This Custom Honda Monkey 125 Will Make Your Eyes Twitch

Custom-made motorcycle jobs don’t get much wilder than this, the Honda ‘Rocket Cowl’ Monkey 125 which has been transformed to look like a Bosozoku bike.

If you don’t know, Bosozoku stands for’ reckless driving group’, and these biker gangs became somewhat of a cult thing in Japan during the 1950s, with popularity continuing to grow into the 1980s. However, strict rules against illegal bike modifications and changes to the subculture have led to a decrease in bigger gang numbers, although this Honda Monkey 125, from Thailand, is a clear tip of the hat to the Japanese heritage.

Twin exhaust pipes on each side of the bike, a white seat that doesn’t go with the rest of the bike, shark teeth painted on the fairing, a very odd yellow windshield and a green headlight cover make this bike truly one of a kind, although I’m still unsure if that’s a good thing.

But this is a very accurate representation of what Bosozoku gangs would do to their bikes, often fitting much larger fairings to small-capacity motorcycles, which is what Thai company Advanced Automotive Accessories has done.

Bosozoku groups first started after returning troops from World War II where veterans took an interest in the disobedient subculture. Many veterans endured difficulties re-adjusting to society after the war, while some turned to custom car making and gang-like activities on city streets to gain an adrenaline fix.

This is where custom bikes that would be produced as part of these Bosozoku gangs come in, and this particular Monkey 125 in Thailand would fit right at home with some of the motorcycles produced decades ago.

It’s not entirely surprising to see this type of motorcycle pop up in Thailand as the customisation of four-speed mini bikes is extremely popular in the country, with various builders and shops creating unique machines based on models such as the Monkey 125 and Super Cub 110.

Advance Automotive Accessories is a workshop that specialises in producing and selling exterior parts, especially for the Monkey 125, making this build somewhat of a no-brainer. Having also released customisation kits in various styles, such as rally and military. Their very own “Bosozoku” features specifications inspired by Japanese Bosozoku modifications and a unique paint job.

Since the turn of the 20th century, Bosozoku gangs have dropped massively in numbers, to the degree that such custom bikes are very rarely seen in Japan anymore. There are though a handful of competitions that are held away from the streets, in which riders will play ‘music’ with their bikes engine by blipping the throttle and holding the bike on the clutch bite point.

Here's a video of the 'music' playing' these bikes do.

Find all the latest motorcycle news on Visordown.com