The Jaak Is a Bobbed Honda Monkey With Cute Looks and a Commanding Presence

Dubbed The Jaak Project, this bad boy had been a stock Monkey 125 in its previous incarnation. Zeus turned it into a cheeky bespoke bobber that manages to look cute and seriously imposing at the same time, but getting here was no walk in the park. The idea of taking the teeny Monkey onto bobbed territory came from a client, who sought to add an unusual yet undeniably cool little ride to his collection.

Regardless of all the difficulties this project would inevitably present, the Thai custom bike doctors were more than happy to bring his vision to life. With the tiny Honda delivered to their workshop, they took it all apart and began to consider how the transformation process was going to play out. As soon as a general plan had been made, the real fun was ready to start.

The first course on the menu involved some major structural changes to bring about the bobber stance that the client was after. Most notably, the rear portion of the frame was completely reworked, and it now rests on a pair of aftermarket shock absorbers. These bad boys are sturdy but much shorter than stock, measuring just 190 millimeters (7.5 inches) in length.

Atop the new subframe lies a custom saddle upholstered in black leather, while a handmade rear fender can be spotted underneath. In addition, there are LED turn signals fitted in close proximity to the upper shock mounts, and the taillight is placed on a swingarm-mounted license plate bracket on the left-hand side. Moving toward the front end, Zeus’ mods are no less intriguing.

You will still find the original Monkey fuel tank center-stage, but its front section got repositioned on a custom mounting point to suit the sloping frame. Although the forks may look new given the motorcycle’s radically altered stance, they’re actually the OEM parts that came with the donor. On the other hand, the Zeus squad did away with items like the stock headlamp, front fender, and handlebar.

The latter made room for a chopper-style alternative, which carries Biltwell Torker grips, a pair of LED blinkers, and the original controls. A bit further ahead, we notice a five-inch LED headlight of aftermarket origin, secured in place by way of tailor-made brackets. Moreover, the ignition module is now located in between the handlebar and fuel tank, but there’s not a single rear-view mirror to speak of.

Down in the unsprung sector, this bobbed Monkey 125 is still equipped with the standard wheels and brakes, but the rims were clad in chunky dual-purpose rubber fore and aft. We doubt The Jaak will ever indulge in any kind of off-roading, so the tire choice was made purely for cosmetic purposes. Forward-mounted foot controls round out the specimen’s ergonomic package, complete with custom linkages and mounting points.

With the bike sitting and handling the way they wanted, the guys turned their attention to its powertrain. The air-cooled 125cc single-cylinder mill remains pretty much unchanged on the inside, yet there are some notable intake and exhaust mods for us to look at. Inhaling is now done via a top-shelf aftermarket pod filter, and there’s a stunning custom-made exhaust system at the other end of the combustion cycle.

Manufactured from scratch using stainless-steel, the pipework curves its way backward in seamless fashion, terminating in a black-anodized aluminum tip. To prevent things from getting too toasty near the rider’s leg, Zeus also fitted a perforated heat shield onto the exhaust header. Their last fabrication job involved the creation of a new electronics box, which was then attached to the front section of the frame.

Finally, The Jaak’s livery is a murdered-out affair for the most part, but some metal bits were left unpainted and the fuel tank received white Honda Monkey graphics. The experts over at Zeus Custom really went to town on this project, and we can probably all agree that every last bit of elbow grease was worth it! They’ve managed to build one of the raddest bespoke Monkeys out there, flaunting heaps of bobber charm wherever you look.

Although we’re not entirely sure how the customer reacted upon seeing the completed build for the first time, it’s reasonable to assume that he was left absolutely speechless. The Jaak is one hell of a sight to behold, and just practical enough to live with on a daily basis if that’s what the rider plans. Oh, and its diminutive size will certainly be a benefit rather than a shortcoming on Bangkok’s busy streets.