Yea-yea it’s a?.......Monkey !

[Jimo]

In the early sixties the Monkey Bike was very much a status symbol, not particularly fast or a ‘cafe-racer’ its quaint design was to say the least eye-catching holding its then ultra small engine beneath its initial tubular and later pressed steel frame - it’s folding handlebars showing it was intended to be going somewhere, it was, mostly being carried by motor caravans and the like to be used as supplemental economical transport between locations. It was too, the thing to be seen on to dodge traffic queues while showing a kind of oneupmanship to cage drivers.

The ST series of bikes ranged from 50cc’s through 70cc’ and in some countries 90cc’s, and were popular until the late nineties when they were eclipsed mainly by increasing euro controls. Many of these mini-bikes are still in use or to be found as ‘Barn Finds’ eligible for restoration. The original ST’s were a patented design of Honda but the patents expired and the design was taken over by the Jincheng company in China. Fast-foreword to today and we learn that Honda have renewed their patents and are about to introduce their 2021 ST125 DAX design in the style of their previous ST series.......an example of which, produced for 2021 with what appears to be the engine used in the new Cub125 can be seen on U-Tube.

I want one! - for IRO £4000.
https://imotorbike.my/news/en/2021/01/h ... n-the-way/

Jim

[Phil]

Hi Jimo. Have you seen the Bullit 125 Monkey bike? Phil

[Jimo]

Hi Phil, Yes I’ve seen the Bullett but it looks - well - like a monkey rather than an ST variant as also shown,

What do you know ...... I’ve just stumbled upon a very clean ST70 and bought it.
More later.

Jim

[Jimo]

My ‘New’ Monkey is actually a 1983 6v Dax ST70 - a recent ‘nut and bolt’ re-build with beautiful Blue paint job, starts and runs perfectly with no oil leaks and fully working 6v electrics, stumbled upon it last night where it had been advertised for 1 day, - it was delivered this morning, Couldn’t believe my eyes it’s like new!
By the way, that’s not oil - it’s water under the bike!
Jim

[2wheelover51]

Very nice Jimo.
Have to say I would like one of these just for fun. I was wondering "when did Honda make a 6 valve engine?" then I cottoned on...