Honda's Funkiest Minibike Is Getting A Sleek Facelift For 2026
Despite its recognizable retro appearance, the Honda Monkey minibike has had a lot of different looks over the past 65 years. Since its inauguration as a 49cc miniature attraction at the Tama Tech amusement park, the bike has progressively gotten bigger and more powerful. And in 2026, one of the smallest street-legal minibikes is set to get another update.
2025 was a big year for Honda's cutest minibike, as tweaks made to its engine led to the 2025 Monkey gaining EURO5+ compliance. The 2026 Monkey 125's tech specs are the same as its predecessor's, but you wouldn't know that from looking at it, thanks to its new finishing touches and vintage-inspired colorways. The new minibike features all-LED lighting for the headlight and tail, and a winking full-LCD circular display featuring the speedometer and odometer. Naturally, even with these modern features, the minibike still evokes its classic design, from its mini-ape handlebars down to its chunky 12-inch diameter wheels.
The Monkey is also set to come in three new color finishes, known as Matte Gun Powder Black Metallic, Pearl Himalayas White with the fittingly-named Banana Yellow, and Knight Silver Metallic and Millennium Red. Despite the minibike's new lick of paint, it still hangs on tightly to its original retro stylings by displaying the classic 3D Wing logo on its 5.6-liter gas tank, as a nod to Honda's design stylebook back when the bike first launched in the 1960s. Similarly, you can spot the same classic Wing logo on its keys.
A look at what the new 2026 Honda Monkey 125 has to offer
On a mechanical level, the 26YM Honda Monkey 125 is much the same as the model from 2025. It still offers a five-speed transmission gearbox, an inertial measurement unit-controlled anti-lock braking system, and a 12 volt, 3.7 amp-hour capacity absorbent glass mat (AGM) battery. The 2025 and 2026 models both offer an updated catalyzer, an additional on-board diagnostics system (OBD2-2), and revised electronic controls, in addition to a Honda Ignition Security System (HISS).
The minibike has a 124cc air-cooled engine, with a two-valve overhead camshaft cylinder offering 6.9 kilowatts of power and just under 8 lb-ft of torque. The engine uses Honda's signature programmed fuel injection combustion (PGM-FI), alongside a low-friction offset cylinder and roller-rocker arm for the valve gear to ensure the engine runs efficiently, achieving around 62 miles on .4 gallons of gas (100 kilometers per 1.5 liters, in the company statements).
The Honda Monkey minibike can reach around 57 mph, so it isn't exactly the fastest bike. But, its small stature — the steel-frame chassis only has a height of around 40.5 inches and a width of 29.7 inches — means you could easily make up time on your journeys by easily lane splitting or filtering around slower or stopped vehicles that could be in your way. And, even with its petite size, it still offers a reasonable seat height of around 30.5 inches, and high-rise handlebars designed so you can reach them with relative ease.