ROAD NEWS
HONDA GIVES MONKEY NEW HEART FOR 2022
S ince its reintroduction in 2018 , the Honda Monkey has been the cool kid of the minibike market with its retro styling and diminutive stance . Now for the 2022 model year , Honda is giving the Monkey a new heart to not only keep the Monkey in the range with Euro5 knocking at the door , but also give the little hero a bit more practicality to boot . The 2022 Monkey has a new 124cc SOHC , twovalve , air-cooled engine taken from the MSX Grom . With a 50mm bore , 63.1mm stroke and compression ratio of 10:0:1 , the new engine produces the same peak power of 9hp ( 6.9kW ), but 250rpm earlier at 6750rpm with peak torque of 11Nm comes in 250rpm later at 5500rpm . Inside the engine , a new plate manages the path of fresh air drawn in and feeds an intake duct inlet and connecting tube redesigned to smooth airflow . The shape of the airbox has also been revised to further support smooth airflow , promote torque output and improve drivability . To tick that annoying EURO5 box , Honda revised the catalyser , which is smaller and more efficient than the previous model . The
downpipe length has been altered to match the intake changes , while the muffler goes from a three-chamber to one-chamber design to improve performance and create a characterful exhaust note . We ’ ll take that last bit with a grain of salt , it is a 124cc single-cylinder after all ... The new engine package slides an extra gear into the gearbox with five on offer for the first time . Honda says this spreads the gear ratios further apart to improve longer journey performance and provide a more relaxed cruising ability . Interestingly Honda is claiming the top speed of the 2022 Monkey is 91km / h , but this could be a bit on the low side as the outgoing model was claimed to get up to around 104km / h . But realistically how many riders of the pint-sized Monkey are taking them on motorways ? Rounding out the technical updates for the 2022 Monkey are new dual rear shocks which now feature two-stage springs and revised damper rubbers to improved ride quality over less than smooth surfaces .
KIWI RIDER 25