Honda gave its Monkey bike a bit of a facelift for the 2023 model year, what you might call the BNG (for Bold New Graphics) treatment on one of its oldest surviving product lines. The new paint matches the Honda Monkey's whimsical nature befitting its theme-park origins with vibrant colorways up for grabs this year.

Honda borrows the 125 cc powerplant from its own Grom model to power this diminutive pit bike and gives it enough speed to handle local highways and slower, but you can forget about hitting the interstate. It just doesn't have enough {oomph.}

This retro-tastic bike first rolled in 1961 as a 49 cc child's bike for use at the Honda-owned Tama Tech entertainment complex. It had five-inch wheels, a rigid suspension, and foldable handlebars, and it shared the engine with the Super Cub C50. The Monkey proved so popular that Honda expanded its footprint to the U.S. and European markets in 1963 where it would go on to become an icon of the '60s and '70s. Honda maintains much of the old-school build that makes this bike such a retro-tastic little gem.

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2023 Honda Monkey Performance And Capability

Power for the Monkey comes from a 123.9 cc thumper updated in 2022. It's air-cooled for the light weight and simplistic build that method of cooling offers and rides leaned over at an 80-degree angle. A single over-head cam times the twin-valve head to keep the top end simple and light as well.

The engine layout is that of a long-stroke mill with a 50 mm bore and 63.1 mm stroke that gives it a mild, 10-to-1 compression ratio that will probably be happy no matter what you feed it. A 24 mm throttle body feeds the little beast with electronic fuel injection and an automatic-enrichment circuit that fattens up the air-fuel mix for cold starts and steady idle in chilly weather.

Earlier models came with kickstarters, but dropped in favor of push-button starters, and I can't help but wonder if it would be better to actually have both. Power flows through a manual clutch and new-from-last-year five-speed transmission with a chain-type final drive and a Monkey top speed of 56.5 MPH (91 km/h).

The Honda Monkey produces 9.3 horsepower and 8.1 pound-feet of torque. These numbers develop at 6,750 rpm and 5,500 rpm respectively, so this is an engine that likes to be wound up relatively high to deliver the goods.

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Design

The Monkey's build is a bit unusual. The factory tried to truncate the design so that it keeps all the usual components, just in different proportions with new furniture interactions. Chrome fenders at both ends brighten the overall look and give it a bit of a custom air, but most of the rest comes shot in some sort of paint.

No matter which of the two colorways you pick, the usd fork struts, frame, and swingarm come color coordinated, and the 1.5-gallon fuel tank comes shot in white. Additionally, the seat color compliments and completes its accompanying paint package.

The quilt-stitched solo saddle overlaps the small tank to maximize its surface area for rider comfort, and it's this interaction that gives the bike its smooshed-together look. The chrome rear fender is short, but a blackout fender section and the tag holder extend the coverage, with the taillights and blinkers mounted up high, well out of harm's way for {when}, not {if}, it gets dropped.

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Chassis

The engine in the Monkey hangs from a tubular frame. It sticks down well down into the cooling air coming over the front wheel for efficient heat transfer.

Amazingly for its size, the Monkey rides on 31 mm inverted front forks. It has dual, coil-over shocks for the taming of the swingarm and support of the rear end, and the travel measures at 3.4 inches and 4.0 inches at the front and rear, respectively. While that isn't much, I would point out that the Monkey weighs in at 231 pounds juiced-up and ready to go, so the stems don't have to do all that much work at the end of the day.

The anchors are modern with all-around disc brakes in a 220 mm disc and twin-pot caliper ahead of a 190 mm disc and single-piston binder out back. It looks like stock ABS protection is on the front wheel only, with no non-ABS model on offer.

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2023 Honda Monkey Price And Availability

The 2023 Honda Monkey ABS costs $4,249. For 2023, you can choose between the bright Banana Yellow paint and the Pearl Nebula Red package.

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Competitors

Honda enjoys a little slice of the market all its own with its little Monkey bike, so a direct head-to-head is tough to come by. However, Kawasaki might have just the thing with its Z125 PRO which still has an abbreviated build, but with parts that look like they came off a bike of more recent vintage. The KYMCO K-Pipe 125 gets an honorable mention with similarly modern looks.

Kawi powers its entry with a 125 cc, one-lung engine that puts out 8.3 horsepower and 7.1 pound-feet of torque to fall short of Honda's 9.3/8.1 figures. As for paint, the Z125 PRO comes in a trio of colorways against the Monkey's two.

The electronic advantage goes to Honda, as the Z125 PRO has no ABS or any other sort of ride-control features. Perhaps this is why Kawi can afford to send out its entry for only $3,399 for significant savings at this price point.

He Said

“What a timeless little machine. To own one is like having a rolling monument to the Honda legacy. Its retro-tastic dated looks take you back to the sixties with an authority you only get from the genuine product. Almost as iconic as the Super Cub C125.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “You can ride two-up, but both you and your passenger have to be rather petite to fit on the seat. The Monkey is an iconic bike and there's an amazing amount of modern tech in the form of digital instrumentation, ABS, and LED lighting wrapped up in a little package. Like the Grom, I like that the Monkey looks like a big bike left in the dryer too long. Metal body parts give it a solid feel, and let's not forget that going balls-to-the-wall on a slow bike is so much more fun than going slow on a fast bike.”

FAQ

Q: ​​​​​​​Are Honda monkeys street legal?

Yes, the Honda Monkey is street-legal with mirrors, a plate holder, and street-legal lighting.

Q: ​​​​​​​How fast can the Honda Monkey go?

The top speed of the Honda Monkey is 57 MPH depending on accessories, a good tailwind, and how much you had for lunch.

Q: ​​​​​​​How much is a 2023 Honda Monkey?

MSRP on the 2023 Honda Monkey is $4,249. It comes in Pearl Nebula Red or Banana Yellow.

Q: ​​​​​​​Which is better, Honda Grom or Monkey?

The Grom and the Monkey share the same engine, so performance-wise, they aren't far apart. Monkey's retro styling includes metal body parts so the Grom is a little lighter. The Grom also has a non-ABS model available. While they both look like big bikes that were left in the dryer too long, the Monkey has that retro UJM vibe whereas the Grom has a sportbike look. The Grom ABS is about $500 less than the Monkey. Which bike is better depends on what is important to you and how your test rides shake out.

Q: How far can a Honda Monkey go on a full tank?

The Honda Monkey has a small 1.5-gallon fuel tank, but with claimed fuel economy of 169 MPG, the range is nearly 250 miles. Real-world, you can figure about 220 miles.