[Event Report] The 18th Monkey Meeting in Tama Saw a Record-Breaking Approximately 560 Bikes Participate!

The Monkey Meeting saw a massive turnout of 560 units. The registration queue was long in the morning.

Of course, there were plenty of Monkeys inside the venue as well.

Manufacturer booths were also present. The two bikes in the foreground are Doremi Collection's "Kawasaki Z-style" Monkey 125, and the CB400Four-style Monkey 125 in the back was exhibited by T.T.R Motors.

Honda also held a test ride event. In addition to the Dax 125 and Monkey 125, participants could test ride the new standard moped Super Cub 110 Lite and the electric ICON e:. Test rides were free for all participants, no matter how many times they rode!

Traveler Kanichi Fujiwara, who has circumnavigated the world on a Gorilla and Australia on a Motra, was a guest speaker. He plans to embark on another world trip with his wife on a Dax 125 starting in April next year!

To commemorate its 50th anniversary, Honda College (Honda Technical College) launched the "Cub Challenge." Students restored a non-operational first-generation Super Cub C100. The project, which began in late April, involved students riding the restored bike across Japan, from Hokkaido to Kyushu. On the day of the event, students involved in the project shared their experiences, challenges, and joys.

The contest included awards from Honda and tire manufacturers, as well as categories like "Long Distance Award" and "Ladies Award." Additionally, the top 6 to 1 positions were determined by popular vote on the day. Custom builds were particularly strong contenders.

The first place in the popular vote was shared by two bikes: one that was so extensively customized it seemed there was nothing left to modify, and another that masterfully recreated a CB750Four.

Manabu's beloved bike from Tachikawa City, Tokyo, uses only the head pipe from a Minimoto frame, with the rest of the frame being a custom-made truss structure of stainless steel pipes! Inspired by a truss frame bike he saw at the venue last year, he spent a year building it himself, incorporating elements of Yamaha SDR and Ducati. He registered it just two weeks before the event. The dimensions are based on the NSR50. The exterior is also stainless steel, with aluminum pivot components, a center-up exhaust, and a uniquely shaped license plate bracket – it's a masterpiece of DIY. The engine is a 106cc, 5-speed unit based on the Z50J. His proudest feature is the frame reinforcement shaped like the "M" of Monkey!

Noboru Nagasawa from Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture, loves to tinker. His beloved bike is not a Monkey, but a CD50 featuring a T-bone frame. He cut down the three sides of the T-shaped frame to Monkey size and masterfully recreated a "Monkey look" with the front end of a Z50Z, a shortened Motra swingarm, and 8-inch tires front and rear. The finish is exquisite, and it's impressive that all the frame modifications (the joints are invisible) and the tail cowl, made by hammering an aluminum pot, were done by the owner himself. The engine is a 105cc unit based on the CD90, providing ample power. This is a masterpiece by an owner who loves Honda's T-bone frame bikes, such as the CS90 series and Sport Cub.

Holy Equip, a vintage motocross shop from Nara Prefecture, exhibited their original frame "Super Monkey" ST70-88 Racing. This model gained fame in the 1970s-80s for Monkey tuning and later participated in production races like TT-F3. Built for the FL50 class, this legendary machine, despite being 88cc, recorded 141.73 km/h in a top-speed challenge by a motorcycle magazine. Its most distinctive feature is the monocoque frame, assembled from approximately 1.2mm aluminum plates with rivets.

Another Super Monkey bike brought by Holy Equip was the Dome N.M.R.50. This was built by Super Monkey, which managed the team operations for the four-wheel constructor Dome when they participated in the 1985 Suzuka 8 Hours with their carbon-frame race machine, the DCF1. It served as the pit bike. The base was the N.M.R.50, a body kit for the Monkey sold by the company (which allowed bolt-on installation of a subframe and rear full floater suspension to the normal Monkey frame), and it was fitted with bodywork that closely resembled the DCF1 from the 8-hour race.

The ZERO-Z50M, an aluminum frame model released in limited numbers by Moriwaki in 1987. Based on the Monkey R, its key feature is the "Z frame" designed for a low center of gravity, and a rear shock absorber with mounting points on the lower side of the swingarm, similar to Moriwaki's racers of the time. Although only a few dozen were produced, it's almost always seen at the Monkey Meeting (laughs).

Many gold and silver, so-called chrome Monkeys, were also present. The Gorilla pictured is a "Tokyo Limited" model, exclusively sold in the Tokyo metropolitan area along with the Monkey in 1981. It's a rare model for which even Honda's official promotional photos do not exist.

This bike is equipped with the "Mondavi" exterior kit sold by parts manufacturer Kijima. This kit transforms a 50cc Monkey into a Harley-Davidson. In 2019, Kijima also released a limited edition Mondavi kit for the current 125cc models.

An extremely customized Super Cub with ultra-wide tires, 190 in the front and 200 in the rear. It features a complex linkage system for dual rear shocks and downdraft twin-choke carburetors that appear to be for a four-wheeled vehicle, making for a truly impressive machine! Although not visible from the other side, it is equipped with six Brembo monobloc brake calipers: two on the front wheel and four on the rear.

The Gorilla 125, created by My Style, a custom shop in Tokyo, based on the current Monkey 125. The coloring is also very stylish!

An ultra-compact Monkey (if it can be called that) with a 125cc engine mounted on a custom frame. It's full of handmade charm, and the fact that it was completed is amazing!

The custom style for Chaly and old Dax models is predominantly lowered. Many feature beautiful paintwork and chrome finishes.

Of course, lowered styles are also popular for Monkeys. The craftsmanship on each bike is truly impressive...

While customs are abundant, there are also many beautifully maintained stock bikes. This is the Z50Z, introduced in 1970, featuring a rigid rear suspension and a center stand.

The Motocompact, Honda's foldable electric scooter sold overseas, also made an appearance. Displaying it with its original packaging box is a nice touch!