Öhlins-Equipped Honda Monkey is the Perfect Pit Bike
Small bike thrills can be improved with big bike suspension.
Last month, we went to the Performance Racing Industry trade show in Indianapolis, Indiana. We saw a ton of cool Hondas on display at the various booths. However, the one that intrigued us most had just two wheels and a single cylinder.
The Honda Monkey is a retro-styled version of Honda’s wildly-successful Grom. Even though it looks like the classic Honda Monkey bike, this new model is slightly larger and packs a bigger engine.
The new Monkey is powered by a four-stroke, 125cc fuel-injected engine and rides on tiny 12″ wheels. We’ve ridden a few, and they’re a great way to get around town, your campsite, or the pits at your next race event.
In one word, the Monkey is just fun. It feels like a kid’s dream come true — ride your minibike on the street, and it’s perfectly legal! Like the Grom and the Ruckus before, the Monkey’s charm has attracted the attention of fans of both two and four-wheeled Hondas. Its resulting popularity has spurred an incredible aftermarket.
Almost every part of the Monkey can be upgraded for style, performance, or both. This model, displayed at the Öhlins booth, was equipped with a few very choice modifications. Naturally, the major upgrade is the Öhlins suspension.
Shocking Results
While we’ve fallen head over heels for every Honda Monkey we’ve ridden, our main complaint is the springy, bouncy suspension. Sure, it does help to remind us of our minibike-riding childhood, but when we’re doing 40 miles per hour in traffic, we’d sure like a little more confidence.
We’ve had a lot of seat time on these little bikes. Enough, in fact, to notice a dramatic difference between the stock suspension and the Öhlins suspension on this bike. Just sitting on it at PRI, we noticed the change right away.
Even though it wasn’t adjusted for us, it felt almost impossible to bottom this bike out. Instead of pogo sticks at either end, it felt like this little bike had a big bike suspension. We can’t wait to ride one of these on the street with the Öhlins suspension. Once it’s adjusted for our weight and riding style, it’s game over.
Of course, performance and refinement come at a cost. Between the front fork cartridges and the rear reservoir shocks, you can expect to pay a little over $1,000 to kit your Monkey out.
That’s a lot of money any way you slice that particular banana. Considering that a new Honda Monkey costs around $4,000, it’s a major investment. If we had one of these fun little bikes in our garage, though, we wouldn’t give it a second thought.
Photos by Cam VanDerHorst for Honda-Tech
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