2019 Honda Monkey Review - Is it worth the price?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 ก.ย. 2024
- Is the new Honda Monkey worth the price? In this video I give my opinion and impressions of this beautiful little bike. From front to back, a real up close and personal look at Honda’s newest entry in the 125cc class of motorcycles!
![2019 Honda Monkey Test Ride Review [Scooter or Motorcycle?!]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YFFrcjJAXg4/mqdefault.jpg)
Take care of it, it will run flawlessly for 30-50 years, iam 48, i plan on using mine till the day i die !! Will make a great wheel chair
I agree. Honda makes a great bike. They always have. I just sold a 1969 CB-350 that still ran like a champ. They really did a great job with this new Monkey.
Hey Michael I’m 18 and looking into getting one. Do you think it would be a great decision, financial wise, fun wise lol, and experience wise. I live in SD Ca so there’s many freeways, I’m not sure if it’s worth getting if it’s not freeway legal.
im 58' im keeping mine till i die.thats 15 years from now.2035
Michael Kastner: I think, here you say the truth. LOL
@@terryjohn You don´t want to be older than 73 years !?. I am 57, and I will.
I live in Thailand and after watching your review and Chronicles of Mr Fish, I ended up buying a metallic red Honda Monkey and keeping it standard. Love it !
I love when at 14:24 you're saying you don't care about what others think and life is about enjoying and be happy. That is exactly why I want the monkey!! thank you for the nice video
I thought your review NAILED it!! Pointing out Honda's quality of paint, chrome, hex head bolts etc. Was spot on. Great review!!
Thanks! There will be more videos on this bike in the future. Look for my top speed video this weekend, the results surprised me.! Thanks for watching!
Completely agree. He nailed it with this review
I'm 62, I have been riding since I was 15 all sorts of bikes from moped's to goldwings, now I have a versys 650 which is a great bike, but I still would love a big bike but at my age I cannot handle the weight anymore so I downsized to the bike I have now if that get's too heavy I will look for something smaller again but I will not stop riding till the day I die or for health reasons, great video keep up the good work.
james taylor I am with you James life is short , 👍
I enjoyed your review very much. I’m 64 years old and am seriously considering purchasing one. Thanks.
They are so much fun! No regrets here! Worth every penny.
Just bought a 2020 Honda Monkey because of reviews like this. Great camera work and GREAT commenting. You're an old pro. I'm 47, have never owned a motorcycle in the past but used to ride dirt bikes from age 7-17. I love the fact that it's not a Harley, it's not a crotch rocket and not a scooter, it's perfect.
Hey man, I think you did a great review. Don't get so down on yourself. True, honest reviews such as these are what a lot of people look for. Keep up the good work.
I'm also quite certain you sold me on a Monkey.
I’m watching this 3years after you put this out and 7months of already owning a 21 monkey and still appreciated it. Makes me happier with it every positive video I see of them. I’m 36 with a big biker looking beard and have a Harley and had other sport bikes, like you and thousands more I don’t care what anyone thinks I look like tooling around on it. It’s fun, comfortable, relaxing, and I always get smiles or people asking about it remembering their own childhood Honda mini trails.
When I get mine it will be parked in the living room but I haven't had a wife since 1981. Yeah
Lucky boy !
Only way I’d be able to have one is if I parked it in the living room, but then I’d have to wheel it up and down 20 stairs by myself everyday lol
So is it still there??
I can say from experience, the best small bike on the market. The Honda Monkey 125cc is a fun and good drive to work. Quality is top
Agreed!
Don't yalls get scared it'll get stolen at work lol
Best small bike on the market is the Honda Wave 125 and 110. Go to SE Asia and that is evident. Same strong engine as the Honda Monkey but with clutchless 4 speed gearbox and bench seat for 3 people.
John Anderson lolll yea sure
Kymco Spade 150 might be a better buy at 150 cc and $3300 msrp
The only thing I changed on mine was the levers. I think the original looked goofy, way to big. Plus I really wanted adjustability. I ended up getting gold to match the front forks. I’m from Australia and we got the nice indicators and back light. If we didn’t I’d be changing it too. I’m ok with the lobster tail (fender) mainly because it has a purpose of keeping the bike clean. Like you I want to keep it looking original, I think that is what the bike is all about. It’s such a beautiful bike and I’ve tried on many occasions to tell my wife it should be parked in the living room as a feature, and that’s what all the cool kids do... she just tells me I’m not cool and you’re not a kid.
Well done Honda on this one. I must say thank you for the great review!
15:08 “everything is so soft an comfy” (hits bump)
I think when you turn 50 this bike just appears in your garage lol.
Looks like a fun lil bike.
You’re making me feel real good about this purchase. Awesome video. Can’t wait to ride. I pick mines up tomorrow.
hey, mister... don't sell yourself short on the quality and content of this video-- IT WAS GREAT! ofttimes, an 'amateur' video is superior to a 'professional' one in many ways, mostly for the sheer enjoyment of listening to the candid honesty and spontaneous feelings of the reviewer as opposed to the dry tech stuff regurgitated by so many of those types of youtubers... you covered so much of what a new buyer would be interested in-- how the bike performs up the hills, the riding comfort, details of the aesthetics, what is appealing about this bike to you, etc....sound and video was great, nothing to apologize for at all-- thx for posting, i'm getting one of these -- :D
That's a very good review. I've had my Monkey for several months and I have no complaints. You mentioned Honda's attention to detail and I couldn't agree more, even the valve stems are metal instead of plastic. These bikes do come with a premium and in this case you do get what your paying for. I've also noticed sometimes shifting into 3rd gear it can be a little funky but it hasn't been a problem. Over all I love the heck out of this quality machine.
No buyers remorse to be found here that’s for sure!
Nice review! I just bought one a week ago. It's my first motorcycle, and I could not be happy more with this choice. Super fun to ride, very easy to handle. I watched many videos with the reviews and considered new cb250r (I live in Japan, we don't have 300r) but when I saw Monkey and rode it a bit the choice was clear ))) (39 y.o.)
Growing up on the 80's seeing bikes like this made me want one then and now with the monkey definitely makes me want one again. Great review!
Same and I picked up a 2022
I’ve had my red monkey for a few months now and I LOVE IT. It’s become my dependable little buddy. I’m 47. I live in a coastal town in England and it’s perfect for cruising around taking in the scenery.
I also live in a coastal town in Devon. Trouble is, when I’m out out on my Monkey, I get stopped by so many people, I don’t get a chance to see the scenery.
@@johnseabrook5649 I know what you mean! I live close to Poole Quay in Dorset. When I park my Monkey up there it's never long before people stop to gawk at it. People seem to be fascinated by the little fella.
Great review just got one for my partner she loved your review oh she's 62 and going to look good on it
Cheers from new Zealand
This bike is incredible. I just bought a Grom about 3 weeks ago, and love it. I still own and maintain both original a Red Trail 50 and Blue Trail 70. Both bought in high school in the early 70s. I've had offers to sell both but said no to both. Good review on this bike. The only reason I bought theGrom is the styling. I added a few mod on the Grom , so it priced out more. Trust me I love my 2 big bikes but the Grom is a blast to drive and worth the price and extras I put into it. I'm 60+ and ride mini bikes as well as you but who cares. It's different and a nice change of pace .
I too love my Grom. Very fun. 👍🏻
EG Williams I just bought a really nice ‘74 trail 70 and i love it,it needs a few things but it’s worth way more than I paid for it,I’m thinking of buying a grom but I’m hoping these monkeys get sold here in Canada this coming year,I’ll buy two when they do. I’m 52 and I love the old Hondas,just like everyone else. Greetings from British Columbia
Brother ! I like the organic content of your videos, keep it up man.
Thanks! 👍🏻
The reason I purchased the original monkey was the fold down handle bars so I could fit it in my camper shell.
Bought my monkey 3 weeks ago and still watching these type of videos
Cool! Be sure to check out my other Monkey videos! Thanks for watching.
Two weeks ago for me! Banana yellow. Will be delivered this Friday, September 06th!
Jay Biersack me too 😹😹
I love my 🐒 interestingly I don’t have any issues with the transmission at all, perhaps you should talk to the dealer while it’s still under warranty. Superb quality machine that has brought the fun back into motorcycling with a small carbon footprint 😎👍
the grom is for people, mostly younger guys just startin out. its meant to be a entry level bike and wannabe boy racer type of bike. The monkey is for the guy who has done all that and just wants to get back to basic ridin fun and appreciates quality. Sure beginners can enjoy the monkey too but some of its charm and utility is lost on them.
Very true, I've done 20years of riding bikes up to 1000cc and last year I got a new monkey, sold my 900 ninja and have no regrets, it's so much easier to get it out and to swing leg over it, and it's a nice riding position, yeah don't have the speed and distance covered but smiles per mile is probably even better 👍
I justified the price of new Monkey by making it my main bike and selling ZX9RE1 which I'd had 14years of happy motoring out of, monkey is the only new vehicle I have ever or will ever own, and I wanted the Monkey to have that special place in my vehicle ownership history, plus I'm glad I waited until 23 because I wasn't happy with Honda, Black frames on ALL the colour options for 22, then the 23 came out with my favourite design since the mk1 like in this video!..
Just bought mine in red and absolutely love it! I named my girl Christine.
I actually like the brake light and blinker setup that it comes with. I like the seat and the gap. The bike is perfect as is.
Chuck Bowen me too! The lights, the signals are very 1970’s. I’m not a fan of led white lens look.
Dude, these bikes are so cool. I looked at one pretty hard when I bought my Grom, but ultimately the lower price and more modern led to the Grom coming home with me.
You really can’t go wrong with either! Both awesome little bikes.
Beautiful bike! It is the same way I feel about my Super Cub. Beautifully done and fun! Great review. Nothing amateurish about it!
The Red Honda Monkey is metallic and really nice finish. I had planned on buying it in yellow but when seeing the colours in real opted for the metallic red. I did not even consider buying a Grom.
This was a good review, I like people just talking and not scripting their words
Good work on the review, very detailed. I was between this bike and a Tw200. The Tdub won, fit my lifestyle better...but these are cool bikes.
Lol I was just at the dealership yesterday, saw a brand new 2021 Honda monkey for the same price as a brand new 2020 tw200 couldn’t believe it... idk who would buy a monkey over that at that price, way too expensive
As soon as I turn 17 I'm doing everything to get this bike
Good review. I picked up a red monkey 2 weeks ago, is November but I have managed to ride 50 miles. I was hoping for more power. It does ride soft. My 1200 Custom is a little faster but not as much fun. I'm 62 and pulling wheelies. I gave 3800 out the door
I think you are doing a great job mate. I'm definitely getting a monkey. I love it. I've just turned 50 and I think it's one of the coolest bikes I've seen. Thanks mate
Very good video! I have my red monkey since 23rd April , and i love my little Honda. I prefer the led taillight and the white led-inducators we have here in germany/europe. Mine is the ABS-version, you can only buy these version in europe. I am 57 years old and i had 37 hondas in 40 years Kind regards from germany.
The ABS model is available here in the states, but it still has the wrong lights on it..lol 37 Honda’s? Wow! That’s awesome! It’s nice to hear from you over there! My mother’s grandparents were from Germany. I would love to visit some day.!
Hey! Very interesting. Where do your mothers grandparents come from?
I really don’t know which specific part or town in Germany.
@@GasWorksISO ABS is mandatory in the EU... Finland too(where i live ).....
I love mine, the chrome is optically perfect, the paint is show quality.
The normal population do not feel intimidated by it and often smile and wave back!! They do not see either a hells angel or a power ranger😄 Takegawa do an aftermarket exhaust that looks exactly standard and uses the original heat shields, slightly nicer sound an none of that loop under the sump.
Takegawa, you say? Hmm.. Might have to take a look at that one. The stock exhaust almost sounds like a purring kitten at times, kind of unique, but not a bad thing!
th-cam.com/video/gPs2tEiHib8/w-d-xo.html
here is a link
'normal population' Like it. Minibikes may be the future for all. ;)
Two weeks ago for me. Banana Yellow. Will be delivered this Friday, September 06th!
Congratulations! You’re gonna love it!
Lights and seat style appears to enhance the retro style.
Totally agree about the exhaust. The Honda exhaust looks fine and the heat shield prevents you getting burned.
Just got a Honda Ruckus and it's yes, such great quality. The Monkey may be my first motorcycle in the future. If there's one thing that I noticed that I could do without, it would be the digital speedometer, other than that Love it! Nice review!
And also if you had one of these in the 70s you’ll know that these new monkeys are extremely similar in styling to the old ones.
I solved the clock and tack problem with the Takegawa 05-05-0048. Easy to install and fits nicely. The oil temp requires a special plug but didn't bother to order or install that. Highly recommended. My Monkey is euro spec so don't know if there are differences with the installation.
What dreamy, What Dreams May come dreamland part of the country do you live in? I subscribed because your channel feels good on my anxiety. This is like listening to my late grandfather read me Goodnight moon but with motorcycles. I love this channel, keep it coming man!
Central Washington State. Thanks for watching!
Just pre ordered a 2020 in Blue. The blue is gorgeous.
I would have had a tough time deciding if the blue was available when I bought mine. It is a nice color.
And you’re right. They are marketed toward those of us who grew up in the 70’s. We all have disposable income now and are reliving our childhood.
When will they (blue color) be out? I called the dealer and they said to check back in November.
That sounds right. I was told to expect it towards the end of October.
I just bought a 2021 red one I wanted the blue one but they only had one so I bought it I love it! I'm a small guy so it fits pretty good. I had a Z 50 when I was a kid so when I saw these I had to have it!
Im 45 too.
The ability stock to go 60mph is what i love. Ok i love the look too. 4k price is good too.
A lot of people turn their nose up at the price, I did myself until I saw one in person! Such a well built, beautiful little bike..👍🏻
It'ss under 5k. Perfect range in price for a small bike that still goes 60mph and over 100mpg.
Sure most would prefer 2k-3k price tag. But its Quality of a Honda here. Worth the extra money. It's not a chinesisum bike. It's high quality.
I have a Coleman CT200u minibike already. But its not street legal. And onky goes 25mph. After buying everything to make it street legal and getting it to go 45mph I'll end up spending 2k more easily. And thats for cheap chinesium parts and cheap quality parts.
I may as well spend the Extra up front for High Quality parts and an already street legal minibike. Less hassle on me.
I love my CT200u. But its not a Honda.
@@brianmccann666 2019 Groms are selling for $2700 from the dealer right now. I am so tempted to get one, wish it were a monkey though.
The Grom is a great little bike, too! For that price I’d jump on it!
Average guy review! Amazing! I needed this.
Great review- just bought a Blue 2020, appreciated your honest appraisal. I agree, keep it 95% stock - way too many changes and upgrades offered to a really classic design. Really fun bike, love it! BTW - was introduced at age 11 to the ‘69 Z50...do the math...never too old:)
Thank you for your review, i am buying my 2021 blue next week and i really appreciate this review. You got me convinced.
Good review. I have 800 miles on mine and I’ve never had a problem shifting. No 3rd gear issue at all. Might wanna have them look at that on both your bikes? 62 years old btw. And yes I had a 50cc so I couldn’t help myself.
You must not remember the mini trail 50 from the late 60’s and early 70’s , this is the new mini trail . I had a 70 mini trail in blue , I love em
I live on Vancouver island,British Columbia and I’m really hoping these are coming to Canada soon,I’ll buy two if (when)they do,fingers crossed
I too love in b.c and am waiting for them to arrive in Canada.
Harley should make one of these, may increase sales.
Of cause they’d want 10 grand!
oh yeah, a Harley Davidson 125cc, but it had to be a mini bike :)
Im 59 years old and most of my generation grew up on the Honda trail 50/70 series of minibikes. Im still an able rider, but my weight is now a little over 200 pounds. I would buy one tomorrow if it had a little bigger engine, maybe something around 175 cc's that's about the first size I remember that could really maintain 55MPH on the roads.
I weigh right at 200 (195lbs without gear) and it hauls me around just fine. 55mph is maintainable on flat roads.
Thank you so much for the great professional reviews bro , . You can’t go wrong with Honda 👍
What a great in depth first thought and review on the monkey.
GREAT review.
Thank you.
I Really Enjoyed it.
Nice bike! Doesn’t take up much space in the garage!
I just put a deposit 💰 down yesterday to secure the last one in the dealership in Red as the other 2 Monkey bikes were already sold. The demand is there a nice addition to go alongside my MT-07 anyways I can't wait to collect it on November 7th exciting times.
🏍️🐒😄
You're correct! I'm 60 and reviewing before I buy. Great review btw👍
THANK YOU SIR ! FOR THE CANDID REVIEW -, ONE OF THE BEST !
That's what I love about this bike that you can see the yellow frame hidden underneath all the parts, I have a 2023 model which some don't like because of the tank not having any yellow in it, which I understand but the frame still pops the yellow for me, and although the 23 red monkey looks cooler because of the red plaid seat, and the yellow and black Monkeys share a less interesting grey plaid seat. I like the gap between seat and tank, it means seat wont wear the paint,.also seat slides forward to remove it!...
I have a 2019 Monkey and a 2020 Super Cub. The workmanship and engineering is beautiful, the parts and pieces, the paint, chrome, sturdiness of the components are “over-built” to exaggerate how good they are. The Monkey, is a nicer, smoother ride (compared to the Cub that is buzzy over 45).
I'm sixty one Have not ridden for 42 years. I'm back in the Saddle and loving it. And the monkey lives in my Lounge room. Note on the indicators/ brake. I live in Goulburn NSW Australia and we have the alternative Indicators/brake fittings. I wanted the U.S. style .is this the Grass on the other side of the fence syndrome ? GREAT VLOG !
Gas Works, at 10:00 you mentioned the seat is too wide, specially when you put your foot down when stopped. As one who has changed my seat 3 or 4 times trying to get the perfect balance of comfort and putting your foot down and a few other factors I would suggest you need to ask yourself a question. What do you do most of when riding your bike? Put your foot down all day.... or ride all day and put your foot down a small number of times for maybe 5 to 10 minutes total in a days ride if you are lucky?
I would take that wide seat with deep plush foam soft feel every time over narrower or less thick or whatever. I want to be able to sit on my bike endlessly if possible in comfort. Each to their own choice. I am not knocking yours but I even ran for a year or so with a fiber glass copy of a old tractor seat which by necessity made me sit at least 2 inches higher than normal and forced me off the seat each time I stopped to put a foot down with a tippy toe stretch to reach the road. It had it's faults like I was really sitting too high and getting off the seat was annoying; but no seat I have ever sat on beat that seat while riding. I could sit there all day in comfort. And you know that annoying feeling of your legs always falling outwards at the knees and you have your inner thigh muscles working all day to keep your knees in from being blown out by the wind...... Never once happened to me on that tractor seat. Knees stayed in all the time.
Just saying everyone needs to decide on what is important when riding long hours; or just short commutes. Both really have different requirements. I think that standard seat is pretty good overall. I expect many people plan to spend hours riding on it as much as possible. You can always slide forwards where it is narrower when you have to put your foot down. Advantage of a longer tapered seat. Thanks for the video.
Nice review, I am 61yrs old weigh 248lbs my height 6'3" am I too big. I have wanted a Monkey bike since I was 8yrs old watching the Monkees! I had a Harley and rode for years, but I am looking to mess around on a little bike and just have fun no serious cruzing just plain ol fun.
You’ll be fine in one. There’s plenty of room. Upgrade the soft rear shocks with some stiffer ones.
I really want one of these for my wife. I have a grom and a husky svartpilen but the grom is by far my favorite bike. I will just have to keep the monkey stock because otherwise it will be like my money pit grom hahaha.
Good review. I like your tail/signal lights better than the LED lights. A big comfy seat like the original mini trail. Other reviews have said the transmission isn't great...too bad. I wonder what a semi-auto gearbox would be like here. I'm 61 with a CRF1000, XR650L and still want one of these for several reasons
What a beautiful little machine !
This will definitely be my next bike 👍🏼
Nice video GW!
Thank you!
Awesome Review !! I enjoyed it very much.
What you said about people not giving a shit when you are on a little bike is so true. You can ride all sorts of "off limits" places and nobody minds.
Good review! I enjoyed your feed back. Must continued success and safety
This kinda answered my question on your latest video through the canyon.
I never know what is going through manufacturer's minds when they don't bump these 125cc engines up to 150cc for use on all roads. I guess the small tires and lack of lane presence makes it a bit of a death wish to run one on the interstate for any distance. I live in Humboldt County Ca and I have to ride the 101 for most of my ride but half of it is a 55 mph safety corridor where these would be so much fun. Much more fun and safe than all the bicycles I pass on the 101.
Great video. Nice Hi-Def. Good honest review
Thank you for your great review. Im 60 and im buying a Monkey real soon. Am looking at a blue one with ABS.
Good video. Well done!
Nice video. Thanks for the ride
loved the video and it was super helpful. I am really torn between the grom and the monkey. I love them both.. maybe ill end up buying both..
I like your video and the way you made.
I’m not even 40 and I want one of these so bad!
So far I have almost 2000 miles on mine in two weeks and I do get more than 100/MPG. I got 150 at least to a tank, and the tank is only 1.48 gallon. Also, I did not even try to mess with a Grom. The shocks on these are weak so the Grom with only one shock is probably not rideable for a bigger guy. I installed the cargo rack and with bungee cords you can carry some stuff.
The Grom actually has a much better suspension despite it only having one shock. Honda should have just sprung the Monkey with stiffer springs. Sure does make for a plush ride though! Thanks for watching!
Adam Majkowski
Good. I was wondering if you can put a rack on these. I’m a milk crate nerd 🤓
@@MrWhitelightning73 I bought the rack honda made for it. Was easy to install and I have almost 4000 miles now. I bought a red basket to tie on to that.
I wish Honda would bring back some of the old CL/CB bikes 175 to 350 they were awesome. Modernized of course.
You forgot to mention that it has metal front and rear fenders , which in today bikes they aren’t very common, usually they use the so called plastic chrome , where in case of the monkey is real chromed metal.
7:38 ?
Good review. I will buy it after summer time. Cheers from Croatia
Great detailed review, thanks 👍🏼
I use mine for getting back and forth to work round trip 9 miles it’s a fun bike. Right now I’m getting 46mph out of it I’m 217Lbs
Enjoyed the video very much .
i 100% agree with you about the Clock option and the Rev counter on the speedometer..... sad they didnt do it because on the concept bike there was a speedometer with revcounter the revcounter was an outer ring on the display like you sayd ;)
i still have a picture of it on my pc here
I’m gonna have to look for that pic online. I’d like to see what they should have put on the bike!
@@GasWorksISO i can send you but i didn't find a way to contact you
Great review thanks. 100% with you on the exhaust.
Bought mine for 3800€ in Germany, pretty good price I think
Johannes DL did you buy a used or a new one?
David Outis a new one
Johannes DL cool, hast du den preis verhandeln müssen?:)
David Outis Ja, etwas. Also bei Honda gab es eine Aktion bei der Führerschein-Neulinge 10% Rabatt auf die jeweilige Maschine bekommen, das waren dann also von 4200€ Listenpreis 420€ runter also kamen wir auf 3780€, zusätzlich haben wir aber noch die erste Inspektion gratis dazubekommen, also echt ein guter Preis.
Thank you for the review, was really helpful. As a seasoned rider such as yourself, would you recommend this as a first bike for a total noob? I was looking into the Ruckus (which caught my eye after looking into ebikes), but I have a lot of hills around where I live, and there seemed to be too many restrictions on roads due to top speed of the Ruckus (and I have no plans to mod it out). Either way, thanks again.
The Monkey is about as easy to ride as a bike can get.
The video quality is very good
Thanks for this review, have you seen the ‘million dollar bogan’ who rode a monkey across Australia. He flogged the poor thing but it showed how strong they are. Great video
You are right about the target age . i am 64 years old and i just bought one and i love it. Thank you for the review video. Post more. By the way what kind of camera is that you are video with?. Let me know please. It would be nice for to bo the same while riding my monkey bike. Thanks again gilbert
Outstanding review! Thanks
As far as the chain gaurd goes, the old Honda monkeys had a black plastic gaurd so I assume it’s a reference to the old school little monkeys
Iam buying one
You won’t regret it!
its a blast! i have the first year yellow and that wont be avail this year, will be blue and red. its a blast! its small but all the parts are very high quality. its very honda, all hoses and wiring and hangers. the chrome is real chrome on stainless too. you can get a bigger bike with bigger engine for 4,000 but this is so comfy and easy to maneuver and maintain its the only bike i want to be honest! The yoshimura rear fender delete and black rear rack make it perfect!