2014 Grom Ride Review After Riding a Few Miles / Grom / MSX1

  • Thread starter Honda of Chattanooga
  • Start date
H

Honda of Chattanooga

Member
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iTArqevyIho/Uh4RZZQe2LI/AAAAAAAADT8/p63dAPk-nwM/s1600/2014_grom_review_ride_honda_of_chattanooga_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2014 Honda Grom Review Ride Opinion Video Grom Sale Price In Stock Honda of Chattanooga" border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iTArqevyIho/Uh4RZZQe2LI/AAAAAAAADT8/p63dAPk-nwM/s400/2014_grom_review_ride_honda_of_chattanooga_2.jpg" title="2014 Honda Grom Ride Review Opinion / Honda of Chattanooga TN PowerSports" width="400" /></a></div><br />My 2014 Grom Ride Review / Opinions after logging a few miles... <i>Have you put a few miles on your Grom / MSX125? If so post up your thoughts and opinions below in the comments section.&nbsp;</i><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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 decision for what is basically a toy. Thankfully, I never talked myself out of buying the Grom...<br /><br /><br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><br />I got to take it home last week and in that time I haven't got to put as many miles as I would've liked but I have still had an absolute blast on it! So far I haven't really got to "peg" it out yet to find out what the Grom's top speed is with my heavy 6'2 / 220lb butt. I did however get it up to 65mph with a slight tuck on a very minor downhill slope. I'm curious to see how the engine handles a few more miles as a lot of Grom owners are experiencing slightly higher speeds as the miles accumulate.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tA7T3LY1H2Y/Uh4RrOfgjfI/AAAAAAAADUE/rYXRFJk35Lc/s1600/2014_grom_review_ride_honda_of_chattanooga_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tA7T3LY1H2Y/Uh4RrOfgjfI/AAAAAAAADUE/rYXRFJk35Lc/s320/2014_grom_review_ride_honda_of_chattanooga_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The transmission shifts like a typical Honda transmission, like butter! At first I was a little worried as it felt clunky when I put the first few miles on it but after I put about 20-30 miles on it the tranny really seemed to settle in and has been great.<br /><br />I haven't rode any long distances yet but (knock on wood) the seat hasn't really bothered me as far as being hard or stiff etc. I've seen a few people mention the "hard" seat on the Grom forums, maybe my butt is just broken in from riding on CBR seats for so many years that might as well be a piece of 2x4 wood haha.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wB515JZVfqY/Uh4XhSUjXZI/AAAAAAAADUk/AHv1sh_7HoU/s1600/2014_honda_grom_custom_aftermarket_parts_honda_of_chattanooga_.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wB515JZVfqY/Uh4XhSUjXZI/AAAAAAAADUk/AHv1sh_7HoU/s320/2014_honda_grom_custom_aftermarket_parts_honda_of_chattanooga_.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what I dream about at night...</td></tr></tbody></table><br />It really is amazing how much attention this little bike gets. Just about every time I stop, I have someone asking me "what is that?". The one thing I've noticed though over the last few days is that every single person that stops to look at the bike and or sit on it has a huge smile on their face. I think that proves Honda has really hit a home run! Now if only Honda will either speed up production on the Grom or kick production back into gear on these and get some out to us Honda Dealers so we can fill our 2014 Grom orders before the end of 2013.<br /><br />I stopped by Sonic yesterday during happy hour to grab my usual slushy and it wasn't 10 minutes later I already had two people hit me up about the Grom haha. Both of them we're asking what it was and if they could sit on it. I'll have to say, everyone that looks at it or sits on it has nothing but a huge grin on their face which is awesome! That is what motorcycling should be about - having fun... Not caring about what other people think or thinking that you need the fastest and baddest bike with 200+ hp etc. Of course having a bike with a lot of horsepower is fun too, not knocking that by any means.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oZAD8LNaU3c/Uh4RT5_dXQI/AAAAAAAADT0/ot0wAhFgZX8/s1600/2014_grom_review_ride_honda_of_chattanooga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2014 Honda Grom Review Ride Opinion Video Grom Sale Price In Stock Honda of Chattanooga" border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oZAD8LNaU3c/Uh4RT5_dXQI/AAAAAAAADT0/ot0wAhFgZX8/s320/2014_grom_review_ride_honda_of_chattanooga.jpg" title="2014 Grom Review Ride Opinion / Honda of Chattanooga TN PowerSports Dealer" width="320" /></a></div><br />I've got a set of Michelin Pilot Power Pure SC tires in the OEM sizes (Front 120/70-12 & Rear 130/70-12) that I'm going to have mounted in the next day or two. Once I get them scrubbed in and get a feel for them I'll post up my opinion / review of the Michelin Pure SC tires on the Grom. Until then the factory tires seem to work just fine and I'd say for 90% of people on the Grom the stock tires will be more than enough. I was going to throw them on before I put a mile on the Grom but I wanted to mess around and do a few hooligan antics on the stock tires with a few burnouts and slides before I put the good tires on.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quick "Walkaround" Video of my 2014 Grom</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/0pZQnE-wY5Y/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0pZQnE-wY5Y?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0pZQnE-wY5Y?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><br />Would I buy the Grom again? Yup, I would definitely do it all over again! I have lost a lot of the "fun" in riding over the years, you can only have so much fun riding ridiculously fast sport bikes. Usually the word fun on a sport bike involves break neck speeds and if you were to pass a cop the odds are you're going to jail and the odds aren't in your favor if you were to hit the ground at those speeds on the mtn. I converted my CBR600RR to a track bike a little over a year ago shortly after my first son was born and the itch never left me when it came to wanting something to satisfy my need or should I say want to ride on the street. On the Grom I don't have to be doing ridiculous speeds on the mtn to have fun. The old saying is spot on "It's more fun to ride a slow bike fast, than it is to ride a fast bike slow".<br /><br />I've been fighting myself not to go crazy on aftermarket mods yet for my Grom but day by day it is getting progressively more and more difficult... A lot of major players in the aftermarket industry are still working on their product line for the Grom so that is why I'm trying to wait a bit longer, I'd hate to spend $5-600 on an exhaust just to find out a week later some other company released something so sexy that I've got to have it. The upside to waiting though, or at least that's why I keep telling myself to help with the wait is that the big players in the FI tuning world are still working on a Fuel Programmer for the Grom. We won't really be able to tweak out that last tenth of a horsepower on our Grom's and MSX125's until they release something that we can reliably tune them with.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PDISk4sKnYU/Uh4XP1AMSsI/AAAAAAAADUc/DjULQOy4_fs/s1600/2014_grom_msx125_custom_seat_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PDISk4sKnYU/Uh4XP1AMSsI/AAAAAAAADUc/DjULQOy4_fs/s320/2014_grom_msx125_custom_seat_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I'm glad I did wait on the seat cowl I was going to order for mine as I found out after riding it that I sometimes stretch out and sit pretty far back on the seat, I wouldn't be able to do that with the seat cowls currently on the market. I believe I may go with a custom seat (pictured above & below) for the Grom though. That way I can have the "custom" look and clean up the rear a bit while still being able to slide back a bit and get comfortable.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ywjsyW7lcq0/Uh4XCDb7zUI/AAAAAAAADUU/R3jZpKVloQA/s1600/2014_grom_msx125_custom_seat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ywjsyW7lcq0/Uh4XCDb7zUI/AAAAAAAADUU/R3jZpKVloQA/s320/2014_grom_msx125_custom_seat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm just not 100% sure I'm sold on spending $200 for the seat without sitting on it... I could go on and on about my Grom and my opinions of it after logging a few miles but I'll save you guys from an even longer novel haha. I'm going to charge up my GoPro's and get some video action so I have some video's to post up with my opinions as well after I click off a few more miles. Until then, all of you with your Grom's out there, ride safe!&nbsp;</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out our 2014 Grom page set aside for Grom News / Updates and more with aftermarket mod options like exhausts, big bore kits, tire options etc for your new Grom / MSX125. <a href="http://www.hondaofchattanoogablog.com/p/2014-grom-msx125-sale-chattanooga-tn.html#.Uh4QZdKsiSo" target="_blank">Click Here - Grom Page.</a></span><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJp_2QBrGaQ/UZus2gVZTHI/AAAAAAAACJs/jxsYqEgTeWE/s1600/2014+honda+grom+pre+order+sale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJp_2QBrGaQ/UZus2gVZTHI/AAAAAAAACJs/jxsYqEgTeWE/s400/2014+honda+grom+pre+order+sale.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interested in placing a deposit to Pre-Order a 2014 Grom? I can save you money with our 2014 Grom Pre-Order Sale Price! <a href="http://www.hondaofchattanoogablog.com/2013/05/2014-Honda-Grom-SALE-Price-Honda-of-Chattanooga-TN-Wholesale-Prices-MSX125-Monkey-Bike-SAle-2014-Grom-Release-Date.html#.Uh4cQNKsiSo" target="_blank">Click Here - 2014 Grom Pre-Order SALE Page.</a></span><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jsdAGfR_g50/UZu1d9dfKdI/AAAAAAAACJ8/-5qlR3Q8MPw/s1600/Grom+Forum.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Honda Grom Forum / Honda MSX125 Forum for Grom Owners to check out Grom / MSX125 Performance Mods Gallery How To DIY Classifieds " border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jsdAGfR_g50/UZu1d9dfKdI/AAAAAAAACJ8/-5qlR3Q8MPw/s400/Grom+Forum.JPG" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking for the BEST 2014 Grom Forum / MSX125 Forum? Check out <a href="http://www.hondaofchattanoogablog.com/2013/05/2014-Honda-Grom-Owners-Forum-MSX125-Forum-Performance-Grom-exhausts-big-bore-kit-info-Grom-gallery-how-to-diy-honda-of-chattanooga.html#.Uh4cT9KsiSo" target="_blank">HondaGrom.net</a>! It is hands down the Best Grom forum on the internet, a lot of very knowledgeable and just flat out cool group of guys on there. So far we've already got members that have slapped on 150cc Big Bore Kits on their Grom / MSX125 with reviews on them and also a lot of Grom exhaust reviews from Yoshimura, Leo Vince and more! Make sure to head over to <a href="http://www.hondagrom.net/" target="_blank">HondaGrom.net</a> and check out the Best Grom Owner's Forum online.</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 15.199999809265137px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="border: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nstWzHjMOnY/UfAM5NDm9xI/AAAAAAAACzQ/2W4d284CBcw/s1600/likeusonfacebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #971500; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="100" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nstWzHjMOnY/UfAM5NDm9xI/AAAAAAAACzQ/2W4d284CBcw/s200/likeusonfacebook.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="200" /></span></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>We've got 2 ways for you to follow us on FaceBook</em>, you can "like" Honda of Chattanooga by clicking on the "Like Honda of Chattanooga" link below.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>CLICK</i></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">&nbsp;----->&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Honda-of-Chattanooga/81328853044" style="color: #971500; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: yellow;">"Like"</span>&nbsp;Honda of Chattanooga on FaceBook</a></div><div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Or you can "Friend" us on FaceBook by clicking on the "Friend Honda of Chattanooga" link below.</span></div><div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>CLICK</i></b>&nbsp;----->&nbsp;<a href="http://www.facebook.com/hondaofchattanooga" style="color: #971500; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: yellow;">"Friend"</span>&nbsp;Honda of Chattanooga on FaceBook</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #464646; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 15.199999809265137px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 15.199999809265137px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 15.199999809265137px;"><div style="border: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>Want the Lowest & Best 2014 Grom Prices around? Contact us at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hondaofchattanoogatn.com/" style="color: #971500; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Honda of Chattanooga</a></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ws4iGs1cdzE/UKepiSatTKI/AAAAAAAAAeU/mv_dbBXMRmY/s1600/hondaofchattanoogacopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #971500; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i><span style="color: black;"><img alt="2013 Honda of Chattanooga in Southern TN Wholesale Honda Dealer 2012 CRF250R 2013 CRF250R 2013 CRF450R" border="0" closure_uid_21622484="14" closure_uid_284689383="5" closure_uid_324522499="18" closure_uid_34992609="13" closure_uid_469390001="6" closure_uid_507359350="6" closure_uid_519341886="19" closure_uid_603173017="2" closure_uid_614013769="6" closure_uid_618367496="2" closure_uid_622429240="8" closure_uid_647942673="6" closure_uid_654684550="18" closure_uid_6s80vs="3" closure_uid_794701865="5" closure_uid_7on9x5="9" closure_uid_820515900="6" closure_uid_844577972="13" closure_uid_857472312="9" closure_uid_882533379="10" closure_uid_913328696="5" closure_uid_957215862="16" closure_uid_ay9m63="10" closure_uid_brmu6n="14" closure_uid_dluzck="5" closure_uid_f2tinb="21" closure_uid_is1t8f="8" closure_uid_jfvxfn="4" closure_uid_jj0f07="9" closure_uid_jombrw="13" closure_uid_kl8mp8="7" closure_uid_l7id5y="4" closure_uid_pq0pq8="44" closure_uid_ucdvt5="27" closure_uid_wj01mj="7" height="66" rea="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ws4iGs1cdzE/UKepiSatTKI/AAAAAAAAAeU/mv_dbBXMRmY/s200/hondaofchattanoogacopy.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" title="2013 Honda of Chattanooga in Southern TN Wholesale Honda Dealer" width="200" /></span></i></span></a></div><div style="border: medium none;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>Honda of Chattanooga - Taking care of your Honda Powersports needs with the Lowest & Best HONEST&nbsp;Prices since 1962!</i></span></div></div></div>
 

About us

  • Our community has been around for many years and pride ourselves on offering unbiased, critical discussion among people of all different backgrounds. We are working every day to make sure our community is one of the best.

User Menu

Buy us a beer!

  • Lots of time and money has gone into making sure the community is running the best software, best designs, and all the other bells and whistles. Care to buy us a beer? We'd really appreciate it!

    Beer Fund!

    Club Membership!