When the Honda Grom debuted, we didn’t know what to make of it. A mini-moto for the street, the 125cc motorcycle was unassuming, underpowered, and oddly positioned. We loved it, and so did you.
Now with the space heating up with competition from manufacturers like Kawasaki and Benelli, Honda is having to defend the niche that it carved out with the Grom with a new model.
Big Red is doing that with the 2018 Honda Monkey.
We have been speculating for some time whether Honda would bring its monkey bike concept to market. As we predicted, the model wasn’t destined for the 2016 model year, but now two years later, and with the Honda Grom at the end of its product cycle, the 2018 Honda Monkey is finally ready for primetime.
I won’t rehash too much of what we have said about how the Honda Monkey is a master-stroke from the Japanese brand.
Simply stated, the Honda Monkey builds off the popularity of the Grom, adds in some retro flare (which is so hip right now), and creates the potential for an all-new “You Meet the Nicest People on Honda” moment. Now it’s time to put those words to the test.
As you can imagine the tech specs for the Honda Monkey aren’t that different from the Honda Grom. Power is 9.25hp, weight is 236 lbs, and fuel consumption is quoted at 157 miles per gallon.
Like on the latest Grom, the brakes are assisted by an IMU, which prevents rear-wheel lift (not cornering ABS, mind you), the lights are all LED, and there is an LCD dash.
That’s where the technology ends though, as the rest of the Monkey is an homage to the machines from the 1970s that coined the name.
So far, we have only gotten word that the Honda Monkey will be coming to the European markets, but we would be very surprised to see the Honda Monkey not come to the USA as well.
Pricing in Europe is between €4,000 and €5,000. Stay tuned for news on US pricing and availability.
Source: Honda Motor Europe
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