We get our first ride on the third-generation Honda Grom.
By Ryan Nitzen | Photography by Drew Ruiz
Urban Dictionary defines a grom as a young kid, usually, under the age of 15, that likes extreme sports, especially surfing or skateboarding. In essence, Grom is a category of fun-loving, carefree kids who cruise around town looking for the next adventure to sink their teeth into. Honda affectionately gave the “Grom” name to their flagship Minimoto model back in 2014, and it has since become the company’s best-selling street motorcycle. The Grom’s timing piggy-backed off the Ruckus, allowing it to ride a wave of popularity with consumers and thus creating a “car-culture” feel around the bike. Now on its third generation, the last significant changes coming in 2017, we recently got the chance to ride the updated 2022 model.
2022 Honda Grom Review | What’s New?
For ’22, the Grom gets several revisions aimed at maintaining its position as a small, user-friendly bike. The engine is still the easy-to-ride 125cc fuel-injected platform used in the Monkey, Super Cub and Trail 125 but now features a five-speed transmission (as opposed to a four-speed), wider gear ratios and a higher compression ratio. The rear sprocket now has four more teeth, going from 34T to 38T, for better acceleration. A replaceable oil filter was added for simplified maintenance, and a redesigned two-piece exhaust system makes it easier for those looking to add on some aftermarket goodies.
The Grom’s new styling is easy to spot, and it uses just three simple bolts to hold on the shrouds and airbox covers. Optional graphics from Throttle Jockey are also available for the new Grom; those will cost you an extra $125.
Up front, a new LCD display is met with a larger fuel tank (1.59 gallons versus 1.45) and a flatter seat design. It still runs a 31mm inverted fork, rolls on 12-inch wheels, and sports a seat height of 30 inches.
The Grom is available in four colors in three price tiers: $3399 for the yellow and black models, $3499 for the red, the white and the blue SP models, and $3599 for the blue ABS model.
Enough of the technical hoopla. Let’s get into the fun stuff; after all, that’s what the Grom is all about, right?
2022 Honda Grom Review | Taking It To The Streets
For our introduction, Honda planned a full day ride on all of the new Groms. We started at Steady Garage, the epicenter of West Coast Grom life. Picture the JDM tuner car scene, just with Groms. This place oozes that simplistic Japanese style and the crew there eats, sleeps, and breathes Minimoto culture. Their custom coolness set the tone for an incredible day in the So Cal mountains.
If you’re expecting to read about high performance and speed, you may want to quit here. This is not what the Grom is all about. Instead, it’s all about having fun, and this bike is about as fun as it gets. You can’t help but instantly crack a smile on the Grom the first time you open the throttle. We were already giggling out loud as the four other journalists and I disembarked from the shop and chased each other down Main Street. The crew headed for the hills, using all of the Grom’s five speeds. We opted for side streets because the Grom is not fast enough, nor is it intended, to be ridden on the freeways of California. We’re talking 60 miles per hour, tapped out, on a downhill, with a tailwind. You get the idea.
But through town, it proved to be a perfect commuter. It is small and nimble in traffic, and the versatile 125cc engine offers a friendly amount of power to get riders off the line and up to speed quickly. The new larger rear sprocket enables the engine to spool up right away, but first gear often ran out about halfway through a large intersection. With help from the new LCD display and gear indicator, we stuck to second gear and above as we made our way out of town and up the twisties of Glendora Mountain Road.
We really got a taste of this laughter-inducing little bike up in the hills. You can easily ride the Grom to its full potential, and the large footprint of the 12-inch wheels makes it a blast to lean over in the turns with confidence. The ultra-smooth power isn’t enough to be intimidating, and it comes on in a quiet, reliable fashion thanks to its well-tuned fuel-injection system. You can confidently nail the throttle and maintain control without fear of the bike ever getting away from you. Heck, if you’re an experienced rider, you’ll probably be looking for more power shortly into your ride, but that’s the fun of it. Think pit-bike fun but for the street. As we zipped up to the summit, it was easy to see why riders spend so much souping these things up. They’re simply so damn fun!
The flat seat, new styling, and upright handlebars offered a comfortable, neutral riding position for my 6’1” frame. Anyone under 6’4” will likely fit just fine on it, and the Grom also sports passenger pegs.
The ABS-equipped bike adds another level of simplicity and will certainly breed confidence for newer riders. Without it, we caught ourselves chirping the rear tire or sliding a bit during some off-road exploration. Shh, don’t mention that part to the Honda boys. Wink, wink. But seriously, these bikes are ultra-capable, and seeing some of them armed with knobby tires at Steady Garage got us thinking about how far they can really go.
Six grown adults riding in formation on these mini motorcycles must’ve been a sight to see for the passing cars. Our smiles and playful back-and-forth banter throughout the day reminded us why we started riding in the first place. The fun, freedom and camaraderie between friends are what it’s all about. This bike has found its niche and indeed taken on a life of its own, something Honda didn’t even see coming. The Grom serves as a great point of entry to the sport or as a way for you to have some more fun getting around town. It also reminds us not to judge a bike by its cover because sometimes big fun can come in small packages. CN
2022 Honda Grom Specifications
| MSRP: | $3399 (yellow, black) $3499 (red, white, blue, SP), $3599 (ABS) |
| Engine: | 4-stroke, 80º single |
| Displacement: | 123.9cc |
| Cooling system: | Air |
| Valvetrain: | SOHC, 2-valve |
| Bore x Stroke: | 50 x 63.1 mm |
| Compression Ratio: | 10.0:1 |
| Induction: | PGM-FI automatic fuel injection w/ 24mm bore |
| Ignition: | Full-transistorized |
| Starting system: | Electric |
| Driveline: | Chain, 15T/38T |
| Transmission: | 5-speed |
| Clutch: | Multiplate wet |
| Front Suspension: | 31mm telescopic inverted fork |
| Rear Suspension: | Single shock w/box-section steel swingarm |
| Front-Wheel Travel: | 4.3 in. |
| Rear-Wheel Travel: | 4.1 in. |
| Front Brake: | Single hydraulic 2-piston caliper w/220mm disc; ABS (optional) |
| Rear Brake: | Single hydraulic 1-piston caliper w/190mm disc; ABS (optional) |
| Front Tire: | 120/70-12 in. |
| Rear Tire: | 130/70-12 in. |
| Rake: | 25º |
| Trail: | 3.31 in. |
| Seat Height: | 30.0 in. |
| Ground Clearance: | 7.0 in. |
| Wheelbase: | 47.2 in. |
| Fuel Capacity: | 1.6 gal. |
| Weight (curb, claimed): | 231 lbs. (ABS) / 227 lbs. |
| Colors: | Candy Blue, Matte Black Metallic, Queen Bee Yellow; Pearl White (SP) |
Click here to read the 2022 Honda Grom Review in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
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