HONDA The Power of Dreams

In 1978, the Monkey Z50J was fully revamped with a teardrop design fuel tank and a larger seat.

Although the previous Monkey Z50J released in 1974 had a significantly larger fuel tank capacity (2.5 liters increased to 4 liters), the all-new Monkey was equipped with an even larger 5 liter tank. The 1978 Monkey further enhanced touring usability with a larger, comfortable seat, and a 4-gear (instead of 3) automatic centrifugal clutch.

At the same time, the Gorilla, a leisure bike based on the Monkey equipped with a larger-capacity fuel tank and other features was also released.

In 1985, the Monkey was updated with a new engine and increased maximum output from 2.6PS to 3.1PS, while maintaining the same styling. The transmission mechanism was changed from the automatic centrifugal clutch, which had long been used, to a manual transmission.

Because of its unique compact size and cute styling, the Monkey became popular with users as a hobby bike. In response to this trend, numerous highly specialized fun models were created over the next 30 years until 2006, when a new model was launched.

As the first of the special Monkey models, two Monkey Limited models were released in 1979. These limited edition models featured chrome plating overall.

Following the chrome-plated version, the Monkey Gold Edition was released in 1984 in a limited run of 5,000 units, attracting many collectors. This model featured a 4-speed manual transmission prior to the 1985 update.

In 1996, the second-generation gold-plated Monkey Limited was released, again in a limited run of 5,000 units.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first production Monkey, the 1997 Monkey Z50M, the Monkey SP, reviving the Z50M’s red frame and checkered seat, was released.

A limited-edition Monkey Special with the livery of the Dream CB750 FOUR was released in 2002. The contrast between the small Monkey’s size and the stately image of the large-displacement CB750 FOUR created a unique, mysterious charm.

In 2005, the chrome-plated Monkey Limited was launched. This was the first time since the 1979 Monkey Limited that a chrome-plated Monkey was released.

This model released in 2006 commemorated the 40th anniversary since the original Monkey Z50M was released. This was to be the last Monkey with a teardrop-shaped fuel tank.

The Monkey faced a major challenge: how to comply with Japan’s increasingly strict emission regulations. Although technically possible, solving the significant cost increase was a major hurdle for the development team.

Since the Monkey had been loved by many fans for 40 years, the development team decided to work on its survival. This led to the launch of the new Monkey in 2009.