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Honda Monkey and Super Cub Return for 2024

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2024 Honda Monkey Pearl Black
2024 Honda Monkey in new Pearl Black

American Honda has announced the return of two its popular miniMOTO models for the 2024 model year: the Honda Monkey and Honda Super Cub. The company states it believes the bikes will appeal to both new riders as well as nostalgic fans of these past models, which played important roles in Honda’s history.

2024 Honda Monkey

Originally introduced in the early 1960s for a Honda-owned Japanese amusement park called Tama Tech, the 2024 Honda Monkey remains true to its roots, with attributes that Honda calls “fun yet practical.”

Related: Honda Monkey: Super-Spreader of Happiness

The Monkey features an fuel-injected air-cooled 124cc Single mated to a 5-speed transmission. It has an inverted fork with 4.3 inches of travel and twin rear shocks with 4 inches of travel. When the Monkey needs to stop running, braking comes from a 220mm disc up front with ABS and 190mm disc in the rear.

2024 Honda Monkey Pearl Nebular Red
2024 Honda Monkey in Pearl Nebular Red

Honda says the small stature (30.5-inch seat height), light weight (231-lb curb weight), and practical performance combine to deliver “an approachable, enjoyable riding experience for a wide variety of riders.” The Monkey has a 1.5-gallon tank, and the 2023 model reported 169 mpg.

The 2024 Honda Monkey will be available in September in Pearl Nebula Red, as well as a new Pearl Black color, starting at $4,299.

2024 Honda Super Cub C125

2024 Honda SuperCub C125 Pearl Gray
2024 Honda SuperCub C125 in Pearl Gray

With over 100 million units sold worldwide since its introduction in 1958, the Honda Super Cub offers a combination of practical simplicity and retro styling.

Honda says the step-through chassis, clutch-free 4-speed transmission, and lightweight design (238-lb curb weight) “inspire confidence,” while the air-cooled 124cc Single delivers impressive fuel efficiency and plenty of power for zipping around town. The 2024 Super Cub has a telescopic fork with 3.9 inches of travel, twin rear shocks with 3.6 inches of travel, a 220mm front disc brake, and a 110mm rear drum brake. Other features include front-wheel ABS, fuel injection, and an electric starter.

Related: Honda Super Cub C125 ABS | First Ride Review

The 2024 Honda Super Cub C125 will be available in October in Pearl Gray starting at $3,899.

For more information, visit the Honda Powersports website.

See all of Rider‘s Honda coverage here.

The post Honda Monkey and Super Cub Return for 2024 appeared first on Rider Magazine.

Source: RiderMagazine.com

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Opmid Meter for Honda Monkey/Trail | Gear Review

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Opmid M1204 Multi Meter

Opmid’s M1204 Multi Meter is a direct plug-and-play replacement for the stock gauge cluster on 2019-and-newer Honda Monkey and Trail 125 models, and it alleviates the two most common complaints about the OEM setup. First, unlike stock, the Opmid’s adjustable backlighting is very bright and visible in all conditions, including direct sunlight. Second, gauge functionality is vastly improved, providing the rider with a wealth of information and customization not available on the factory cluster.

Installation on my 2021 Honda Trail 125 was very straightforward using the included harness. Opmid’s 10-minute installation video (on YouTube) was comprehensive enough for any reasonably competent DIYer to get the job done in 1-2 hours with hand tools. To begin, the stock gauge cluster is removed, and the new meter’s 5 x 3.9 x 2 inches (WxHxD) chassis drops into place. The only tricky part on the Trail is removing the body panels for the first time, since they utilize delicate tabs which can easily break if forced, but the video helps in that regard as well. (The Monkey’s installation is less painful than the Trail’s, since there are fewer body panels to deal with.)

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Once the panels are out of the way, the intake snorkel is removed to allow access to the area beneath, and from here the wiring job begins as the Opmid’s main harness is laid out carefully and zip-tied into place. It plugs directly into the gauge cluster’s sub-harness, stock temperature sensor, and ignition coil. Check that there’s adequate cable slack as the handlebar is turned left to right full lock.

When the Opmid is first powered on, there’s some programming to input front and rear sprocket sizes, rear tire diameter, and the initial value of the odometer (take a picture of your stock odo before removing it, for reference). All the stock figures to input are in the installation videos, but it’s nice to see that the device can be customized for different sprocket combos and wheel sizes as necessary. Once that’s finished, just button everything back up neatly and go for a test ride.

Out on the road, mini-moto riders will be grateful for the upgrade from the dim, spartan stock display. With the M1204 now installed, the rider has the following information readily available (some of which is customizable): speedometer, tachometer, odometer, A/B tripmeters, clock, gear indicator, shift light, fuel gauge, oil temp, voltmeter, oil temp warning alarm, speed warning alarm, oil change reminder, hour meter, and max records (speed, RPMs, and oil temp).

Many of the settings are adjustable if you get into the weeds with programming, but for most Trail and Monkey riders, the primary benefits are the addition of the tach, the gear indicator, and the oil temp reading. The rest is icing on the cake, but it all adds to a more enjoyable riding experience on these pint-sized Hondas.

For more information, visit store.hardracing.com.

The post Opmid Meter for Honda Monkey/Trail | Gear Review first appeared on Rider Magazine.
Source: RiderMagazine.com

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2022 Honda Monkey Gets 5 Speeds

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2022 Honda Monkey ABS
2022 Honda Monkey ABS in Banana Yellow

Like the updated 2022 Honda Grom, the retro-styled Honda Monkey will also get a 5-speed transmission for the new model year. Both are powered by a revised air-cooled 125cc Single, and two of the most popular model’s in Honda’s miniMOTO lineup, which also includes the Super Cub C125 and Trail 125.

Base price for the 2022 Honda Monkey is $4,199, and ABS is standard.

RELATED: Honda Monkey: Super-Spreader of Happiness

“While the Monkey has been a hit in the U.S. since we reintroduced it for the 2019 model year, customers have expressed a desire for more comfortable cruising and better acceleration,” said Brandon Wilson, Sports & Experiential Manager at American Honda. “Now we’re happy to offer that capability by equipping the Monkey with the same 5-speed engine that has earned rave reviews in the all-new 2022 Grom. It’s yet another example of Honda producing not only the most diverse lineup of miniMOTO models, but also the most capable.”

At the same time, Honda confirmed that the CB300R, Shadow Aero, and Shadow Phantom are returning for the 2022 model year.

2022 Honda Monkey ABS

2022 Honda Monkey ABS
2022 Honda Monkey ABS in Pearl Black

A hit with both the new generation of enthusiasts and nostalgic riders seeking a trip down memory lane (its heritage extends back to 1961, when the original version was used in a Honda-owned Japanese amusement park called Tama Tech), the Monkey oozes fun and charm in a pint-sized package. Updates for 2022 include a 5-speed transmission (up from 4) , a wider spread of gear ratios, and a 37-tooth final-drive sprocket (previously 34). The changes provide peppy acceleration from low speeds as well as increased top speed. The air-cooled 125cc Single, which has 2 valves and an overhead cam, has a more undersquare design, with a narrower bore and longer stroke.

2022 Honda CB300R ABS

2022 Honda CB300R ABS
2022 Honda CB300R ABS

Boasting Honda’s signature Neo-Sports Café styling in its most lightweight representation, the CB300R ABS is the ultimate entry-level sport-naked machine. It delivers exemplary sporting performance – including responsive, precise handling and excellent braking – thanks to its good power, standard two-channel ABS (with IMU) and feathery, centralized unsprung weight. The optimum chassis feel and balance are complemented by premium features found on its larger-capacity siblings, but what really turns heads is the minimalist design, expressing attitude through exposed hardware and a dramatic cutaway tail.

2022 Honda Shadow Aero

2022 Honda Shadow Aero
2022 Honda Shadow Aero

Even more timeless than a leather jacket, Honda’s retro Shadow Aero is highlighted by classic cruiser touchstones like a large front fender, chrome headlights, low-slung seat, spoke wheels and of course a V-Twin engine with swept-back twin exhausts. At the same time, it benefits from sensible elements including programmed fuel injection, available ABS, a shaft final drive, an affordable price and Honda’s legendary reliability. The combination honors tradition and style while still prioritizing performance and ease of ownership.

2022 Honda Shadow Phantom

2022 Honda Shadow Phantom
2022 Honda Shadow Phantom

When it comes to cruisers, sometimes simpler is better – take Honda’s classic Shadow Phantom, a minimalist, bobber-inspired V-Twin whose uncluttered looks are highlighted by a blacked-out engine, short fenders, and black wheels with spokes. At the same time, practical considerations are always welcome, and the Shadow Phantom has them in spades, with programmed fuel injection, a comfortable seating position, low center of gravity and Honda reliability topping the list. No wonder it’s such a popular staple in Honda’s lineup.

The post 2022 Honda Monkey Gets 5 Speeds first appeared on Rider Magazine.
Source: RiderMagazine.com

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Honda Monkey: Super-Spreader of Happiness

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Honda Monkey Review Pearl Glittering Blue
2020 Honda Monkey in Pear Glittering Blue (Photos by Mark Tuttle)

Happy birthday, pandemic! It’s been a long, strange year since the COVID-19 pandemic started spreading like wildfire and the world went into lockdown. With vaccinations rolling out, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. But this time last year? Not so much.

Days before the initial lockdown in California, Honda had delivered a couple of new motorcycles to us. One was a Monkey in a new color, Pearl Glittering Blue. My original plans for it were nebulous at best. Honestly, I just loved the color, and I figured the story would come to me when it was ready. As it turned out, I was right, in an unexpected way.

Honda Monkey Review Pearl Glittering Blue

The streets in my neighborhood were eerily empty. Shops and restaurants were closed, so there was nowhere to go even if you wanted to. Even the beach was off-limits. There wasn’t a lot of smiling going on, as we all tried to find our footing in this suddenly off-balance world. When I looked at the Monkey it brought back fond memories of the press launch event, held what felt like a millennium ago on Catalina Island. Wherever we rode, people mirrored our smiles. The cute little Monkey bike is impossible to frown at.

“That’s what we really need now,” I remember thinking one day last April. “A reason to smile.”

So I grabbed my open-face helmet and headed out for a ride. You’ll never ride far on a Monkey, but around town, topping out around 35 or 40, it’s the bees’ knees. I stuck to residential streets, many of them with people in the front yard, grilling or gardening. Mothers walked with kids in tow. No one was smiling. And there I was, putt-putting by on a miniature motorcycle with 12-inch balloon tires, ponytail giving a 25-mph wave, enjoying the rare sensation of the breeze on my face and grinning the grin that the little Honda Monkey provokes. And people smiled back.

Honda Monkey Review Pearl Glittering Blue

COVID-19 might be contagious, but so is happiness.

Small businesses everywhere were struggling, including the karate dojo where I trained three times a week B.C. (Before COVID). Like many others, the Sensei (head instructor) was scrambling to adapt to the “new normal,” transitioning to online Zoom classes even as he lost students to their own economic struggles. We wanted to show our support for him and for the dojo, so we organized another new normal activity: the drive-by party. Minivans and pickups filled with kids in their white karate uniforms lined up for the parade, festooned with signs that read, “We love you Sensei Shawn.”

When I rode up to join the line, wearing my white karate gi and my blue belt matching the Monkey’s paint perfectly, it was decided that I’d lead the parade. It’s Monkey magic.

Honda Monkey Review Pearl Glittering Blue COVID drive-by parade party

We motorcyclists are often seen as part of some dangerous societal fringe, but I like to remind the Average Jane or Joe that we’re just like them. We ride because it brings joy to our hearts and cleanses the mind and soul. It’s exactly what we needed in those early days of the lockdown, and what we will continue to need in the days ahead. The little Honda Monkey, as it turns out, tells that story very well. In the face of despair and darkness, it induces smiles and connection. It’s a super-spreader of happiness.

The post Honda Monkey: Super-Spreader of Happiness first appeared on Rider Magazine.
Source: RiderMagazine.com