American Honda today confirmed the return of a varied array of Powersports products, including three models from the advanced CRF Performance line, the entire CRF Trail family (the CRF50F was announced in April), and the ageless Monkey "miniMOTO" machine.
Originally introduced in 1961 as a children’s ride for Honda’s Tama Tech ̶ a Honda-owned amusement park in Japan ̶ the Honda Z series of minibikes today have reached cult classic status. Earlier models have a 50cc engine coupled to a 3-speed semi-automatic transmission.
Sales of the Honda Monkey began in 1964 and in 1967, the first shipments arrived in Europe and sold out, making it an instant hit. Perhaps due to its small frame, these bikes were commonly called the Monkey or Gorilla because of the cramped riding posture, suggesting a simian crouch.
Today, Honda touts the new Monkey as providing the same fun as the original with a few upgrades for the modern rider. The 2021 model boasts of a powerful 125cc EFI engine, with the top of the line model being equipped with ABS for added safety.
The US SRP for the 2021 Monkey will be US$3,999 or roughly PhP200,000. Available colors will be Pearl Nebula Red and Pearl Glittering Blue.
