’re after a light-hearted commuter to cheer you up on the way to and from work, you could do a lot worse. It comes with an alarm (though no immobiliser) as standard and Honda is offering a free tracker on all its new bikes. You’ll be glad of them, and a big lock, given how the Monkey’s standout style will generate undesirable attention as well as positive enthusiasm.
Objectively speaking, the MSX125 is a fractionally better package: it’s cheaper, slightly lighter and has a pillion seat (the Monkey is strictly solo). A full-size conventional 125 offers masses more presence and confidence if you ever plan to venture outside the city or spend any time near the Monkey’s 60mph top speed. But if you’re looking for a second (or third) bike for the garage, a refreshing change of pace to only ever be used within some tightly defined limits, the Monkey still puts smiles on faces like little else.
“Now the titan of tiny has grown up”