125cc Mini Chopper from REZ Industries…
When Honda released the original Z100 and Z50 Mini Trail in the early 1960s, no one knew the Honda Monkey would become one of the most iconic, beloved platforms of all time. It’s unlikely that any other bike introduced so many young riders to the thrill of two wheels and an engine. But youngsters weren’t the only ones who took a shine to these micro motorbikes.
“Of course, the 1961 Honda Z100 was actually meant for children to ride — not adults. Did adults ride them anyway? I think you know the answer.” –RideApart
The Monkey moniker, of course, came from the diminutive proportions of these bikes, which made adult riders look more like the primates they actually were.
Fast forward to 2021, and minibikes were in the midst of a renaissance, with the Honda Grom (MSX125) and Kawasaki Z125 Pro leading the way. So Honda decided to introduce the Monkey 125 based on the Grom platform. The retro minibike uses the Grom’s air-cooled two-valve SOHC engine, weighs just 231 lbs, and looks like a time-traveler from the 1960s. The 1.5-gallon fuel tank is even painted with the historic “Old Wing” logo.
We’ve begun to see more modern Honda Monkey customs in recent years, and today’s feature bike is one of our favorites we’ve ever seen — a 125cc mini chopper from our friends at Taiwan’s REZ Industries, whose British-style KTR150 was a big hit earlier this summer.
This mini-chopper was a customer project:
“We were thinking about a mini-bike donor like the Monkey 125 — horizontal engine, small wheels, and a frame that only has space for a single seat… How do you make a chopper look completely natural while still keeping it unmistakably a Monkey?”
In our opinion, the REZ Industries team has done a wonderful job maintaining the Monkey character and charm while completely transforming the bike into quite a natural-looking chopper. Of course, it took a lot of thought, fabrication, and work to pull this off.
Up front, they swapped the stock USD forks for an extended, old-school springer setup with a 14-inch wire wheel. Unlike a lot of choppers, which don’t have front brakes, they actually added an upgraded caliper and disc — a serious safety addition for heavy traffic. The rear brake was upgraded as well, sporting an oversized disc.
For the rider’s bum, they made a one-off “king & queen”-style seat that’s actually meant for a solo rider — too cool! They also added a custom sissy bar, custom front mini fender, one-off trumpet-style exhaust, dual-headlight setup, ape-hanger bars, and more.
The fuel tank is the stock unit, but it’s been painted silver glitter with a flame job alongside the side covers, rear fender, and other bodywork. You’ll notice the aforementioned seat also carries on the flame theme through the custom stitching.
They said they could have hard-tailed the frame, but keeping the stock twin-shock suspension means the bike still rides exceptionally well…and we actually love the sprung look. We’re sure it also keeps the seat height at a more reasonable level, too.
Nicknamed “GeeGee Chop” for the sound a monkey makes, this mini chopper is a hoot to hoon about the streets of Taiwan.
“The first impression when riding this bike is how light and agile it feels. But because the front forks have been extended, the riding posture still gives you that classic chopper rake and laid-back lean, which I find really interesting and fun.
“The customized seat and suspension, together with the upgraded braking system, make this bike feel both safe and comfortable to ride in a relatively dense traffic environment like Taiwan.”
Bravo to the REZ Industries team for bringing this mini monster to fruition, and check out their CB400 chopper recently featured on Bike EXIF. Below, you’ll find our full interview with team member Excel Lee — we look forward to showcasing more projects from this Taipei-based team, who are truly on fire!
Honda Monkey Chopper: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a little about yourselves, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
We are a team from Taiwan who, since our student days, have been passionate about building and modifying motorcycles by hand. After years of experimentation and learning, we turned that passion into a profession: REZ Industries.
Our workshop specializes in custom builds that blend vintage styling with modern performance. We are dedicated to
creating many choppers and a variety of handcrafted custom bikes in Taiwan.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the donor bike?
Honda Monkey 125 / 2024.
• Why was this bike built?
Customer project.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
We were thinking about a mini-bike donor like the Monkey 125 — horizontal engine, small wheels, and a frame that only has space for a single seat… How do you make a chopper look completely natural while still keeping it unmistakably a Monkey?
We replaced the stock front end and inverted forks with classic old-school springer forks and extended them. The front wheel is still the classic chopper-style wire-spoke rim, but we went with a cute 14-inch size.
We kept the stock fuel tank and soft-tail frame. For the seat we made an extremely mini king/queen seat — single-seater of course, lol.
We also customized the front and rear fenders, added a sissy bar, the dual headlights classic choppers have, ape-hanger handlebars, and other chopper elements… Finally we finished the whole bike in silver glitter paint with flames.
The owner didn’t just want a special chopper — they also care about the riding experience. So we upgraded the braking system with Crab calipers, solid (non-drilled) floating discs, and a mirrored rear disc.
These relatively modern performance parts sit on a retro-style chopper and actually make the look even better.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
- Front forks
- Front wheel
- Handlebars
- Triple tree
- Triple clamp
- Brake system
- Front & rear fenders
- Seat
- Sissy bar
- Chain cover
- Side covers
- Exhaust pipe
- Paint job…
• Does the bike have a nickname?
GeeGee Chop.
• Any idea of horsepower, weight, and/or performance numbers?
104 kg / 9.4ps at 6,750 rpm.
• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride this bike?
The first impression when riding this bike is how light and agile it feels. But because the front forks have been extended, the riding posture still gives you that classic chopper rake and laid-back lean, which I find really interesting and fun.
The customized seat and suspension, together with the upgraded braking system, make this bike feel both safe and comfortable to ride in a relatively dense traffic environment like Taiwan.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
Most people’s impression of a chopper is a hardtail frame — that’s undeniable. But I’ve always been searching for what a Taiwanese chopper, or even an Asian chopper, could look like. For me, if I hadn’t kept the original frame and instead built a hardtail and dropped a Monkey engine into it, I might have lost something meaningful. I could have just chosen any other bike.
I feel that retaining the stock soft-tail frame while modifying the front end is the finishing touch — the key that makes this bike instantly recognizable as a Monkey, while still having the proportions and elements of a chopper.
• Is there anyone you’d like to thank?
Thanks to our partners, and I’d also like to thank the owner for trusting us and giving us complete creative freedom to bring our design to life.
Follow the Builders
Instagram: @rez_industries
