If there ever was a motorcycle that earned the word “cute” is its best descriptor, the Honda Monkey might be it. A diminutive and fun motorcycle, it was hard to look good on Honda’s old Z-series bikes, though the machines themselves still carry their own unique flavor of cool to this day.
Fast-forward fifty-years later, and Honda is bringing the Monkey back, this time in the guise of the 2013 Honda MSX125. Manufactured in Thailand, the Honda MSX 125 (MSX = Mini Street X-treme 125), the 125cc, 9.7 hp, four-stroke, two-valve, single-cylinder, fuel-injected fun machine will be a Spring 2013 model in markets around the world (no word on North America though).
The ultimate pit bike for us Anglo-Saxons, the Honda MSX125 also serves as a practical and durable machine for markets where potholed asphalt is a luxury where roads rarely exist. With the seat just a touch above 30 inches off the ground (30.1″ to be exact), the new Honda Monkey is a friend to the short man (or woman) as well.
Twelve inch wheels, a four-speed gearbox, 1.45 gallon fuel tank, and USD forks complete the consumer feature package, though Honda engineers have done some fancy packaging to the MSX125 to get its PGM-FI system and other electronics in place.
Available in Asteroid Black Metallic, Pearl Himalayas White, Pearl Queen Bee Yellow, and Pearl Valentine Red, if there was ever a 125cc machine we wanted to zip thru traffic in, this might be it. American Honda, are you reading this?
Source: Honda
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