Every Bit a One-Off: HONDA MONKEY Custom by Koki Fujiwara

Koki Fujiwara's MONKEY

The very first bike he ever owned was a Honda Monkey, which he got when he was 16. His passion for motorcycles never faded from that point on. Later, he started a career in industrial work and eventually went independent. In between his main work, he began a custom build around ten years ago using the Monkey he had owned for 22 years as the base, with the concept of pursuing the style he truly loved. At the time, the trend was 12-inch customs that looked almost like stock, so he first decided on a 12-inch setup for the wheels and chassis. From there, he set out to build a one-off steel frame to capture that stock feel.

The bike itself was kept compact, with a focus on overall balance. That meant part after part had to be handcrafted. Big components like the frame, exhaust, and swingarm are naturally the most eye-catching, but even the brackets, mounts, and other small fittings were custom made to fit perfectly and cleanly into the overall build.

Over the long build period, new aftermarket parts continued to be released. And whenever something compelling came out, he’d go back and redo the fittings so the new components could be properly integrated. That constant refinement stretched the build over an even longer span but also brought it to another level.

When GALE SPEED released their front and rear radial calipers, for example, he machined a new bottom case for RS125R (NX-4) forks and a floating rear caliper mount to match. This kind of commitment to updating the bike with the latest parts, and the desire to keep pushing the quality higher, meant that even after a full decade, the bike still feels fresh and up to date.

We’ve heard there are plans to give the bike another refresh for an upcoming Enjoy 4 Mini event, so keep an eye on this machine!

Bodywork

Parts like the top bridge, license plate bracket, and fork bottoms were all machined in-house. Thanks to his welding skills and access to an NC lathe through his work, he’s in a position to make almost anything. But what truly matters in a build like this is the design itself. The fusion of technical skill and a strong sense of style is what makes this bike so special.

Intake & Exhaust

The exhaust was built by welding together rings of titanium. Even the exhaust tip is machined.

The underframe was originally made from steel but was later redone in aluminum, adding a nice accent. In fact, the swingarm was also remade—this is already the second version! That’s what we call passion!

Chassis

The one-off steel frame features a double cradle-inspired design.

The inspiration came from the CB-F series, incorporating that unmistakable Honda frame beauty. The reinforcement around the pivot area also has a cool '80s–'90s vibe.

2019 - A photo of the build during that year.

2020 - The specs continued to evolve year by year.

Gallery

Specifications

Original Source of this Article

MOTO-MOTO