Honda like to Monkey around

HONDA HAVE RETURNED the Monkey to the wild. The Honda Monkey bike is widely known as a groovy icon of the 1970s and it first saw the light of day in 1961. After being out of production for decades the recent popularity of the 125cc MSX Grom lightweight has encouraged Honda to dress the platform in retro clothing. The styling, paint and chromed parts draw heavily on the original Monkey, but the engine is much bigger over the original 50cc, with a 125cc air-cooled engine that delivers an impressive 189mpg.

The new Monkey has a steel frame, small USD forks, twin rear shocks and 12in diameter tyres.

It weighs just 107kg and although it looks compact, the seat height is just under 30in, making it suitable for all but the very tall and the stocky of build. 

The 5.6l fuel tank wears a Honda ‘wing’ badge, there are chromed steel high-level front and rear mudguards, a stamped exhaust shield, circular mirrors and high-rise handlebars, all paying homage to the original. Other equipment is very 21st century with LCD instruments, LED lights and ABS brakes. Unlike the original the gearbox is four-speed and has a conventional clutch operation. The Monkey is expected to arrive later this summer and will cost around £3500.