Grom review

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion) 06/10/2019 at 22:29 • Filed to: None

5

15

I just finished day one of my motorcycle class. 2 hours of class time, 6 hours on the bike. Two amazing instructors, and a really cool group.

I made a beeline for the Grom as I didn’t want to get stuck with a Cruiser, and the one duel-sport was already accounted for. There were no full-size sport bikes :(

Everything came back almost instantly, and I’m pumped to finally be a legal rider.

So! Review time!

Brakes are great. They didn’t feel noteworthy in the slightest, which is honestly what I want in brakes. Almost comically easy to flat foot it on either side. Never felt slow, although I didn’t go past 4th gear. Don’t know the actual weight, but it felt like a burly bicycle. If you somehow dropped it you could pick it back up with one hand. Dropping a gear mid corner with some healthy throttle application can *allegedly* kick the back end out into the most graceful o f tire-burning drifts. Or, as graceful as drifting can be on a short wheelbase motorcycle... I’m not a hooligan though so I definitely didn’t do that. Multiple times. Shifts are as smooth as anything else I’ve ridden, which is... uh. 5 bikes now so take that with a grain of salt.

Maybe 10% of the time the bike didn’t want to engage first from a stop. You’d have to hold down first, then roll forward about 8 inches for it to *click*.

Saddle felt great. For the first 15 minutes. By hour 5 I was dying.

How should a minibike like this feel in comparison to a Ninja in terms of maneuverability? From 10mph up everything was rock-solid, but the low speed slalom was pretty twitchy, whereas I remember that being much smoother on the Kawasaki. Is it because of bike size? Or just my rusty skills?

My 6' 1" frame didn’t feel cramped or uncomfortable, but my natural grip was much wider than the Grom allowed. There was something about the foot controls that I didn’t love, but that could just as easily have been because I was wearing super-clunky hiking boots. The last time I had a bike I wore Converse 24/7...

Tl:Dr - Grom’s are an absolute blast, but I’m not going to be buying one as an only bike. I’m still leaning towards a Monster. Something older up to a current 821. A cheap 250cc dirt bike is also very much on my radar.

I’m going to be very sad tomorrow when the class is over and I no longer have a bike to ride.

bob and john > AestheticsInMotion 06/10/2019 at 22:44

4

‘didnt go past 4th”

erm. groms only have 4 gears. just sayin. 

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > AestheticsInMotion 06/10/2019 at 22:44

2

From 100 miles on a grom after about 15k miles on other bikes - Groms have the shittiest seats ever. Dirt bikes have as good, if not better ,seats.

Twitchiness is because the grom has a tiny front wheel. On a motorcycle with a 16 or 17" front wheel, you can much more easily modulate the turning feel with the rear brake. Apply partial throttle, get the clutch into the friction zone, and gently apply the rear brake for low speed turns and flicks. The grom has an absolutely tiny front wheel and a clutch with a very minute friction zone so it doesn’t respond as well. It uses its size and shape to make up for that. I’d still say the grom will run literal circles around my KLR but I’m more confident on the KLR since that’s my gold standard bike, and it rides like a traditional motorcycle.....Also it has the cushiest seat ever and is a joy to be on for over an hour at a time.

AestheticsInMotion > bob and john 06/10/2019 at 22:47

1

Lol. Didn't know that. In that case... I don't think groms ever feel slow. Definitely a slow car fast reaction 

AestheticsInMotion > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 06/10/2019 at 22:52

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That all makes sense. I'll try using a bit more rear brake. Thanks! 

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > AestheticsInMotion 06/10/2019 at 22:59

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Yep! Oh, and monsters can be expensive to maintain so I’d recommend an SV650 instead for a V-twin standard. A DRZ-400 would be a good one too. Light enough to be a great off-road bike , but the 400cc gives plenty of punch around town. And a DRZ-400SM is a great hooligan bike.

I will also plug the KLR 650 if you want a commuter. It had endless gobs of torque off the line and will pull a very brisk 0-45 mph in city scenarios. It also can handle light to medium trails with ease while carrying luggage. I found out I’m a local legend for doing group trail rides by literally riding my bike there for the weekend and then riding home. They’re rock solid bikes that literally ignore small bumps and broken pavement. Honestly think the bike is too dumb to notice that things like “winter” and “sudden potholes” exist in the real world.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > bob and john 06/10/2019 at 23:01

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And just like my KLR, I kept trying for one more.....

I’m getting a gearshift tattoo on my left calf and I keep debating between getting one for 5 or 6 gears. Now I think I should get a 5 gear one but with a phantom 6th gear, since I always do it on the KLR....

fintail > AestheticsInMotion 06/10/2019 at 23:03

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I remember doing my MSF on a dual sport as well.  I am roughly your height, and had iffy low speed balance on the little cruisers - I was able to switch out fairly quickly.  Smooth sailing on the taller bike.

AestheticsInMotion > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 06/10/2019 at 23:06

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I know the 650 would be great, but I just really, really don’t want one. It’s such a boring choice. And yes I realize I’m now that guy who asks for a fun, sporty, cheap, manual car but vehemently refuses a Miata even though it’s the perfect choice.

I like the DRZ and KLR ideas though. It's not impossible that I grab something with more offroad chops before a pure street bike

AestheticsInMotion > fintail 06/10/2019 at 23:08

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Did you have Jim and Jeff as instructors by any chance?

I’m hoping to find some time with a few of the other bikes tomorrow. Maybe that duel-sport will be open

fintail > AestheticsInMotion 06/10/2019 at 23:11

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It was ages ago, but those names do seem somehow familiar.  I remember one guy rode a big bagger Harley.    Good luck, balance makes a big difference, as so much of it is low speed.  I don’t think I broke 20 mph on my test.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > AestheticsInMotion 06/10/2019 at 23:38

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Meh, m ore fun for me. Look for an early 90s honda hawk GT. It’s the honda equivalent of the SV650, before the SV was a thing. It’s a bit weird and different but cool at the same time. Oh, and look for a yamaha TDM - it’s a larger enduro/adventure bike, but with their big parallel twin at the time on it. Practical, yet different.

May I also interest in you some weird BMW bikes? Take, for example, the BMW F 650CS “SC arver”

Or perhaps the G650 XMoto?

Or if you want to walk on the wild side, but still be German, I can recommend the 1150R “Rockster”

bob and john > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 06/10/2019 at 23:47

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I have that tattoo :D its been....4? years now. I keep forgetting I have it

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > bob and john 06/10/2019 at 23:52

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It’s going to be my first, and my trial run for if I want my right arm sleeve to get done. Apparently during a night where I had one too many...of everything.....I sketched out this crest made up of a shield and some tools and some gears and stuff and it looks just all kinds of badass. But I don’t want that to be my first so I need some simpler ones to test the waters lol.

Tripper > AestheticsInMotion 06/11/2019 at 08:42

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“Never felt slow, although I didn’t go past 4th gear.”

4th is all ya got anyway.

MeatSaber > AestheticsInMotion 06/11/2019 at 10:50

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Groms are a blast pretty much in that environment only. If you never need to go more than 35 mph they get very crappy very quickly. Take a look at the 796 monsters! They are wonderful bikes, sporty but manageable riding position and a healthy amount of power. The 796 was also the last of the air cooled monsters if I remember correctly. Good luck!