Earlier when we covered our very own Rajdoot GTS 175 (Bobby), we said that it reminded us of today’s Honda Grom. It really did with its smaller dimensions. But then we came across a motorcycle which truly is the Grom’s ancestor. And it is called the Monkey bike!

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No, the Monkey bike does not look like a monkey neither is it meant for monkeys, of course not! What are we even talking about! Yet, it has been named so.

The (short) Story behind the Name Monkey

It is quite an interesting and a funny one, indeed. Back in 1961, Honda produced a small motorcycle Z100 which could be ridden by anyone, from kids to adults. It was specifically meant to be used inside their motorsport theme park, Tama Tech. Everyone observed that whoever rode this motorcycle, other than kids, looked like a monkey because of the miniature design of the motorcycle. Hence, the motorcycle came to known as the Monkey bike. Since then, this name that it earned has arguably been its most popular attribute.

Usually, motorcycles are defined on the basis of how they look or the segment they represent, but this one is named so because of how it made its rider look like. Fascinating!

Production Run

The monkey bike lineup has always had a 49cc single cylinder engine. By the time Honda released it publicly in 1964, they labelled it Z50. And from 1967 onwards, it was exported to European markets as well. Initially launched without any suspension components, the Monkey bike was upgraded with front and rear shockers by 1974.

Its 49cc horizontal engine produces around 3 BHP of maximum power and 3.11 NM of torque. The bike weighs just 58 kg. It is still in production for the Japanese market.

The Legacy

The Monkey bike is primarily meant for kids, unfortunately, it is not available outside of Japan. The Grom, in many ways, is considered its modern interpretation especially due to the 125cc horizontal engine. Given that it has the engine from the legendary Super Cub, the Monkey bike is stamped with bulletproof reliability.

Finding this kind of a motorcycle in India would be like a stroke of luck. This isn’t something that can be your only bike. It’s purpose and audience is different and you really-really need to want one to keep one. Although, we hope that doing a search on OLX might bring some luck to the ones who are looking to buy it.

In the end, all we can say is that it has been an absolutely enjoyable and fun filled experience riding this motorcycle. We would like to thank Mr Prakkash Pawar for sparing his time and letting us spend some time with his lovable motorcycle.