Big Trouble On Little Bikes: Honda Monkey vs Yamaha Zuma

Admit it: hooning around on little motorcycles and scooters is fun. At least Ryan and I think so, anyway. And so it was; the two young pups at MO (well, Ryan anyway) went about dreaming up things to do outside our usual testing regimen. Because, you know, even though we have great jobs, the daily grind gets a little routine at times. After a little internet browsing we discovered the glorious sight of Vespa scooters tackling the Dakar. Yes, that Dakar. Thus, the wheels were set in motion.

No, we didn’t get our hands on any Vespas, and no, we didn’t travel to Africa. But we did dream up a way to have a little fun in our own backyard. Enter the Honda Monkey and Yamaha Zuma. Two little scoots we love ripping around on the street, but both of them have just enough styling to suggest they’d want to be taken off the beaten path.

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[wesleywheeler]

Some people just don't understand small displacement machines. It's fun to take these things to places it wasnt meant to be. Not because you should, but because you can

[mcciaccio]

I had. 2018 zuma 125… I rode the hell out of that thing… around the city, jeep trails, the beach… I made little handle bars for my kid to hold on and Id pick him up from school with his little moto x helmet. I had a cooler that fit under the seat perfectly and installed a usb charger for my ph. We rode it to the water park, went camping with it, did estimates and grocery store runs ….Its the smallest and slowest bike I ever had, but so fun.

[donaldsoncole]

Riding is supposed to be FUN !!!! Everyone is tired of the scientific analysis of whatever !!! Just ride what you have ! 😜

[Land-Shark]

A fun video, boys! :)
I rode a small 2-stroke dirtbike all over the Alaskan Bush back in the 70's when I was growing up. I even amazed myself about where a person could take an 11hp machine on two wheels. :)

[Pistonjockey]

Better riding a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow 😌

[chrispewkreme]

What’s so fun about a scooter, is it is fun to wheelie them just for fun. You can jump it and not feel bad. You can strap surfboards to it. You can use the trunk as a cooler and take a girl on a date. The possibilities are endless.

Gotta love em.

[emillerks]

thanks ryan, troy for this video. u reminded me that anything on two wheels can b a whole lot of fun and worth owning. take care guys and b well!

[hakunamatata]

question... was it the rider, or was the monkey struggling more than the zuma? the scooter and minimoto are both pushing around 125cc. and they both have somewhat knobby tires. the only difference i can see is that the zuma is automatic.

[BrokenEnduro]

I was dying laughing when I recognized the Gold Mtn trail! I wish you had done the first staircase!🤣

[enjoimarcbar]

That was strangely entertaining. Where is that awesome trail you guys went on?!

[jasonpierson]

What tires were put on the zuma for off road? I have a 125 zuma for fun and want to make it a scrambler

[danthemanlife]

Proud of you both for this! Love to see more of this!

[Hey_Its_Yosh]

Monkey wins by default since the Zuma Is a scooter, not a bike...?

[Payupsuckr]

Kimi Raikkonen's English has really improved

[phetogokgathi]

The yamaha still comes in 2 stroke here in Namibia. It’s amazing fun

[bnisen]

A scooter or motor scooter is a type of motorcycle with a step-through frame and a platform for the rider's feet. Elements of scooter design were present in some of the earliest motorcycles, and scooters have been made since at least 1914. (From Wikipedia)

[kevinstarner]

Which one do you all like Best and which is faster

[ender]

Eating ice-cream on a hot day?? How silly!

[artblakey]

Next up: take those two bikes to streets of Willow!

[jamesoren]

Those Kenda's are great! I have them on a spare set of wheels for my grom up at my parent's property and they're great. I think the Maxxis are better on road than the kendas but offroad the kendas do have the slight edge IMHO.