Monkey bikes are small motorcycles with single-cylinder engines and a seat height of less than 22 inches. They were first developed by Honda in the 1960s and have since been produced by other companies. Monkey bikes are popular in Japan and are used for regular road riding, track racing, and off-road use. Many enthusiasts customize their bikes and participate in races.
Monkey bike is a motorcycle term used to refer specifically to a line of small, low-powered motorcycles by that name made by Honda, but can also refer generally to similar motorcycles made by other companies. The term monkey bike is more commonly used in the United Kingdom than in North America, where motorcycles of a similar type are often called minibikes. Commonly, a mono bike is defined as a motorcycle with a single-cylinder, four-cylinder engine that can range in size between 50cc and 90cc, and has a seat height of less than 22 inches (55 cm). This type of motorcycle is named after the supposedly monkey-like squat position the rider must assume when sitting on such a small motorcycle. Honda’s first mono bike, the Z100, was released in 1961, but other small, compact motorcycles had preceded it, for example the combat bike used by the British Armed Forces in World War II.
The immediate origin of Honda’s line of monkey bikes was a miniature motorcycle developed for use in a Japanese amusement park. The popularity of this ride prompted the company to build road-worthy miniature motorcycles. Early mono bikes made by Honda in the 1960s, such as the CZ100 and Z50M, had no suspension, 5-inch (12.7 cm) wheels, and many could be folded up and mounted in the trunk of a car for transport. Later models of Honda’s mono bikes, such as the 1969 Z50A and 1974 Z50J, featured 8-inch (20.3 cm) wheels and suspension. Additional features on later Honda mono bikes also included separate folding handlebars, larger fuel tanks, and front and rear racks.
Since the 1970s, Honda has released various types of monkey bikes for the Japanese market, such as the Honda Gorilla, Honda Monkey, and Honda Ape. Other companies, such as Kawasaki, Zhen Hua, and Jinchang, also make motorcycle models similar to Honda’s monkey bikes. Many of these motorcycles are produced for the local Japanese or Chinese market, and must be specially imported into the rest of the world.
Some monkey bikes are made for regular road riding, while others are specifically designed for track racing or off-road use. Many riders and monkey bike enthusiasts customize their motorcycles, tune and style their monkey bike to make the engine more powerful or to add new features like front or rear suspension, or a different exhaust system. Bike monkey clubs and organizations often hold special races and races to showcase these miniature motorcycles.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
