Honda Monkey 125

Ross has got his hands on the new Monkey, and he’s determined to prove that the retro-styled tiddler can do plenty more than just turn heads in the city…

- 

I’ve got a lot of love for small-capacity motorcycles and the satisfaction that comes from pushing a 125cc right to its limits, holding onto corner speed and maintaining momentum brings me joy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not opposed to high octane, high-speed thrills – but for back road blasts, traffic splicing in towns and cities, and Sunday rides in the sunshine, you don’t always need 1200cc and 200bhp on tap. Over the next few months I’m going to prove it – with the help of Honda’s new Monkey 125.

Okay, so I admit the Monkey is a bit of a departure from the usual fare featured as part of the Motorcycle Sport and Leisure long term fleet. It’s not a gangly sports tourer or oversized adventure bike, but a motorcycle’s a motorcycle at the end of the day. It’s still got an engine and two wheels – it’s just a little smaller than you’re probably used to.