THE 2018 HONDA MONKEY BIKE 125 | QUICK SPIN

Firstly let me apologise for putting what is essentially a small geared motorcycle on to ScooterLab, it’s not something we ordinarily do but this is no ordinary bike.

It’s the quirky cult classic Monkey Bike, a bike that’s been around since it was adapted from a Japanese fairground ride in 1961, first hitting the road two years later. It still puts a smile on faces wherever it goes, and this new 2018 model should impress fans, both old and new.

A new classic

The Monkey Bike has been reincarnated, brought bang up to date and is available in official Honda dealers right now. We were lucky enough to get a quick ‘taster’ spin around Nice on it last week during the Honda Forza launch. By no means a full-on road test, but it gave us enough time to appreciate the bike for what it is. It’s a fun-looking machine, for sure, but it has a grown-up edge that means it’ll be a hit with fans of all ages.

Features

It uses the same four-speed, air-cooled engine as the Honda MSX
Comes with LED lighting all round
New LCD instruments
Key with integrated alarm
Disc brakes at both ends with single channel IMU based ABS
Upside-down forks with Alumite coating
Colour-coded twin shocks
Chrome exhaust/mudguard
Fat 120 front, 130 rear tyres
High handlebars

VIDEO | Monkey intro

First impressions

On looks alone, you’d happily buy a Monkey Bike. This latest edition takes the concept and makes it even more pleasing to the eye. It may be quirky, but it’s a bike that was designed to be used. This is no gimmick or kids’ bike. The styling is bang on, retro yet bang up to date. It looks cool from all angles and is finished very well. The new LCD instruments are classy, in fact, everything about them oozes Honda quality.

Talking of first impressions, whilst Honda were in Monaco doing some static photos with the Monkey, a couple of Russian Oligarchs stepped off a huge multi-million-pound yacht and tried (unsuccessfully, I may add) to buy a couple of the bikes. It’s that kind of machine, like a classic scooter, it’ll start conversations wherever you go. It’s also a great little runaround to keep in your boat/caravan or motorhome.

Roomy?

Sit on board, and it doesn’t actually feel as tiny as you’d expect; it’s not a particularly cramped riding position, so it’s usable and fairly comfy. The high bars help with the ergonomics, leaving you sitting upright, rather than crouched over. Everything is well placed for ease of use.

Quick spin

As I said, this was just a quick spin around Nice rather than a full-on road test, but it gave us a chance to use the machine during French rush hour. The Monkey uses the same air-cooled, fuel-injected engine as the popular MSX 125. I’ve tested that particular bike in the past and know it goes well. The Monkey was quick as well; it can accelerate away from a junction quicker than most motorists would expect. It’s also very nimble, so you can carve a slice through heavy traffic easily enough.

Manual gearbox

The four-speed manual gearbox makes the bike much nicer to ride than the old crash box Monkey Bikes of old. It also makes better use of the engine’s power and means the 125 can be ridden as a ‘proper’ bike, rather than just a gimmick you’d pose around town on. It also returns a claimed 189 mpg…

Monkeying around

The Monkey handles itself fairly well, too. We spent much of our short ride blasting around roundabouts for the photos. It can get around corners for sure, and it stops well, too. The gearbox is ‘Honda’ smooth and precise; it’s easy to use, and, given it only makes 9.25 bhp, the engine has enough oomph. The lightweight machine tips the scales at just 107 kg, so the power-to-weight ratio isn’t too bad, and it shows on the road.

Colour options

The Monkey comes in Banana Yellow, Pearl Shining Black and Pearl Nebula Red. It’s available as an official Honda Europe model (rather than a parallel import like the Monkey Bikes used to be). Strangely, for such a customisable cult classic, Honda doesn’t list any aftermarket parts for it, but I’m sure it won’t be long before they’re available elsewhere.