These work great in the woods, I have 960 all dirt miles on mine & I’m very happy.
The "What did you do to your Monkey today?" thread
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Looks great, very similar to mine. I need the brake upgrade too, back ones (stock) are gone at 950 miles. Love my Kitaco 5 speed with 14 tooth front.
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95 Posts
You must be favoring the rear pedal.
Front brake is your friend!
Installed the Driven shift lever from MNNTHBX. The dumb stock one left me trying to find neutral, failing at every stop. Does anyone know why Honda put the weird linkage on the shift lever? The clip holding on the stock one was a bit*ch to remove. I think that even with the right tool it would be hard to get that thing removed.
I use rear brake on loose surface and also when i come to a stop so i can blip rev match without being jerky
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101 Posts
The linkage is to protect the motor. With just a lever the case will break in a drop.
At 5400 miles my 2021 Monkey has 90% of rear brakes left and about 30% of the front pads left.
I use a lot of engine braking and a lot of front brake. The front brake does 85% of you stopping ability and engine braking is good for the motor.
At 5400 miles my 2021 Monkey has 90% of rear brakes left and about 30% of the front pads left.
I use a lot of engine braking and a lot of front brake. The front brake does 85% of you stopping ability and engine braking is good for the motor.
What does braking have to do with shifting gears or rear brakes? All my brakes look like new at 1600 miles.
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2,186 Posts
I've heard that concept often, but I don't think that's the actual reason for the linkage at all, as 0.0% of dirt bikes have a linkage, and they're on the ground continuously. It's most probably a cost savings measure, using stamped steel components instead of castings....
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101 Posts
The motor is used in many different bikes, and Honda knew if they just put a shift lever on the Monkey setup the case would be broken in a drop in many cases.
I suspect they could have changed the design of the motor so the lever would be better supported and protected, but the linkage cost a lot less.
Besides a drop, people will be stomping on the shifter, and the shaft support may not hold up to much of that.
The linkage protects the motor well, although the linkage could have less slop in it.
For some reason, I have no issue with the shifting on my Monkey.
I suspect they could have changed the design of the motor so the lever would be better supported and protected, but the linkage cost a lot less.
Besides a drop, people will be stomping on the shifter, and the shaft support may not hold up to much of that.
The linkage protects the motor well, although the linkage could have less slop in it.
For some reason, I have no issue with the shifting on my Monkey.
To the brake light response... The plastic screw is a few turns to make it react a slight bit quicker. It may be one of the simplest fixes on the monkey. Thanks for that it made my brake lever respond with less pressure.
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2,186 Posts
I’m just not buying that, unless Honda personally told you. I deal with corporate Honda regularly, and they’ve never told me. There is nothing about a Grom that makes it prone to everything breaking compared to the 10,000 other motorcycles out there. Having raced off-road competitively for a couple decades, I can assure you the average off-road bike takes WAY more abuse via stomping feet and massive crashes into boulders, with no linkage. I’ve been there too many times myself. This is all an irrelevant debate either way, as a direct shifter works far better on a Grom in every regard….
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70 Posts
Have to agree here. My Monkey is so much better with a direct shift lever (and a shift shaft support). My wife's Super Cub 125 has essentially the same engine and came with a direct shifter, heel and toe, as standard, and it sticks out a fair bit so much more easily knocked in a drop. I added a shaft support to that bike too to reduce the free play
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101 Posts
Is the super cub, CT125, Grom and Monkey all set up the same and only the monkey has the linkage?
Why would Honda spend more money to make the linkage setup when they could just have used a sifter off one of those other models?
If you can just bolt on the shifter and its as rugged as can be, why the linkage?
Saying dirt bikes and so on don't need or use a linkage is a moot point, the motors were designed for one bike and for the use intended.
Here you have one motor design used in 4? different bikes.
So why did Honda do it, just to make it more expensive and worse shifting?
Why would Honda spend more money to make the linkage setup when they could just have used a sifter off one of those other models?
If you can just bolt on the shifter and its as rugged as can be, why the linkage?
Saying dirt bikes and so on don't need or use a linkage is a moot point, the motors were designed for one bike and for the use intended.
Here you have one motor design used in 4? different bikes.
So why did Honda do it, just to make it more expensive and worse shifting?
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253 Posts
I've sheared off a few shift shafts in my fifty years of on-and-off road riding so yeah, I can see how the linkage would protect it. I also welded on a folding tip to the shift lever on the linkage to help protect it.
...And yeah, sometimes I wear suspenders and a belt...
...And yeah, sometimes I wear suspenders and a belt...
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1 Posts
Very cool. Do you happen to know where I can purchase one? I can't seem to find the company.
LevelUp has shut shop.
G-Craft version 2 is the same design but take your pick from Webike.
G-Craft version 2 is the same design but take your pick from Webike.
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