Honda Grom banner

Demographics of monkey owners

24K views 69 replies 45 participants last post by  3crows 
#1 ·
I know many of these smaller 125cc bikes are often considered beginner bikes but I think these bikes tend to attract folks who are trying to get back to the roots of riding.

I've been riding 35 years. (30 street) I've owned everything from the Monkey to 160+ hp super bikes. I currently have 5 bikes and my monkey gets the most usage.

I commute, run errands, and hoon around on back roads with the Monkey. I love it.



this pic was before the tail lights and turn signals.
 

Attachments

See less See more
1
#2 ·
I hear ya man, 60 years old,50 years riding,12 bikes in the garage, including my original Mini Trail,and Sport 50,trail70s,trail90, vintage Triumph,BMWr100, bought new,750Ducati got new,4 Harley's,one I got new.. another words,a motorcycle junkie. as soon as I saw these things were coming here,it was over for me... waiting for the release like a punk kid...and trying to justify to my wife why I needed so bad.My point is they will sell as many of these to guys that grew up with little Honda's and the Z50..as new riders They really hit a home run with the styling, I kinda wanted a Grom,and was watching used for a good deal....but no way I could wait for the Monkey to be old enough to be used.It is lots of money for a little bike with limited capability...but that's why you need 12bikes..or a psychiatrist.?
..
.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I rode dirt bikes, mini bikes and quads growing up, and when I turned 16 for a short time a CBR600 (till my folks found out). Looking back I only had the 600 to be a cool teenager, it wasn't very comfortable for me as a big guy and it honestly wasn't as fun as I thought. Fast forward to a few years back - late 30s with a family and kids and I still enjoyed my minibikes dirt bikes and quads and always rode them on the street around the neighborhood. Sadly, the cops weren't too impressed and I was too old to be running from them through the woods... So I started looking at bikes and figured I was a perfect candidate for a cruiser. I headed down to the local Harley dealer and took one for a spin... I remember sitting at a light thinking this isn't very fun keeping this beast upright. I settled on looking for a smaller duel sport, a scooter or a plated CT70 just to scratch the itch and ride around town legally. Maybe a week later Honda announced the Grom and I had a deposit down that day. I since have got a ruckus and now a Monkey. These little bikes are perfect for my needs, easy and cheap to work on and customize, fast enough to be fun but not fast enough to get me in (too much) trouble. The Monkey is my favorite!
 
#5 ·
Ahhh, so much easier to justify my affliction with bikes when I read other people's stories!...Swamp,I sold off my CL,CB,And CA 77 collection about 5 years ago...all a blast to restore,and in the early 90s I could still find stuff pretty easy, you will have a riot on that CL! And that V7 racer is a gorgeous machine,buddy bought a 2016and loves it, and the I'm guessing your z900 Kawi is the root beer and orange..they were sitting rite next to my Monkey in the showroom..,so many bikes...so little time..or maybe it's so little money...
 
#7 ·
this is my second CL77. the first one was so much fun bringing back I went for another. My Z900 isn't the RS. It's the transformer looking one. I missed my KTM SUperduke 1290 and wanted something similar. While this bike makes 60 less HP it's also less than half the price. So it scratches that itch.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Hey everyone .I just joined up on here today . I put a deposit on the only Yellow Monkey my Honda dealership in town is getting .Should see around beginning of May which is ok since i will be traveling all of April . Been riding since the age of 7 ,so 40 years of riding . I Have had 43 motorcycles during this time . However I sold all the big bikes as riding in south Florida totally sucks as there are no roads to speak of . So i am into the small engines .Currently have a Aprilia SR50 Factory Biaggi edition ,Vespa 300GTS and a Zuma 125 .My best Buddy and i are rebuilding a Honda CT70 and have restored a few Vespas and other scoots
 
#15 ·
Where in PA are you guys? I'm in the Philly burbs - Bucksco side. I don't think there is any specific cadence to when dealers are getting Monkeys at this point and May seems like an awful long time... I had my name on a couple lists since announcement and just last week I got a call from a dealer in north Jersey area - he told me they got 16 in and wanted to see if I still wanted one. They are a powerhouse (lvl 5) dealer though so if you expand your search, include the bigger dealers and are willing to drive a little you should be able to find one.
 
#17 ·
I live in York, Pa and bought my Monkey at Lebanon Valley Honda. The salesman searched for a second yellow Monkey and found one in Pittsburgh, but the dealer wouldn't sell it to him. I found a dealer in Virginia with a yellow Monkey but not willing to pay $300 more to get it now instead of May.
 
#19 ·
Bucknut is correct,Just for fun Honda ,up by Lake Erie...they have a picture in the cycle trader listing of their showroom with a stack of Monkeys forming a pirymid some still crated...plenty of both colors..the add was listing I think 16 of em..they are obviously a power store,but still 16? If ya didn't mind traveling a little ways....they certainly have what ya want! Waay Kool picture that many bikes all stacked up.
 
#22 ·
I'm coming up on 40 next month. The Z50 was the first motorcycle I ever rode when I was a kid and when the new Monkey prototype came out I just new I had to have one. In my 20's I owned and recreationally raced two Honda CRR600F4 and CBR600F4i's in the WERA series on the east coast and then I was out of the motorcycle game from 2002 until 2012 or so and I started riding some dirt trails with a Husqvarna WR125. In 2013 I got the itch again and bought a Triumph Street Triple R to do track days with, then when my kids turned 4 I bought them a few of those electric razer dirt/gp bikes which they picked up so fast so we went the whole CRF50/CRF70/KLX110/ route with me buying a CRF230 and a CRF250X to ride with them on. Needless to say my wife and kids bought me a Monkey in banana yellow for my 40th that I picked up last weekend with my daughter, and it is by far the most fun motorcycle I've owned over the years.
Motor vehicle Motorcycle Vehicle Yellow Car
 
#23 ·
54 and living in the Florida keys on a sailboat. PERFECT bike for here. I have spent $3k on top of the $3600, yes, that’s right, $3600 for the bike. There was a misunderstanding and my dealer really made it right. I have about 300 miles on her. Ohlins are fantastic, I can take big speed bumps at 45 mph, no prob. Chimera intake, kits I clutch cover, Koso clutch, 5 row oil cooler, 16/32 sprockets, takegawa oil pump, anodizing pipe. Yellow bike. Loving life!!
 
#31 ·
Thanx John, it's been a total blast to ride so far,you will love it I predict, broke into 50s last weekend in Ohio,rode my Heritage Softail, old Super Glide,and my ole trusty BMW RS.and the Monkey...with most miles on the little 125.....lots a fun in the trails,yard,fields, or the road, and your rite on,this is why we started riding it the first place!!!! ENJOY BROTHER!!!!!!!!!!
 
#34 ·
39 here. Only 7 years of riding experience, but I've had a few bikes over the years (currently 5 including the Monkey). It scratches the fun itch and oddly enough is becoming my "touring" bike for taking trips. Granted most of the trips will involve 100+ miles in the bed of my truck, but I've never really been tempted to do this on anything else I've owned.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top