Gav's Monkey 🙊

[gav525]

Probably right with better MPG during the 'breaking in' stage. Mine got the death from day 1, if it went kaput, sure it was under warranty

Mine it permanently flat out, might explain the lower MPG.

Oh aye, by running it in I mean off the limiter in every gear Only way to make progress sometimes,especially going up long hills!

 

[mikey]

Thats good to know about the 181 kit! Does it give much more grunt for the likes of overtaking? 82mph speedo speed is good going, most I’ve had is 72 on the speedo which I think was 65 gps speed

The power delivery is a bit strange with the 181 kit. The torque is superb low down (30mph, 4th gear and crack the throttle and it pulls lovely) but as the revs get higher you can feel it start to strangle itself as the head just cant flow enough for the bigger bore. Sort of has a diesel car power band where you short shift to stay in the torque. Makes the bike nicer to ride naturally without having to downshift in a headwind or up hills etc. I just couldn't justify the cost of the 4 valve head for what the bike is at the end of the day. Have roughly 3000 miles on the big bore kit and it has been faultless, typical Takegawa quality.
As a bonus I calculated over a tank I was getting 120mpg as a 125cc and now 135mpg as a 181!

I have just kept mine stock looking instead focusing on the engine end of things.

 

[gav525]

The power delivery is a bit strange with the 181 kit. The torque is superb low down (30mph, 4th gear and crack the throttle and it pulls lovely) but as the revs get higher you can feel it start to strangle itself as the head just cant flow enough for the bigger bore. Sort of has a diesel car power band where you short shift to stay in the torque. Makes the bike nicer to ride naturally without having to downshift in a headwind or up hills etc. I just couldn't justify the cost of the 4 valve head for what the bike is at the end of the day. Have roughly 3000 miles on the big bore kit and it has been faultless, typical Takegawa quality.
As a bonus I calculated over a tank I was getting 120mpg as a 125cc and now 135mpg as a 181!
View attachment 266596
I have just kept mine stock looking instead focusing on the engine end of things.

Thats class! And that plenty miles you’ve on it now, great going! I’ve only 200odd on mine so far ffs. I’ll end up going down similar route i reckon. Did you do the build yourself? They’re so easy to work on lol

 

[mikey]

Thats class! And that plenty miles you’ve on it now, great going! I’ve only 200odd on mine so far ffs. I’ll end up going down similar route i reckon. Did you do the build yourself? They’re so easy to work on lol

Theres about 4K on her in total now. I would use it for commuting to work as well as Sunday runs away. Starts to get a bit cramped on the legs after about 100 miles but otherwise not as bad as you would think (im only 5’8 though so taller is probably worse) As you can imagine it is unreal in rush hour traffic jams! I did all the work to her myself. I’m a mechanic by trade and had the head/barrel stripped off in about 40 minutes. Have to stay on top of corrosion protection as the quality of these isn’t the same as traditional Japanese built Hondas. Keep your chain well lubricated and clean and re-oil if you get caught in rain as the 420 chains don’t run o rings so can literally seize solid if left in a dirty or wet state.

 

[aaron_dp]

I see Hursts have one, I'm tempted to go and have a look but I'm coming down with mountain bikes never mind another motorbike

 

[aaron_dp]

Actually, it's gone now off the site

 

[gav525]

Didn't do much to the wee bike last time home apart from fit a direct shift lever in place of the standard one which can be a bit sloppy and hard to find neutral apparently. Can't say I ever had any bother but sure, 30quid and its got red shiny bits

Then just went on wee spins here and there. Class spin out with a group of other small bikes, so much fun coming down Spelga Dam 4 and 5 abreast then tipping into a corner like we were going round Station Corner on the Nw200. Only we were only doing 60mph

Then broke the record for slowest lap of Dundrod. The mate lives at the bottom of the hill in Lisburn and said he heard me climbing all the way up White Mountain and having to drop down the gears

Then wee blasts to Newcastle now and again

Due it's running in service soon so next time I'm home will drop the sh1te oil out and stick the good stuff in. Still need to get a few stickers put on it, going full race rep

 

[Lappintyre]

Those modded Honda 50's are class, seen them on gumtree every now & then with 140cc engines in etc.

 

[gav525]

Those modded Honda 50's are class, seen them on gumtree every now & then with 140cc engines in etc.

They're unreal! Think they were 70s or 90s to start with but have the 160 engines now! Had a good 5mph on us on the straights, fully tucked in behind the speedos

 

[Lappintyre]

They're unreal! Think they were 70s or 90s to start with but have the 160 engines now! Had a good 5mph on us on the straights, fully tucked in behind the speedos

I can just picture it

 

[southsky sunrise]

Can just picture you’se all

 

[gav525]

Can just picture you’se all View attachment 284467

Scarily accurate

 

[gav525]

So was close to the 600 mile service so took the Monkey a blast to get the final miles done. Was up some right random roads in South Armagh and did a good bit of exploring.

Home and oil dropped. Honda don't clean the spinner or gauze out until 1500miles I think it is, but everyone on the forum that does it early finds sh1te and gunk in there so job had to be done. All good and filled with some Motuk 400v. Had a panic moment just before I went for a blast and thought I hadn't torqued the spinner cover, oil dropped, checked torque OK and engine cover back on and oil filled again in less than 10mins lol

And then a few wee blast since, last of which was yesterday. First run up the M1 also, wasn't as bad as I thought actually and found myself having to overtake mentalists in the slow lane sitting at 50mph, not easy when you've only 9bhp and a head wind

 

[Gareth]

I did my MSX during lockdown and even after a few 1000 miles the gauze still gets crap in it,

 

[gav525]

I did my MSX during lockdown and even after a few 1000 miles the gauze still gets crap in it,

View attachment 292469
View attachment 292471

Aye it’s shocking Honda leave it so long. Takes 5mins to clean out really. Grom looks class how do you find it?

 

[Gareth]

Aye it’s shocking Honda leave it so long. Takes 5mins to clean out really. Grom looks class how do you find it?

I've loved it. 2 mates and me bought the first 3 to come into the country. They have both sold theirs since, but I've kept mine.

Only thing I'd change would be fork internals and a shock.

 

[gav525]

I've loved it. 2 mates and me bought the first 3 to come into the country. They have both sold theirs since, but I've kept mine.

Only thing I'd change would be fork internals and a shock.

Yeah I had to change the rear shocks on mine because they were cheap soft sh1te and im fat. The front is soft, but not to the extent I’ll change them just yet, seems to corner alright actually.

We’ll all have to get out a spin sometime, great craic. I was for taking mine on NC500 next week, but the mate is taking his ZX10 so best not

 

[Gareth]

This was me and a few mates. We ended up with 1 of each colour, before they were either sold or modified.

 

[Father Stack]

This was me and a few mates. We ended up with 1 of each colour, before they were either sold or modified.

View attachment 292475

How many miles have you on yours? I had mine for just over a year, sold it for exactly the same as I paid for it brand new. Put about 700 miles on it, loved it!

The new Monkey bikes look unreal, seriously cool wee things.

 

[ALN]

Flip sake this was a dangerous thread to visit. Tempted with a waste of money on a similar plate . The mods a rabbit hole. Do you rate the Michelin tyres over the knobby standard ones?

 

[gav525]

Flip sake this was a dangerous thread to visit. Tempted with a waste of money on a similar plate . The mods a rabbit hole. Do you rate the Michelin tyres over the knobby standard ones?

Haha, so much money wasted on the wee bike, but all good craic! The tyres are unreal, probably the best thing i've done to it after the suspension change. Give so much more confidence than the standard hard rubber knobbly ones! And their like 20 quid each or something, can't remember but cheap as chips!

 

[chrisQ]

I'm sorry I looked at this thread now, I've had a serious hankering for one of these for a while now. Been on and off Ballymena Hondas website looking at them lol. How do you find riding it after a sports bike? Cool bike btw

 

[gav525]

I'm sorry I looked at this thread now, I've had a serious hankering for one of these for a while now. Been on and off Ballymena Hondas website looking at them lol. How do you find riding it after a sports bike? Cool bike btw

Haha cheers. They're honestly great fun, a laugh a minute. Obviously not the quickest thing in the world, but that's half the fun. I remember sitting behind a car coming down the A26 past Ballymena, he was doing about 55mph and i was tucked in behind him. I finally plucked up the courage to pull out of the slipstream and pass him but as i did a combination of a headwind and him touching his throttle/clicking the cruise control up 1mph meant i got alongside his drivers window and he then pulled slowly back ahead I just laughed and tucked back in behind him.

Great on the back roads as well. There's corners near me when on the big bikes i'll be coming down the gears and braking, but on the Monkey you just hold the throttle pinned and tip it in while laughing.

About £4 fills the tank, maybe a bit more now, and that does well over 100miles. Pain to get away from places at times as always somebody over talking and asking about it, dont get that on a big bike!

Definitely get a spin on one and see what you think. Its good to tie in with a few others as well for spins out, nothing beats dropping down Spelga Dam, 4 a breast at about 50mph just looking over and laughing at each other and seeing who is going to bottle it before the corners. Good safe fun at legal speeds.