John 5 XR, I really have enjoyed your series on the monkey, last year I got one myself, and felt that I had a bit of a head start because I've watched your videos... I'm 65 and have had many motorcycles in my lifetime both dirt and street bikes mostly street bikes over 650cc or so, but I never had so much fun as when I was a kid on my Honda mini trail... I loved that thing. When I saw the Honda monkey retro, had to have one. My vision right away was an adventure roll, maybe even some bike camping. I went with the 505 Mobbers right away based on your recommendation, with the 130 up front, like the rear, and although I tried some different gear ratios, where I wound up was, 13 T front, and 37 rear. A lot more low end torque, really able to go slow without lugging the engine. I still can get up to 55 on the road when it's called for. Next thing I did was the T Rex racing setup, luggage rack big removable box on the back, and the engine cage, skid plate and also their handguards. I know you're probably cringing about the weight, really doesn't seem noticeable because the Monkey is so light compared to every other bike I've ever had. I can imagine what it's like to pick up a 500 to 600 pound full size adventure motorcycle out there in the on rocky trail... That seems kinda crazy to me. For suspension I did ohlins front end spring kit, heavy Springs, and 7 weight oil. I looked at the rear units they offer, but I could make myself spend that much money, or put yellow shocks on my blue bike. I found some Taiwanese version on Amazon that were about $150 that I think are reasonable, and seem to do the job. Overall, I think would I ended up with is pretty bulletproof, and I appreciate although learning you did out front that I benefited from years after... Thank you, John5XR
Thanks for taking the time to write this Rex, that's an amazing story! Sounds like your Monkey is set up better than mine at this point! I still need to do the front forks as they are woefully bad when you go off road. Enjoy the Monkey and check back in often
Thanks Wade! I know, I’m way overdue on that one and I apologize. The footage I released in my last three videos was from May and July I’m that far behind!
Hi John, great videos, I'm riding my Monkey more and more off Tarmac. I love it, finding out where all those lanes and tracks go, it just puts a smile on your face. I think the monkey is a great bike to get into trail riding, You've got to take it steady (slow!) and be prepared to walk the trail if it gets a bit ruff to look for the drops and large stones (as you described in video 1) but the low seat height and low weight mean you can always find a way to turn round or back out of trouble. I Agree with the suggested mods. My Monkey has Racing Bros mono_r shocks (expensive but work really well), Zeta Pivot Levers (better ergo's than stock levers), R&G tail tidy (yes I get covered in mud..) Pirelli SL60 tyres (more road based, lots of grip on tarmac, but deal with stone trails well). Think you might be right about the gearing for off road, setting off on a steep ascent means a lot of revs and clutch slip. Think the next thing to sort are the front forks, looks like a bit of effort to change springs and dampers but I suspect it will be worth the effort. Monkey bikers keep Monkeying, cheers Chris (UK).
Awesome feedback Chris, thank you! I’m jealous of those shocks, I’d love to try the Racing Bros to compare them against all the others I have used. And yes, the Monkey is a fun off-roader for all of the reasons you shared. Front forks are high on my list too
Good day to you! Wah ! It is a so great Monkey modification for off road riding ! Awesome ! I am Cross Cub Grandpa from Japan ! I am happy to see such a great show ! Have a nice day !
Off topic ; sorry ..... I cringed when u were gassing up 😳 it pisses me off that we can’t remove the key from the gas cap and risk scratching the tank . (rant over) Man U covered a lot in this video . I don’t see my monkey going off-road as long as I own it , either way - great stuff man !
As for skid plate, I like the looks of the Kitaco skid plate so much better than the T-Rex. I just got finished installing it on my Monkey. It was an easy install and looks really good, clean lines. Hopefully I will still be able to find an aftermarket exhaust system that will fit with the skid plate. Question: why didn't you just try a 37 tooth rear sprocket to gear it down a bit? Really love your vids, very helpful!
Yeah the skid plates are all made for the stock exhaust it seems and hang down really low. I'd like a slim, engine hugging design that worked with the aftermarket exhausts. I've been comparing and contrasting between the 36 and 37 rears as I have the 14/37 on the Grom and 14/36 on the Monkey. I wanted to try them both and see the differences up here in the moutains before committing to one. After this trip, it's definitely the 37 rear for the win! I have one ready to go on the Monkey.
I got my mobber tires. I am still using only one chain tightening bolt since the right one is still broken off in there. I have not changed out my stock rear sprocket yet and not sure if I should do 36, 37 or 38. With 14 tooth front, and stock rear sprocket I can get up to 65 mph on the street highway. So I think going up on the rear should not bother my top end too much. You think I should go 10-15 air pressure in the ice and snow? I only will need to get about 10 miles in the snow and then the highway is clear in the winter.
You forgot the Kitaco skid plate. Had it before changing exhaust, and it's pretty solid, but nowhere near as solid as the T-Rex one. Also, Barkbusters would be a nice addition to keep branches off your fingers and save your levers/fingers in a fall.
Bark busters would be rad, and I saw T-Rex had them. Might go for them soon. The T-Rex skid plate looks good, but I’m not in love with the idea you need the whole sub cage setup to make it work. That’s a lot of bulk to add. Also, I want a tighter option for an aftermarket exhaust, and the T-Rex is pretty low for the stock pipe. All cool stuff though!
@@John5XR I wanted a subcage since I'm learning(first bike at 44), and I'm clumsy, lol. Barkbusters will be next, but waiting on levers so I can install at the same time. Also can't decide on new bars or just a crossbar.
I like the idea of it, to protect the bike, but was worried about the sliders being close to my legs. I ride aggressively and kick my legs out MX style in turns and was worried about hitting the slider. Is that the case?
The issue with the stock handlebars in my opinion is they place the hands too close together and too high. While the MNNTHBX bars look great, the best bars to ride aggressively with are going to be the KLX110 or XR50 bars, although they won’t look too good on the Monkey I’m afraid
@@John5XR I don't think I've ever hit them, they don't stick out like sliders. Actually wish they stood out a little further since I have my lights mounted there.
John thank you for the summary of suggested modifications. I went on a ride with a bunch of guys ridingGROMs and CT70s with much larger engines. I felt that I was going to abuse the 1-month-old Monkey and things were going to start falling off 🤣 So I stayed on the “dirt road”looking areas instead of the trails. The one time I had to go over a curb at an abandoned parking lot, something rubbed, maybe CC or the rear fender, not sure. I am strongly thinking of gifting myself an Yoshimura RS-3 exhaust for Christmas! Still afraid of eliminating the cat converter though....On your suggestion of switching the rear and front sprockets from 15/34 to 14/37, do you need to get a new/longer chain or will the stock chain be long enough? Would a 14/35 gain me some low end power ? (which I imagine would work with stock chain?) Thanks again!
You gotta send that Monkey! Lol! Definitely hit the CC on the curb, it hangs lower than expected. The Yosh pipe is great and I just reinstalled mine as I put the DHM piston in the bike this past weekend. Looking forward to getting my bark back and my ground clearance 👌 You can use the stock chain with a 14/37, no worries there. A 14/35 would be marginally better than stock, but if you really wanna pull up hills, I’d sway towards the 14/37 or 36 at the very least
Nah! The weakest part of the Monkey is the headlight bezel (watch my “must see monkey hack” video on how to fix it). Otherwise, the engine and drivetrain are bulletproof. Nothing else will really fail on the bike and is fairly basic. Go for it!!
Only have one issue with my monkey: sometimes when I shift up, it keeps hanging between 2 gears. And I’ve read that other people also suffer from this problem. You had this problem too?
The Monkey and Grom are notorious for wonky shifting. I’ve found the higher the rpms are, the easier it shifts. I use the TB Parts shifter and it’s a more solid feel, but easy to miss neutral too. You might want to try an oil change and see if that helps
@@John5XR Many thanks for advice and will definitely try oil change. One more question: my 6 year old son always rides with me on the Grom, but would love to take him on Monkey too. However there is weight limit on Monkey. What is the reason for such weight limit: is it the shock absorbers, maybe the regulation, ... I suppose frame will be strong enough :)
Sounds like my house! I often take BOTH my 3yr old AND 5yr old with me on the Grom! I typically only take the 3yr old on the Monkey though as there’s not as much room believe it or not, and the bars are further away for him to grab (he sits in front of me). But to answer you question, yes, the rear shocks on the monkey are very soft and are rated for 150lbs rider weight total. With no rear pegs either, it’s hard to ride on the back of the Monkey. If you want to retrofit it, you can install the rear sets from the Grom and this will provide the rear pegs, albeit with a less vintage look
No, the stock chain will work. The stock chain however isn’t the best quality, so upgrading to a non o-ring gold chain will be a worthy upgrade if it’s in your budget
I know this is old, but as of now, which shocks and fork cartridges do you suggest, within reason $$$ I hit a lot of square edge holes on the Wi firelanes I ride. I also need a new, hard hitting clutch. Complete kit. What do you suggest? Thanks man.
For shocks, I’d say the best would be Ohlins. On my Grom they are amazing off-road. For budget, the TB Parts mystery shocks (check out my video on them) are great for the price. Forks I’d say ohlins as there’s not a ton of options
My buddy n I both have monkeys n we had this exact conversation this morning except to ride around Moab UT n t CO continental divide area. Im 55yrs old n 260lbs n i agree with everything u said if u have t wallet. To trim some cost I would keep t front shocks (cause my weight is mostly over t rear wheel) n go with RFY rear shocks. For $50 a set the cheap chinese shock is holding up great.
Perfect! I really wanted people to add to my thoughts with their experiences, thank you! I ride over the handlebars a lot from my MX style of riding, so I totally kill the front forks when doing stuff like this. That ride sounds amazing too, I’d love to do some serious off-roading our west
@@John5XR hi john.just got a 37 tooth rear sprocket today.14 tooth up front. Will be riding a lot of desert trails at lake havasu Arizona. I'll air down the stock tires and see what happens.
Hey bud what do you recommend for a proper care of my chain seems to be looking a little rusty and dirty should I wash it with soap and not Lube it or what do you suggest
I like using Maxima Chain Cleanup to clean it along with a Grunge Brush. If it’s been wet, I’ll use a water repelling spray (I also like the Maxima variety of this), then before I ride I’ll use Maxima Chain Wax. There’s a combo pack of this on Amazon that’s a good bargain: amzn.to/3QZpgEI Here’s a link to the Grunge Brush amzn.to/3CwVKBZ
Soooooo pretty much change everything.... Christ ... nothing but talking no video except him stumbling around the woods... wtf... just spend the money on a better bike...
You talk about “him” like I won’t read these and you’re entertaining all of the other commenters. My bike, I do what I want with it and others might like it. You can casually skip to the next video, but I’m glad you were interested enough to spend the time on commenting 😉
John 5 XR,
I really have enjoyed your series on the monkey, last year I got one myself, and felt that I had a bit of a head start because I've watched your videos... I'm 65 and have had many motorcycles in my lifetime both dirt and street bikes mostly street bikes over 650cc or so, but I never had so much fun as when I was a kid on my Honda mini trail... I loved that thing. When I saw the Honda monkey retro, had to have one. My vision right away was an adventure roll, maybe even some bike camping. I went with the 505 Mobbers right away based on your recommendation, with the 130 up front, like the rear, and although I tried some different gear ratios, where I wound up was, 13 T front, and 37 rear. A lot more low end torque, really able to go slow without lugging the engine. I still can get up to 55 on the road when it's called for. Next thing I did was the T Rex racing setup, luggage rack big removable box on the back, and the engine cage, skid plate and also their handguards. I know you're probably cringing about the weight, really doesn't seem noticeable because the Monkey is so light compared to every other bike I've ever had. I can imagine what it's like to pick up a 500 to 600 pound full size adventure motorcycle out there in the on rocky trail... That seems kinda crazy to me. For suspension I did ohlins front end spring kit, heavy Springs, and 7 weight oil. I looked at the rear units they offer, but I could make myself spend that much money, or put yellow shocks on my blue bike. I found some Taiwanese version on Amazon that were about $150 that I think are reasonable, and seem to do the job. Overall, I think would I ended up with is pretty bulletproof, and I appreciate although learning you did out front that I benefited from years after... Thank you, John5XR
Thanks for taking the time to write this Rex, that's an amazing story! Sounds like your Monkey is set up better than mine at this point! I still need to do the front forks as they are woefully bad when you go off road. Enjoy the Monkey and check back in often
So much that I wasn't aware of. I never would have thought of. Thanks.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
great job covering off road things, ps still waiting on that mystery shock give away
Thanks Wade! I know, I’m way overdue on that one and I apologize. The footage I released in my last three videos was from May and July I’m that far behind!
Yep, thanks.
If I get a Monkey, I’ll definitely be referring back to this video.
Happy Trails
You’ll have a blast!
2022 model has perfect gearing for off-road with the 5 speed, I have a stock 2022 with shinko mobbers
Hi there!! You still like it, I am planning to get one....just wondering if I should on long term. Thanks
Hi John, great videos, I'm riding my Monkey more and more off Tarmac. I love it, finding out where all those lanes and tracks go, it just puts a smile on your face. I think the monkey is a great bike to get into trail riding, You've got to take it steady (slow!) and be prepared to walk the trail if it gets a bit ruff to look for the drops and large stones (as you described in video 1) but the low seat height and low weight mean you can always find a way to turn round or back out of trouble. I Agree with the suggested mods. My Monkey has Racing Bros mono_r shocks (expensive but work really well), Zeta Pivot Levers (better ergo's than stock levers), R&G tail tidy (yes I get covered in mud..) Pirelli SL60 tyres (more road based, lots of grip on tarmac, but deal with stone trails well). Think you might be right about the gearing for off road, setting off on a steep ascent means a lot of revs and clutch slip. Think the next thing to sort are the front forks, looks like a bit of effort to change springs and dampers but I suspect it will be worth the effort. Monkey bikers keep Monkeying, cheers Chris (UK).
Awesome feedback Chris, thank you! I’m jealous of those shocks, I’d love to try the Racing Bros to compare them against all the others I have used. And yes, the Monkey is a fun off-roader for all of the reasons you shared. Front forks are high on my list too
Good day to you!
Wah ! It is a so great Monkey modification for off road riding !
Awesome !
I am Cross Cub Grandpa from Japan !
I am happy to see such a great show !
Have a nice day !
I would of sprung for a duel range option if it was available on my 21.
That would’ve been cool for the Monkey, but even more appropriate for the new Trail 125 as the Trail 90 originally had that option.
Very good John keep it up .mark from ,England
Thanks Mark!!
Very good and informative thank you
Off topic ; sorry .....
I cringed when u were gassing up 😳 it pisses me off that we can’t remove the key from the gas cap and risk scratching the tank . (rant over)
Man U covered a lot in this video . I don’t see my monkey going off-road as long as I own it , either way - great stuff man !
I'm 325lbs and was hoping to get one.
As for skid plate, I like the looks of the Kitaco skid plate so much better than the T-Rex. I just got finished installing it on my Monkey. It was an easy install and looks really good, clean lines. Hopefully I will still be able to find an aftermarket exhaust system that will fit with the skid plate. Question: why didn't you just try a 37 tooth rear sprocket to gear it down a bit? Really love your vids, very helpful!
Yeah the skid plates are all made for the stock exhaust it seems and hang down really low. I'd like a slim, engine hugging design that worked with the aftermarket exhausts.
I've been comparing and contrasting between the 36 and 37 rears as I have the 14/37 on the Grom and 14/36 on the Monkey. I wanted to try them both and see the differences up here in the moutains before committing to one. After this trip, it's definitely the 37 rear for the win! I have one ready to go on the Monkey.
I got good wide red footpegs on ebay. They make a huge difference.
Know this is an older video but whats the top speed with 14/37 gearing?
Edit: ive got a video on my channel of it
Thank you, helpful
Glad it was helpful! Enjoy!
I got my mobber tires. I am still using only one chain tightening bolt since the right one is still broken off in there. I have not changed out my stock rear sprocket yet and not sure if I should do 36, 37 or 38. With 14 tooth front, and stock rear sprocket I can get up to 65 mph on the street highway. So I think going up on the rear should not bother my top end too much. You think I should go 10-15 air pressure in the ice and snow? I only will need to get about 10 miles in the snow and then the highway is clear in the winter.
So it's : 14T-38 Gear for Rear...What was the gearing for the Front ?
You forgot the Kitaco skid plate. Had it before changing exhaust, and it's pretty solid, but nowhere near as solid as the T-Rex one. Also, Barkbusters would be a nice addition to keep branches off your fingers and save your levers/fingers in a fall.
Bark busters would be rad, and I saw T-Rex had them. Might go for them soon. The T-Rex skid plate looks good, but I’m not in love with the idea you need the whole sub cage setup to make it work. That’s a lot of bulk to add. Also, I want a tighter option for an aftermarket exhaust, and the T-Rex is pretty low for the stock pipe. All cool stuff though!
@@John5XR I wanted a subcage since I'm learning(first bike at 44), and I'm clumsy, lol. Barkbusters will be next, but waiting on levers so I can install at the same time. Also can't decide on new bars or just a crossbar.
I like the idea of it, to protect the bike, but was worried about the sliders being close to my legs. I ride aggressively and kick my legs out MX style in turns and was worried about hitting the slider. Is that the case?
The issue with the stock handlebars in my opinion is they place the hands too close together and too high. While the MNNTHBX bars look great, the best bars to ride aggressively with are going to be the KLX110 or XR50 bars, although they won’t look too good on the Monkey I’m afraid
@@John5XR I don't think I've ever hit them, they don't stick out like sliders. Actually wish they stood out a little further since I have my lights mounted there.
John thank you for the summary of suggested modifications. I went on a ride with a bunch of guys ridingGROMs and CT70s with much larger engines. I felt that I was going to abuse the 1-month-old Monkey and things were going to start falling off 🤣 So I stayed on the “dirt road”looking areas instead of the trails. The one time I had to go over a curb at an abandoned parking lot, something rubbed, maybe CC or the rear fender, not sure. I am strongly thinking of gifting myself an Yoshimura RS-3 exhaust for Christmas! Still afraid of eliminating the cat converter though....On your suggestion of switching the rear and front sprockets from 15/34 to 14/37, do you need to get a new/longer chain or will the stock chain be long enough? Would a 14/35 gain me some low end power ? (which I imagine would work with stock chain?) Thanks again!
You gotta send that Monkey! Lol! Definitely hit the CC on the curb, it hangs lower than expected. The Yosh pipe is great and I just reinstalled mine as I put the DHM piston in the bike this past weekend. Looking forward to getting my bark back and my ground clearance 👌 You can use the stock chain with a 14/37, no worries there. A 14/35 would be marginally better than stock, but if you really wanna pull up hills, I’d sway towards the 14/37 or 36 at the very least
Awesome video. Got a monkey too but afraid breacking it.
Nah! The weakest part of the Monkey is the headlight bezel (watch my “must see monkey hack” video on how to fix it). Otherwise, the engine and drivetrain are bulletproof. Nothing else will really fail on the bike and is fairly basic. Go for it!!
Only have one issue with my monkey: sometimes when I shift up, it keeps hanging between 2 gears. And I’ve read that other people also suffer from this problem. You had this problem too?
The Monkey and Grom are notorious for wonky shifting. I’ve found the higher the rpms are, the easier it shifts. I use the TB Parts shifter and it’s a more solid feel, but easy to miss neutral too. You might want to try an oil change and see if that helps
@@John5XR Many thanks for advice and will definitely try oil change. One more question: my 6 year old son always rides with me on the Grom, but would love to take him on Monkey too. However there is weight limit on Monkey. What is the reason for such weight limit: is it the shock absorbers, maybe the regulation, ... I suppose frame will be strong enough :)
Sounds like my house! I often take BOTH my 3yr old AND 5yr old with me on the Grom! I typically only take the 3yr old on the Monkey though as there’s not as much room believe it or not, and the bars are further away for him to grab (he sits in front of me). But to answer you question, yes, the rear shocks on the monkey are very soft and are rated for 150lbs rider weight total. With no rear pegs either, it’s hard to ride on the back of the Monkey. If you want to retrofit it, you can install the rear sets from the Grom and this will provide the rear pegs, albeit with a less vintage look
Question? When switching to a 14 front and 37 tooth rear sprocket do I need to get a new chain or?
No, the stock chain will work. The stock chain however isn’t the best quality, so upgrading to a non o-ring gold chain will be a worthy upgrade if it’s in your budget
Thank you
When changing to a 14 front and 37 tooth rear sprocket, does it change the speedometer readings?
No , speedometer read in the motor
I know this is old, but as of now, which shocks and fork cartridges do you suggest, within reason $$$
I hit a lot of square edge holes on the Wi firelanes I ride.
I also need a new, hard hitting clutch. Complete kit. What do you suggest?
Thanks man.
For shocks, I’d say the best would be Ohlins. On my Grom they are amazing off-road. For budget, the TB Parts mystery shocks (check out my video on them) are great for the price. Forks I’d say ohlins as there’s not a ton of options
Thank you, and for clutch parts?
Sorry, forgot that part! The mnnthbx clutch lifter plate with 30-60lb springs should be all you need.
What do you think of the TB Parts aftermarket exhaust?
Also, shocks for me...120 lb
Also, I need a mud flap ... what do you recommend?
Where are you located? I heard you say NY/PA boarder. Iam in Kennedy/ Frewsburg Ny.
Just south of a small town called Deposit. The closest town of size in PA would be Susquehanna
My buddy n I both have monkeys n we had this exact conversation this morning except to ride around Moab UT n t CO continental divide area. Im 55yrs old n 260lbs n i agree with everything u said if u have t wallet. To trim some cost I would keep t front shocks (cause my weight is mostly over t rear wheel) n go with RFY rear shocks. For $50 a set the cheap chinese shock is holding up great.
Perfect! I really wanted people to add to my thoughts with their experiences, thank you! I ride over the handlebars a lot from my MX style of riding, so I totally kill the front forks when doing stuff like this. That ride sounds amazing too, I’d love to do some serious off-roading our west
@@John5XR hi john.just got a 37 tooth rear sprocket today.14 tooth up front. Will be riding a lot of desert trails at lake havasu Arizona. I'll air down the stock tires and see what happens.
Keith can you post a link? How are they holding up?
@@omnimesh4096 link not sure, that was 2 years ago. But the shocks r still great! Wish I could say the same about the 181cc kitaco neo bbk
Hey bud what do you recommend for a proper care of my chain seems to be looking a little rusty and dirty should I wash it with soap and not Lube it or what do you suggest
I like using Maxima Chain Cleanup to clean it along with a Grunge Brush. If it’s been wet, I’ll use a water repelling spray (I also like the Maxima variety of this), then before I ride I’ll use Maxima Chain Wax. There’s a combo pack of this on Amazon that’s a good bargain:
amzn.to/3QZpgEI
Here’s a link to the Grunge Brush
amzn.to/3CwVKBZ
@@John5XR excellent thanks for this information man I'm definitely hopping on Amazon to get some I love my little monkey and I want to make it last
You can also use ordinary panty hose to cover the air cleaner.
Could, but the outerwears covers they have available are excellent in my opinion
Lol or buy a different bike from the get.
Way beyond this now. Current bike is a GasGas 300EX and it’s unstoppable in the woods 👌
Soooooo pretty much change everything.... Christ ... nothing but talking no video except him stumbling around the woods... wtf... just spend the money on a better bike...
You talk about “him” like I won’t read these and you’re entertaining all of the other commenters. My bike, I do what I want with it and others might like it. You can casually skip to the next video, but I’m glad you were interested enough to spend the time on commenting 😉
Are you obese? Cause you sure seem scared of exercise! 🤣
many of us have other/better bikes. we have the monkey because its fun.. any content on it is appreciated. thanks for the video..