Big Red A Cheeky Honda Monkey With Miles Of Retro Rally Style

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Ek Chalermphol’s Instagram bio lists his interests as “cars, trucks, bikes, bicycles, and taking photos.” But he neglects to mention his unwavering love for retro rally racers.
We’ve featured two of Ek’s custom motorcycles before (a BMW R nineT Urban G/S and a Honda XR600R), and both were heavily inspired by classic Dakar Rally bikes. The man has a taste for 80s and 90s off-roaders, and he knows how to capture that vibe. This time, he’s done it with an unlikely donor—a Honda Monkey.

The modern-day Honda Monkey is as cute as a button in stock trim, but Ek’s version of it is on another level. He describes the overarching philosophy behind the project as “Turn Monkey into Mighty!”
“My idea was to make this Monkey like a mini rally raid bike,” he continues. “Inspiration came from the 1980s Honda XR and XL series; the Paris Dakar look, with a big tank and that Honda ‘Flash Red’ color with the orange tone that I’m in love with.”

Most of the heavy lifting was handled by Wicham Pikutong at Dirtshop Thailand in Bangkok, which Ek founded over three decades ago. But before Wicham could swing his spanners, Ek had to find a suitable fuel tank for his project.
In an inspired move, he chose the tank from a Honda XR125R Paris Dakar—a limited edition rally-inspired model that came out in 1983. It took a few mods to the Monkey’s frame to accommodate the new unit, but the juice was worth the squeeze. The bubbly tank atop the pint-sized chassis perfectly captures the retro rally vibe that Ek was after.

The Monkey’s enduro-style plastics are also Honda items of a 1983 vintage, but the blocky saddle is completely bespoke. With traditional Flash Red plastics and blue vinyl on the seat, Ek designed a brilliant throwback Honda livery for the fuel tank. AR Carbody laid down the paint, while BoonSport handled powder-coating and re-assembly duties.
The Honda’s new bodywork is supremely clever, but it only tells part of the story. According to Ek, he wanted his new Monkey to not only look like a dirt bike but perform like one too. That called for a judicious overall of the bike’s stock running gear.

Ek’s Monkey now sports Öhlins rear shocks, with an Öhlins cartridge kit buffing up the forks. Keen eyes will also spot a set of Brembo brake calipers, which are connected via new hoses from HEL Performance. Is it all overkill? Probably, but we’re here for it.
Ek naturally specced several engine mods too. Night Mechanic did the engine work, which included a billet aluminum SMR crankcase, a double overhead camshaft big-bore kit, and a Takegawa clutch cover. A custom-made exhaust header terminates in a classy Supertrapp muffler.

At the front of the bike, you’ll find a pair of KC lights, mounted in a custom roll cage. Hiding behind them is the curved oil cooler from a Honda XR250R, wrapped around the Monkey’s headstock. The handlebars are Zeta parts, the bar pad is from Renthal, the brake and clutch lever have been upgraded, and the hand guards are period-correct Honda pieces.
The full spec sheet also includes an aluminum swingarm, and laced wheels to replace the Monkey’s modern-looking alloy hoops. Grippy foot pegs, upgraded foot controls, carbon fork guards, and a Scotts steering damper complete the package.

Ek’s dirt-munching Honda Monkey rally replica now shares a garage with his matching XR600R and the smorgasbord of other dirt- and adventure bikes he owns. We’re not sure how he picks which bike to ride each weekend, but it’s an enviable problem to have.
Dirtshop Thailand | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Ek Chalermphol



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