When I concluded my First Ride review of the Honda Monkey, I said that “the search for Vy’s next bike is officially over.” It took me a while, but I finally picked one up! Now it’s time to modify…
Don’t worry, we still have the Honda S90!
With a seat height of 30.6″, the Honda Monkey is approachable for most people – but it’s taller than you’d expect considering the otherwise diminutive size of the bike. This is due in part to the very thick (and very comfortable seat).
While I love the stock seat, it’s just a little too tall for 5’1″ Vy to be comfortable on.
Some online research unveiled a couple of lower seat options, the most common of which is made by Kitaco. It’s readily available in the US through Steady Garage, but some reviews said that the rolled edges of the seat created pressure points on rider’s legs, so I passed on that. I ended up instead importing a Derazer Tracker seat from Thailand via Beez Deals, shown on the right below. It was just $99.99, however shipping was an additional $69.99. But the Kitaco seat is $200 in the US anyway, and the seat came to me within a week, so I was fine with the total outlay.
It cuts down the seat height by about 2″. Plus I dig the “Monkey” inscription on the rear.
We don’t have enough experience with the seat to do a review just yet – everything seems good so far but I’d like to use it for a few months at least before making a judgment – but I’m bringing all of this up because the constant swapping between seats is more of a pain than it should be. Unlike most modern motorcycles where the seat is unlocked with your key, the seat on the Monkey is just held in place with 2 10mm bolts. This means you need to have a tool with you just to change the seat (it also means you now know the perfect way to screw with your buddy that owns a Monkey). Plus, it’s ugly.
You may be thinking that needing to swap seats because two riders with a significant height difference are sharing the same bike is a niche problem, and you’d be right! However, non-ABS Monkeys have a convenient storage space under the seat where the ABS module would normally go, so making the seat easier to take off (especially on the road) is valuable to more than just Vy and I. The fine folks at MNNTHBX have developed something clever that seems specifically created for our issue. They call them “Quick Release Seat Caps” and they’re designed to replace the pair of bolts that keep the seat in place.
What I appreciate about the design is that it turns your key (which you’ll presumably have on you) into the tool that tightens/loosens the bolt:
It’s subtle but effective, and now I don’t have to bother bringing tools downstairs every time I want to change the seat. Bonus points because it looks much better than the original bolt – it’s basically a frame plug with a higher purpose!
The fit is perfect and the finish has held up through repeated use over the last few weeks. I’m keeping it on the Monkey, and easily recommend it to anyone that needs to take their seat off frequently (for whatever reason). Find the Quick Release Seat Caps here at MNNTHBX for $39.99 (currently on sale for $34.99).
