– Honda Grom 125 Ride Review / Performance Parts Overview + More! –
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- 2017 Honda Grom Review of Specs & Changes – Click Here
- Custom 2017 Honda Grom Pictures / Photo Gallery – Click Here
I told myself I wasn’t going to modify my Honda Grom “too” much when I bought it. I was only going to throw an exhaust on it and that’d be it. I didn’t want to sink a ton of money $$ in to it so that way I wouldn’t be too afraid to drop it in fear of scratching it etc. I wanted to still be able to treat it like a toy and ride it hard having fun with friends and if I scratched it “oh well”. Well… That didn’t last long! Haha. It wasn’t a couple days after my Grom came in that the parts list started to get longer and longer (continuing after parts list).
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- DynoJet Power Commander 5
- DynoJet Quick Shifter
- FMF Factory 4.1 Full Exhaust / Carbon End Cap
- Chimera Intake
- Sprint Air Filter
- EBC Front Oversized Brake / Rotor Kit
- Galfer Rear Wave Rotor
- Galfer Stainless Steel Brake Lines
- Michelin Pure SC Dual-Compound Tires | Rear 130/70-12 | Front 120/70-12 (link for rear)
- Michelin Pure SC Dual-Compound Tires | Rear 130/70-12 | Front 120/70-12 (link for front)
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- TripageLED Integrated Tailight
- LED Flushmount Turn Signals
- Wheel / Rim Tape
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- MSX Red Tail Pieces (not available on USA models)
- MSX Headlight
Below is a short walkaround video of my Honda Grom with all of the current parts installed. If you’re looking for an exhaust soundclip video of the FMF exhaust on the Honda Grom, I made it a point to do a few revs in the video to give you an idea. The audio quality isn’t the best but it was done with a Nikon D3200 compared to most with cell phones etc.
(continuation from above)
I was able to resist the urge to buy all kinds of cosmetic parts for the Grom though because of what I mentioned above. I didn’t want to be scared at the idea of if being thrown down while parking lot “racing” my friends, stoppies, wheelies, etc. It’s been an every day fight though as there are some awesome carbon fiber parts that look ohhhh so good but I MUST RESIST THE URGE… MUST! That is, unless I ever break down and buy a 2nd Grom so I can build one as a “look pretty” Grom and the other to abuse haha.
- Honda Grom VS Kawasaki Z125 Race Video – Click Here
- Honda Grom VS Kawasaki Z125 Horsepower Comparison | Dyno Video – Click Here
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 10,000 times since Honda released the first promotional Grom video back in May of 2013 – “Everybody needs a Grom in their life!”. After getting about 5 seconds through that video, I paused it and said to everyone here at our dealership “I want one, I’ve got dibs on the first Grom shipment!“. Nobody believed me on how I thought this would be the hottest selling Honda in decades. They couldn’t understand how or why a 125 cc motorcycle would be something that the average person would want. I told them “Just wait and you’ll see…” Needless to say, I was right. Hours after the promotional video went public the phones were ringing and deposits were rolling in. We’ve been a Honda PowerSports Dealership for 53 years now here at Honda of Chattanooga and have never seen anything stir up the attention like the Grom was. Fast forward and now we are in May of 2015 and the Grom is still a crazy hit in our part of the TN / GA / AL area as I stay booked up months in advance with deposits even to this day and the bikes have been our 2 years now in the USA.
“What do I think about owning the Grom?” Is the #1 question I’m asked on a daily basis by customers when they find out I own one. Most seem to be stumped by the fact that I own a CBR and wonder why would I would want a Grom… The simple answer always comes back to FUN. If you think the Grom is a mini sport bike that will do 70-80+ MPH bone stock, you’re barking up the wrong tree and will be sadly disappointed. On a good day (stock) my Grom was lucky to click off 60 MPH unless of course I was drafting or had a back-wind going down a hill etc. If you’re realistic in its speed capabilities then you will be fine with its performance straight out of the box. If you’re like a lot of us though… Stock isn’t good enough haha and modding is one of the most fun parts of owning a bike. I’ve modded a lot of bikes over the years and by a long shot the Grom has been the most fun to throw money at.
Am I still happy with my purchase of the Grom? Oh yes! I can’t think of any other toy that will deliver the amount of fun the Grom does at only $3,199 or less. Sure, you can buy faster bikes for the same or less money but that’s not what I’m talking about.
Any aftermarket parts / modifications on the Grom that I regret? Hmm… Thankfully, I can say no at this time and be honest. All of my mods have lasted without failing and performed better than their stock counterparts. To be an “old tech” engine on the Grom / MSX it responds well to small mods. One single performance mod isn’t going to show major gains on your Groms top speed but each little thing helps. For example, each performance part on my Grom allowed me to gain 2-3 MPH and eventually bumped my current top speed aboard the Grom up to 73 MPH. The 73 MPH mark on the Grom is hitting the Rev limiter with stock gearing / stock sprockets. I also have the rev limiter raised 500 RPM thanks to the DynoJet Power Commander 5 (PC5) for the Grom.
What’s the best part of owning a Grom? By a mile, the best part of owning a Grom is when you can convince your buddies to buy them too! If you thought the Grom was fun by yourself – You have no idea how fun they are till you get a few of them together. We usually have 8-9+ if not more Groms come out on our rides and nothing is more fun than racing around parking lots, stunting, drafting down the Hwy etc etc as the list goes on and on. My ribs are always hurting at the end of the day from laughing so hard at all of the shenanigans haha.
What does the Honda Grom cost of ownership look like? It doesn’t matter if you run the cheap gas (87 octane) or the expensive (93 octane) through her veins it will barely cost you $5 bucks. I still average 100+ MPG, even with my Grom having a few performance mods and being wide open 99% of the time. Saying the Grom sips gas would be a serious understatement. Oil changes on the Grom are simple and super cheap as it doesn’t even hold a quart of oil. What’s even better? There is no oil filter so oil changes are super cheap and can be done in minutes with no need to remove anything but a drain plug. Tires on the Grom? I put Michelin Power Pure SC tires (dual compound) on mine before she hit 100 miles on the odometer and after almost 2 years they still look new! In stock sizes they are the stickiest tires you can buy for the Grom and will only set you back about $100 to your door for a set. Pair all of that up with insurance being super cheap and you’ve got a motorcycle that cost next to nothing to maintain and it’s a Honda which means it will last for many many years!
A little bit of the shenanigans on video of one of our last Grom rides. Nothing special but a little bit of Honda Grom stunt / wheelie action with a circle burnout and 180 stoppie etc.
Want to see more Honda Grom stunt pictures / videos? Check out our last Grom group ride.
Original Grom Review Blog post I made in August of 2013 after I first purchased the Grom and put a few miles on it:
“When Honda first announced they were bringing the MSX125 to the USA as the 2014 Honda Grom, I knew right away I had to have one. I’ve been trying to find a Honda ZB50 for years, the only thing that bothered me about getting a ZB50 is that I would want to ride it and those little gems are like gold mines these days. The Grom to me is basically an updated ZB50 with newer and better technology etc.
After waiting month after month for the Grom, at some points I started to think to myself “Is this thing really going to be worth the wait?” and I really started to doubt this $2,999 (original MSRP, then increased to $3,199) decision for what is basically a toy. Thankfully, I never talked myself out of buying the Grom. Read More of original Review by Clicking Here…
What’s your opinion on the Honda Grom? Had a chance to ride one or own one too? Is it crazy that a 125 cc mini / pit bike has so much hype behind it? Post up what you think about the Hottest selling Honda motorcycle in years. . .
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