This Moto Guzzi V8 GP Racer Replica Is Really A Custom Honda Monkey

Sometimes, artwork imitates life—and generally, life imitates artwork imitating life. This is the Monkey Racer Replica, crafted by the mixed customization skills of Japanese and Thai group Ganesha Custom, Ok-Win, and NOTE. It’s not a one-off customized, both; it’s the sort you should buy, though presumably solely in extraordinarily restricted portions. 

It is, naturally, meant to evoke the styling cues of the Nineteen Fifties-era Moto Guzzi V8 grand prix racer. (You know, as you typically do with a little bit 125cc monkey bike.) That legendary beast reportedly made a stonking 80 horsepower on the crank revving at simply over 12,000 rpm. It additionally managed a file 178 mph velocity on the 1957 Belgian Grand Prix. (It’s in all probability a protected guess that this Monkey isn’t fairly that quick, though it actually seems good.) 

There’s extra to this Monkey Racer Replica than simply Guzzi historical past, although—as we’d guess a few of you in all probability have already noticed. See, famed manga grasp Akira Toriyama is a well known gearhead. This bike comes from the Dragon Ball universe, the place it’s truly a Moto Guzzi V8 racer-inspired mech.  

Bulma, the character who rides Variable No. 19, could make it remodel between a motorbike, a bipedal mech, and a trike. Dead giveaways embrace the “Capsule Corp.” branding on the tank, in addition to the massive 19 quantity plate emblazoned on the facet. The skinny, black, flashing mild turrets positioned on both facet of the headlight exchange the weapons discovered within the manga. 

For these unfamiliar, Toriyama’s work is well-known for its inclusion of improbable extrapolations of very actual vehicles and bikes. It’s manga, so he could make real-world automobiles do something he desires—all whereas paying homage to fascinating present designs that strike his fancy. So, basing Bulma’s bike on that famed Moto Guzzi V8 GP racer design completely, 100-percent tracks. 

Thus, we come to 2022, the place three real-world bike customizers have taken Toriyama’s tackle the Guzzi and introduced it into the true world. The Monkey 125 is a well-liked machine all around the world, nevertheless it’s notably standard as a prepared candidate for personalisation in each Japan and Thailand. (We’re fairly certain this construct doesn’t truly remodel, although.) 

Interestingly, as of July 8, 2022, Ganesha Custom is at the moment promoting the Monkey Racer Replica on its web site, for an asking value of ¥ 1,595,000, tax included however not together with transport prices. That’s about $11,741 based on at the moment’s conversion charges, which appears concurrently like loads for a Monkey and never a complete lot for a customized job like this. It’s unclear what number of of those Ganesha plans to make, though it appears prone to be a reasonably limited-edition factor.