Honda had plans of sacking the original Z50 monkey bike last year with its completion of serving millions of customers for a good whole 50 years. But keeping that honor alive, the Japanese brand surprised all of us at the 45th International Tokyo Show when it rebooted the model albeit with a 125cc horizontal, single-cylinder engine that replaces the 4.5 hp 50cc mill.

Keeping up with the trend, the new Monkey 125 adopts features like the LED lights and digital instrumentation in a hope to keep the appeal alive and fresh. After what we thought of the-would be final-limited run of Monkey 50th Anniversary Special white and red model, this news of the 2018 model kindles all kinds of emotions attached to this iconic motorcycle.

The original model of the Honda Z-series was originally produced as a children's ride at a Japanese amusement park but was eventually refined and put into mass production, hitting the European market in 1967. Fast forward to 2018, Honda has given the Monkey a brand new update that sees both aesthetical and mechanical updates.

Over the year, the Japanese fine-tuned the Z bike to evolve with the generations, and yet the basic concept has remained unchanged since the introduction of the first-generation, and its original style has been carried forward even to current models. This iconic design has managed to stay this time around, and for 2018, Honda has given the Monkey 125 its brand new update and brings back the round design, featuring LED lights for the first time in the Z series. Graphic digital meters further enhances new enjoyments the Monkey 125 is expected to provide.

Mashing advanced technologies with traditional Monkey styling, Honda has not forgotten to look back at their past to go forward. The uniquely short and tall Monkey’s stance, its exaggerated styling with the use of wadding sheets. Additionally, Honda has also let the exhaust runs along underneath the seat with a steel heat-shield, while steel fenders are also featured for that retro big bike finish. Front inverted suspension, front and rear disc brakes with ABS checks up with the modern requisites.

Mechanically, the Monkey 125 sees major updates with its new 125cc heart that has been borrowed from the current Honda monkey favorite, the Grom. The horizontal singe manages to keep the original charm with a friendly atmosphere that allows you to easily imagine the “tokokoko” while giving the feel of a full-scale motorbike.

To celebrate this feat, Honda has also developed the new Monkey 125 as a customization platform that can have bolt-on panels, seats with a myriad of color, material and patterns, and bespoke Scrambler and Café editions creating a wild buzz for the ever-growing customization scene.

No official word about price and availability is out, but as always, stick with us, and we will update you with fresh new information on this lively short and tall body Monkey 125 that comes with a wading seat as standard.