Grom review. OF MANY GROMS

"bob and john" (bobandjohn) 10/20/2015 at 18:30 • Filed to: None

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So, first off a little back ground. I work as a motorcycle instructor in canada. In our fleet, we have mainly honda motorcycles. One of these bikes is the AWESOME Honda grom.

for those unfamiliar, here is the cute little guy

No, its not a full sized motorcycle. Its got 12 inch wheels! Powered by a 125CC single cylinder, a FOUR speed gear box, and 225lbs of fury, this little guy is...small.

We love them as learning bikes because they are small, slow, easy to chuck around, light weight, and dead reliable. They are also cute, which helps with some of your students who think all bikes have the ability to hit 180 MPH in under 30 seconds. (pro tip: they dont)

SO, back to the grom. Why do we love this little guy as a learners bike?

1: Its weak. Its put down less then 10 hp (8.9 according to cycle world). that 125CC single cylinder quietly chugging away under you as your rolling around. The grom might hit 65. Down a hill. with a tail wind.

2: Its light. its only 225 LBS. and whats will all of the legal and emissions stuff on it. I’m thinking with a little bit of money and some new parts, you could get this little guy to 200lbs.

3; its very robust. Its a small Honda. whats Honda known for? this little guy will keep running until the the cows come home. and since its so small, if you drop it, it doesn’t have far to go and wont break so much stuff when it meets the ground.

4: its cute! I know this may seem a little weird, but bear with me here. When some people are getting into the sport, they think that all of the bikes are either 700lbs+ cruisers or super sports that will do 170 mph. news flash, they aren’t. So the little groms cute-ness factor helps people get over that false idea and help them realize: hey, there is a bike out there that isn’t scarey! The confidence booster is big with this one.

Honestly, I could go on for pages about why this is a good learners bike. But, I had one for a week as my daily rider. How does the little gromulet stack up then?

Pictured: my dads 2010 BMW F800R, my 09 SV650S, and the grom.

What draw backs are there with the bike? well, first and foremost: power. yes, its a 125 and if you live in the city and dont leave the sub-burbs, its a fine and dandy machine.
However....with only four gears, its really only good for speeds up to 50mph. you CAN get it to 60. but it takes a while. I maxed it out at 70 (down a hill) and believe me...that bike wanted to be anywhere BUT doing 70mph.

So, how can you solve this? frankly, I’d figure out who to swap in a CBR250 engine and trans. ARE YOU LISTENING HONDA?! or at least a 6 speed.

Other notes: it handles off-road quiet well (I found a small gravel foot path...fun! but I really need to re-learn how to ride dirt.)

The suspension sucks. too soft. Especially in the rear. This could be stemming from the fact that I am used to the track-ready weapons mounted on the SV, it its something that I would look into.

Also, the seat. its quite uncomfortable. good for about an hour or so, but then it starts to hurt. this is also something I would change. Corbin apparently makes a decent seat.

The attention i got on this little thing was amazing too. My (relatively) big, brash, loud and flashy SV, with its rumbly V-twin note would OCCASIONALLY turn heads if I dropped a gear or two to pass a bus or something. The grom? everyone was pointing at it. They were interested in it. Is it legal? how fast is it? how much is it? who makes it? Are you over compensating for a overly larg-*gets cut off by the editor*. Its is not a bike for shy people.

I have to admit it wasn’t quiet as cheap to run as I would have hoped. On 5$ of gas, i was getting 130-160km. so about 100mpg, give or take. while it IS very good (amazing actually, considering I was flat out everywhere)
I was expecting more for some reason. Oh well.

thinking about it, the ones that Honda provided at the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! they put on during the summer had a pipe, intake, tune, and harder shocks. Definitely woke it up a little bit.

Any questions? Feel free to ask them!

(yes, they can two up...no I dont recommend it)

(one of the bikes at work :D)

chaozbandit > bob and john 10/20/2015 at 18:51

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ITS. SO. CUUUUUUUTE.

Too bad I’m probably too big for it :(

bob and john > chaozbandit 10/20/2015 at 18:56

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everyone is too big for it LOL. we actually try and see about geftting the biggest dude we can on it during classes. its fine for everyone, you just got to realize its not a freeway motorcycle

shop-teacher > bob and john 10/20/2015 at 18:57

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I’ve never owned a bike, but if they make the Scrambler concept version of the Grom, I will no longer be able to resist. I will have to buy one. I will look RIDICULOUS on it. I don’t care.

bob and john > shop-teacher 10/20/2015 at 18:59

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what the hell makes you think i looked fine?

also, you can make your own scrambler. knobbies and a different exhaust. i loved it.

chaozbandit > bob and john 10/20/2015 at 19:05

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True; how well does it handle varying road surfaces? i.e. uneven or potholed roads, because Toronto.

bob and john > chaozbandit 10/20/2015 at 19:08

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This had something to do with he springs being too soft, , forgot to mention it. I took it down to leslie and lakeshore a few times. it wasnt BAD per say... but if you found a relatively deep hole, then it WOULD send tht impact straight up your ass. def needs some suspension work. and you have to pay a little more attention because tiny tires.
but 1/2 the fun is in the weaving and bobing aorund anyways, so eh.

Justin Hughes > bob and john 10/20/2015 at 19:10

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I have to say, with the videos and reviews I’ve read about it, I’m tempted, as a commuter bike as well as screwing around and general shenanigans. I’ve got my PC800 for the highway and longer trips, and the Grom would NOT replace it.

bob and john > Justin Hughes 10/20/2015 at 19:15

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thats exactly what I would use mine for. Just general dicking around. soo much fun.

desertdog5051 > bob and john 10/20/2015 at 20:26

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Perfect bike for traveling the Alaska Highway. Oh wait, you already did that story. Nevermind.

bob and john > desertdog5051 10/20/2015 at 21:43

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LOL. which one was that? I only did the bad beginners series LOL

desertdog5051 > bob and john 10/20/2015 at 23:04

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Maybe I was wrong. I read an article about that and I thought it was you.

It was an interesting story.

Sorry.

bob and john > desertdog5051 10/20/2015 at 23:14

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Have I really gotten to the level where you confuse my posts for legit articles?

awww shucks man.

desertdog5051 > bob and john 10/20/2015 at 23:19

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You made it, Peter. Congrats.

And BTW, you and I share the same first name. (assuming that is your real name)

bob and john > desertdog5051 10/20/2015 at 23:21

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Yep. anyone in with a middle name alexander? same there XD

last name i can GUARENTEE you no one you know has my last name XD

desertdog5051 > bob and john 10/20/2015 at 23:26

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My middle starts with an A as well. Just not as “great”.

I agree with the last name. It would be tough to find someone with the name SV Wrangler. :)

bob and john > desertdog5051 10/20/2015 at 23:26

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lol, my Last negru is “negru” (no joke...funny enough, it DOES actually mean black in my home language LOL)

desertdog5051 > bob and john 10/20/2015 at 23:40

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I know a person with the last name of Blanco and another with Plata. White and silver. What is your home language?

bob and john > desertdog5051 10/20/2015 at 23:49

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Romanian. Dracula country XD

BaconSandwich is tasty. > bob and john 10/20/2015 at 23:51

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How much does a Grom cost up here in Canada?

bob and john > BaconSandwich is tasty. 10/20/2015 at 23:54

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hondas site lists it for 3400 CAD.

TFen > bob and john 10/21/2015 at 05:38

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Learning Curves?

bob and john > TFen 10/21/2015 at 11:08

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yea, how did you know?

BaconSandwich is tasty. > bob and john 10/21/2015 at 16:53

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Not bad!