Honda Monkey Bike Concept Debuts In Vietnam

Honda Vietnam has unveiled its much-awaited concept, the Monkey Bike, at the 2017 Vietnam Motorcycle Show. Based on the hugely successful MSX 125 a.k.a. the Grom, the Monkey Bike is powered by the same fuel-injected 124.9cc engine. The engine is likely to have the same output as the Grom’s. That means, there should be 9.8PS of power and 10.9Nm of torque to play with. The concept design stays true to the patent images of the bike which surfaced in September 2016. Speaking about the design, it is reminiscent of the Honda Gorilla sold in Japan. The bike also looks like a miniaturised version of the Ducati Scrambler with its yellow hues, bench seat, circular digital instrument cluster and LED headlamp. Also read: Honda Navi: Detailed Review

The bike employs inverted forks at the front but unlike the Grom, the Monkey Bike uses dual shock absorbers at the rear. Braking duties are performed by discs on both ends. The alloys have also been borrowed from the Grom but features a two-tone black and silver finish. They are wrapped with 120-section Maxxis Tortuga tyres on both ends. The rear sub-frame has been tinkered with to accommodate the bench seat. The sub-frame and callipers are painted in fluorescent yellow which gives it a funky look. 

The scrambler-like exhaust features a heat shield and the engine is also protected with a bash plate. The high ground clearance, off-road spec tyres and light weight make this bike ideal for off-roading. Moreover, the bike’s vintage design with modern technology would appeal customers looking for such a combination in a compact package. The production version of the bike is expected to be sold in foreign markets but it is unlikely that the bike will be sold in India.

Image credits: Huy Nguyen/ motorcyclenews.com