Rusty Stitches, the David of the motorcycle riding gear industry, has been rapidly expanding. Although their mascot is a big, hairy ape, the Rusty Stitches management team thought it would be a good idea if the giant ape had its own ride. They chose a Honda Monkey as the perfect bike to start with.

The Honda Monkey was first introduced to the public in 1961 and has become a cult classic. In 2018, John Lennon’s old Honda Monkey Z50 was auctioned for $80,000! This little bike has gained popularity due to its availability of aftermarket parts and ability to be customized.

Enter Moto Adonis, the Dutch-based customization team. Rusty Stitches approached them to build their custom Honda Monkey. Moto Adonis stripped the bike of all its parts and did a complete rebuild. The engine displacement remained unchanged, as the bike will serve a promotional purpose only. However, the engine did receive a dry-ice vapor blast treatment and a complete respray in black and white.

Moto Adonis added 12” oversized wheels with Maxxis NSR knobbly tires, replacing the original wheels. They also replaced the front shocks and triple clamps to accommodate the wider wheels. Both front and rear shocks have increased travel. The bike has a round LED headlight, upgraded from the original 6 Volts system to a more modern 12V power supply. The front brake has been upgraded with a 2-piston caliper and bigger disk brake.

Moving to the rear, Moto Adonis extended and widened the aluminum swing arm and replaced the little drum brake with a 2-piston disk brake conversion kit. The final drive was changed to a bigger rear sprocket, and the subframe was custom-built to house a café racer-style hump seat. Miller Kustom Upholstery custom made the seat with white stitching and lettering.

The tank is the original Honda tank with a fresh coat of black paint and hand-applied pin-striping by Huid & Staal’s Frank Bouwmeester. The exhaust system was built from the ground up by MAD Exhausts, and the original wheels were repurposed to be used on a custom-made trailer resembling a giant banana box. The trailer was built to serve as a prop and has a trailer hitch.

In conclusion, Rusty Stitches' custom Honda Monkey built by Moto Adonis is a unique and eye-catching promotional bike. It is a prime example of the creative possibilities when it comes to customizing a classic motorcycle.