Photos: Hipmotography
Honda Monkey Cafe Racer By K-Speed
Honda is a renowned company with deep roots in the motorcycling community, especially among custom bike enthusiasts. With the release of their miniature “Monkey” less than a year ago, the Japanese automotive giant has seen an extraordinary number of bespoke builds from every corner of the world — and now, one of Thailand’s most respected custom motorcycle shops has unveiled their dramatic redesign of the fun-bike.
The 125cc air-cooled, single-cylinder Monkey houses a four-speed gearbox and a short wheelbase that relies on 12-inch wheels to define its minimal but classic look. And, although there are obvious ties to cafe racing culture in the styling of K-Speed’s bike, it’s not a surprise to see that the original mini still draws heavy inspiration from the Z50A, the 50cc forerunner to the Monkey, which was released to the American market in 1968. To kick off the custom build, K-Speed decided to upgrade the stance of the bike by replacing the original 12-inch wheels with a pair of 14-inch disks, originally designed for the Grom. A chrome 5.6-liter tank adorns the top of the motorcycle’s frame, alongside a custom upholstered black leather seat and new YSS shock absorbers. On the front end, the bike’s forks have been trimmed by three inches for a more aggressive stance — coupled with a single-pipe exhaust that terminates into a stylized SuperTrapp muffler, and a generous coat of black, high-temperature paint to round out one of K-Speed’s most handsome builds to date. [H/T: Bike EXIF]
