AUGUST 4, 2021

(Honda)
American Honda has confirmed that the 2022 Monkey will be powered by a torquey new engine with a fifth gear, the same powerplant as the all-new 2022 Grom that was announced last March. When it comes to miniMOTO models, Honda is the undisputed leader, and there's no better example of that than the legendary Monkey. The latest generation honors history and tradition with looks and spirit that are faithful to the Monkey's earliest concept, but it touts modern features that help it perform well and run reliably—a combination that has proven to be extremely popular with customers. A hit with both the new generation of enthusiasts and nostalgic riders seeking a trip down memory lane (its heritage extends back to 1961, when the original version was used in a Honda-owned Japanese amusement park called Tama Tech), the Monkey oozes fun and charm in a pint-size package. Now, for the first time, the Monkey has a fifth gear for more comfortable cruising, thanks to a new, modern engine with a wider spread of gear ratios and a 37-tooth final-drive sprocket (previously 34). The changes provide not only peppy acceleration from low speeds, but increased top speed as well. The 124cc two-valve, overhead-cam, air-cooled engine has an undersquare design, with a narrower bore and longer stroke. Colors available: Pearl Black (shown) and Banana Yellow. How much? $4,199.

The AE Song of the Week:

I am sitting
In the morning
At the diner
On the corner
I am waiting
At the counter
For the man
To pour the coffee
And he fills it
Only halfway
And before
I even argue
He is looking
Out the window
At somebody
Coming in

"It is always
Nice to see you"
Says the man
Behind the counter
To the woman
Who has come in
She is shaking
Her umbrella
And I look
The other way
As they are kissing
Their hellos
And I'm pretending
Not to see them
And instead
I pour the milk

I open
Up the paper
There's a story
Of an actor
Who had died
While he was drinking
It was no one
I had heard of
And I'm turning
To the horoscope
And looking
For the funnies
When I'm feeling
Someone watching me
And so
I raise my head
There's a woman
On the outside
Looking inside
Does she see me?
No, she does not
Really see me
'Cause she sees
Her own reflection
And I'm trying
Not to notice
That she's hitching
Up her skirt
And while she's
Straightening her stockings
Her hair
Has gotten wet

Oh, this rain
It will continue
Through the morning
As I'm listening
To the bells
Of the cathedral
I am thinking
Of your voice
And of the midnight picnic
Once upon a time
Before the rain began

I finish up my coffee
And it's time to catch the train

"Tom's Diner" by Suzanne Vega from the album "Solitude Standing" (1987)*. Written by Suzanne Vega. Publisher: Warner Chappell Music, Inc. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch the Official Music Video (DNA remix) here. 

*This is a cappella song became a hit in 1990 when the British production duo DNA added a beat and released the remix as a bootleg. The contrast between Vega's subtle vocal and the driving dance rhythm meshed unexpectedly well. Of course, DNA didn't ask Vega's permission, and when Suzanne first heard it, she said she wasn't sure whether she should sue them or congratulate them. She decided against litigation and her record company, A&M, proving that sometimes there's more to be gained without filing a lawsuit, officially released the remix along with other bootleg recordings that had emerged, including one with a German disco flavor and another with a reggae beat. Suzanne Vega wrote this song while eating breakfast at Tom's Restaurant on the corner of Broadway and 112th Street in New York City. Tom's has another famous place in pop culture as well: it was Jerry Seinfeld's hangout in his hit sitcom Seinfeld. On the show, where it was called "Monk's Cafe," the "Tom's" was cropped out so the exterior sign just said "Restaurant," and the interior shots were done with TV magic on a sound stage. The song has been sampled many times by other artists, including Tupac for his track "Dopefiend's Diner," Aaliyah on her single "Hot Like Fire", Drake on a cut titled "Juice" and David Guetta on his tune "Let It Be Me." Giorgio Moroder covered the song for his 2015 Déjà Vu album. His version features vocals by Britney Spears. "The song doesn't have a big range, and I added a bridge and some instrumental stuff," the EDM godfather told Billboard magazine. "Britney sounds so good, you would hardly recognize her." When German engineers were developing the MP3 file format, they used this song to test their creation, checking for loss of fidelity. They picked an a cappella tune because they were particularly concerned about degrading the human voice. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)