2020 · Naked Bike · Buyer's Guide
Big Fun In Miniature Form
The Grom is a real motorcycle shrunk to pocket size, and that's the whole trick. An air-cooled 125 cc single makes 10 hp and 8 lb-ft, feeds a 4-speed gearbox and has just 225 lb (102 kg) wet to move. The steel tube frame carries an upside-down fork and 12-inch wheels, and the seat sits 30.1 in (765 mm) off the ground. Too much weight and too tall a seat kill confidence on a naked bike: this one is the exact opposite. ABS is the only rider aid, and with this little power you won't miss the rest. A global scene of owners customizes these things endlessly. Small bike, huge following.
On the road it does what I expect from a small Honda, then surprises me with how much fun that is. With no fairing, the wind makes modest speeds feel fast, so you get your adrenaline long before your license is in danger. It ages well too: the engine is simple and reliable, running costs are low, service work is easy and the aftermarket is enormous. It's for new riders, city riders and experienced riders who want a toy. The caveat is plain: top speed is 64 mph (103 km/h) and the tank holds 1.5 gal (5.7 L). The highway isn't its home.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 10 hp (7 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 8 lb-ft (10 Nm) |
| Displacement | 125 cc |
| Engine | Single-cylinder |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Gearbox | 4-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front tire | 120/70-12 |
| Rear tire | 130/70-12 |
| Wheelbase | 47.2 in (1200 mm) |
| Seat height | 30.1 in (765 mm) |
| Wet weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 1.5 gal (5.7 L) |
| Top speed | 64 mph (103 km/h) |
Equipment check
Safety
I've spent years listening to riders: in the paddock, at club nights, in owner chats, and in the emails and messages that land in my inbox. For the Grom, the picture is consistent. Riders love how it handles and how much fun it is, and they're just as blunt about its lack of speed on fast roads.
The two things riders bring up most are agility and laughter. They consistently describe a bike that flicks into corners with no effort, and they call it a master of tight city streets and twisty lanes. The fun follows close behind: owners credit the tiny size, the low weight and a willing engine, and they talk about backroads ridden at full throttle while still at legal speeds. Some also praise the single front disc, which they say stops hard for a 125 and gives good feel and modulation. Giggle-fest is their word.
New riders come up again and again. Owners point to the forgiving clutch, the low seat and power that never intimidates, and call it a confidence-building first bike. Fuel economy is the other recurring theme: riders report frugal consumption and small annual service bills, and count it among the cheapest bikes to run. Then there's the scene. Active online communities swap ideas on everything from big-bore kits to cosmetic mods. Endless is the word owners use.
The most repeated complaint is pace on fast roads. Riders say it struggles to hold highway speeds, and some call it dangerously underpowered there. The other gripes come up less often. Riders over 6 ft (183 cm) report knees hitting the bars at full lock and limited legroom on longer rides, even though they find it roomy for its size. Some owners describe the rear brake as stiff and short on bite and feel, needing more effort than the front. And a few miss underseat storage, pointing out that many scooters have it. Zero enclosed space.
Where this Honda MSX125 Grom pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Top speed
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the MSX125 Grom is actually built for.
For the city commute and the hangout at the top of the ridge, it's a great fit: easy, cheap, good-looking and a conversation starter. Just know that 64 mph (103 km/h) is all it has on faster roads.
Made for Bay Area Ridge Roads · San Francisco / Bay Area · Skyline Boulevard / Alice's Restaurant
Honest answer: as your only bike, no. 10 hp won't deliver the pace you're after. As a second bike for tight roads it teaches you to carry corner speed, and you'll laugh the whole way.
Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail / US 191 · Highway 1 / Big Sur
If technique matters more than speed, this is your bike in the tight stuff: light, agile, forgiving. Getting there is the problem: 64 mph (103 km/h) flat out and a 1.5 gal (5.7 L) tank.
Made for Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2013–2016
City Gremlin You Can't Ignore
Compare to the previous model →If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Honda MSX125 Grom. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Competitor · 2024
The City Skateboard Goes Electric
Roughly $3,100 pricier used than this bike at 2 yr
Competitor · 2019–2026
Kawasaki's Smallest City Knife
~$300 cheaper used than this bike at 4 yr
Same Platform · 2023–2026
Sixty Years, Zero Pretense
About the same used price as this bike at 1 yr