CRF150R horizontal motor

With 112 miles on the clock, my crystal ball says this dude was riding and someone turned left RIGHT in front of him or her. These bikes are a little too small for the road IMO. Probably figures they better sell it before they are flattened.

racerx said:

Or, wait a couple of years when there are lots of them on the used vehicle market. It's the early-adopters who usually pay huge premiums.

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As they say in the hood; patience is bitter but its fruit is sweet essay.

I have to agree. I think i will have to abide, just like the dude. Too much cc finance to extinguish, waiting seems smart. My motorbike, though small in displacement rules the roost around here. So little, to no traffic, its a pleasure to ride now and gettin better with some strategic mods.. Speed limit is 35mph here and it does that easy.

I do have the 88 kit and a new race head for it. NIB, if i ever want to increase displacement. All parts were O.C. approved before purchase! lol

OLD CT said:

With 112 miles on the clock, my crystal ball says this dude was riding and someone turned left RIGHT in front of him or her. These bikes are a little too small for the road IMO. Probably figures they better sell it before they are flattened.

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It can be hairy in L.A.. If your not in the zone with your head on a swivel, your gonna get hurt. Even then, it can be hairy.

I wonder how many people buy them “thinking” they’re the minibike type but realize they ain’t by the time they get home.

I can see lots of people having buyers remorse.

I’ve seen them at the dealer, sat on them too. They don’t seem that heavy. The weight must be low or I’m just use to heavy. 2 others in the garage @ 5 and 800. At the mini bike swap meet I talked with a guy who had 2 there. He removed that ugly black air box and had a chrome cone style filter. The fuel injector assembly looked right at home. Made me want one but not yet.

At one time, I seriously considered a GROM...thinking that it'd be cool to have a non-classic, current-production, bike with a growing list of aftermarket parts support...and EFI. You know, just get on and ride, change anything out as the mood strikes, if it gets scratched no BFD...a carefree workhorse/"beater". But, I'm a big-picture thinker and into the gearhead game before the first z50 rolled off the line. Extensive research, I do some serious homework, showed that by the time the rubber meets the road (i.e. comparable road-worthiness) the cost differential was insignificant.

These are all quality machines. I'd expect either of the newest Honda minis to "deliver the goods", IOW run, reliably, for a long time. With the cost-of-acquisition playing field levelYou're the only one who can decide what the priority list comprises.ed, the choices largely revolve around the characteristics of the machines themselves and that means what you're going to live with...hopefully for a long time. I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that I'm now 2 decades+ back into the small Honda game...and my main rider has been back on the road for 18 years now(!). If I were to opt for a new model, no question, it'd be the Monkey. I'd likely as not end up doing fork & shock upgrades, which are not cheap and really enjoy the results. Wouldn't do much of anything to the engine. 60mph, with a fat-n-flat torque curve is adequate for a small bike and overall balance is what counts the most, as the mileage adds-up for real. I'd miss the roominess of the CT70, along with the versatility (transportability, 2-passenger capability) but, that's the world; everything has its compromise(s). At this stage of the game, with more years behind than ahead of me, I can honestly say that I'm still more than happy with what I've built...and that's my point. If you're thinking longterm, consider every angle before committing cash. Life is short.

I am amazed that I haven't seen even ONE new Monkey on the local streets--and there are several Honda dealerships near where I live. It's a really cool bike, but maybe it's just not as popular as Honda thought it would be.

That was very well said racerx and thanks for the insight! It really is a quagmire that everyone has to weigh for themselves....

Albeit having a Honda Nice 110 upgrade on your CT70 would help with that choice.

It would be interesting to have a seasoned CT70 expert from our forum perform an actual road test and a summary comparison between the new Monkey and the lovable CT70. The infusion of new technology over the last 50 years by Honda into the little bikes may surprise us.
As a baby boomer approaching 70 years old, 38MPH is fast enough for me! However, I am always curious to learn where the limit is for technical improvements, and at what point we are willing to accept maximum performance (speed, braking, handling,etc.) over safety.

Funny. I am seriously considering buying a new CRF150R. So serious I just sold my 2005 CRF150F that I installed a Baja Designs Street Legal Kit on. I love the 150F as it only weighs 230 lbs., BUT, the CRF150R weighs only 185 Lbs. with all the fluids and full tank of gas AND has 11 more Horsepower than than the CRF150F. There's a Youtube video of a guy doing wheelies in all 5 Gears, and another GPS clocking himself at 92MPH!

Deoodles said:

I’ve seen them at the dealer, sat on them too. They don’t seem that heavy. The weight must be low or I’m just use to heavy. 2 others in the garage @ 5 and 800. At the mini bike swap meet I talked with a guy who had 2 there. He removed that ugly black air box and had a chrome cone style filter. The fuel injector assembly looked right at home. Made me want one but not yet.

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They're heavy!

Gene2313 said:

They’re for sure cool.

I just couldn’t do it. I’ve paid crazy money for tiny bikes before but they’re rare enough to somewhat hold their value. Some have increased in value.

Like racerx said, I’ll wait. I’m a pretty patient guy, maybe by 2030!lol

EFI would definitely be bitchin. I just want the motor(and everything needed to make it run) and the front end.

I guess the wheels and brakes too.

I wanna strip it like a high plains buffalo!haha

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If you are serious, I have a grom engine, with a complete harness, fuel pump, throttle body, dash, handlebar switches...everything to run it with confirmed 7xx miles on it. I have the forks too, but I'm keeping those.

fatcaaat said:

If you are serious, I have a grom engine, with a complete harness, fuel pump, throttle body, dash, handlebar switches...everything to run it with confirmed 7xx miles on it. I have the forks too, but I'm keeping those.

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Would that plug and play into a CT?! EFI on a CT70... about as close to perfect as you can get in mini displacement IMO.

TNStreamerDreamer said:

Would that plug and play into a CT?! EFI on a CT70... about as close to perfect as you can get in mini displacement IMO.

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It's a BIG job, involving frame surgery, since the motor mounts are totally different. Then, there's the packaging...and there aren't much real estate on a CT70: ECM, fuel pump, relays, switches, larger battery. Then there's fitment of: exhaust (with the required O2 sensor added in an acceptable location), footrest assembly, kickstand, brake pedal. It'd be a whole lot easier with a Z50 frame...the motor mounts could be removed completely, then replaced with custom-fabbed...and the frame can be stretched.

I have a grom I bought in 2014. the bike now has over 10k miles and still goin strong. it is a blast to ride. mine is modded and will keep up with traffic well. I do like the new monkey. basically a grom with cosmetic tweeks.my grom puts a smile on my face everytime I ride it.I m in the process now of building a ct 70 with a 108 motor. im a 6foot 4 220 pound guy but still a kid at heart.

Monkey bike is waaaay too expensive and weighs way too much (235 lbs) for a 125cc.