At what point does a customized bike cease to be the model it started as? That’s a tough call, and one that every individual will probably have their opinion about. If you change, modify, or switch out more than 50 percent of a bike’s parts, is it no longer that bike? Is a Honda Cub still a Cub if you take its iconic pressed-steel frame away

This bike started life as a Honda Monkey. Then, it swallowed an inline four-cylinder CBR250R mill, much like the aforementioned Cub. That’s not where it stopped, however. As you can see in this slideshow about the buildup to this point, there is a LOT going on here. How many Monkeys have you seen with Akrapovič cans, Brembo master cylinders, Öhlins rear shocks, braided stainless steel lines, and probably too many assorted bits to take in with a single pass? Öhlins suspension upgrades aren’t uncommon, but you don’t usually see all this stuff happening at once.  

It has a different frame, different stance, and has basically mutated into the King Kong of monkey bikes. Sure, it’s got that friendly tank and saddle you know and love from the Monkey, but with so much else changed, it’s definitely not your average primate. Apparently, this isn’t even its final form, either. On June 27, 2020, YouTuber 94 Impala SS uploaded a video illustrating that he’d taken lockdown time to add a Ducati front fork and dual disc brake setup, taking this build just a step beyond.  

He says it’s complete now, and really, what’s left to change that hasn’t already been changed? Some people are never satisfied with their own work, though, so I won’t be surprised if more changes find their way onto this bike at some point in the future. I have a neighbor who’s like that with his house. There’s no such thing as ‘finished,’ and you know what? I kind of admire that relentless pursuit of evolution.  

Source: YouTube 

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