The Honda Grom is a totally rad little bike to have in your back pocket for daily riding around the city. I absolutely adored the 2020 model I tested last year, and with the visual and mechanical upgrades the bike has received for the 2022 model year sound extremely exciting. As you read this I’m currently on an airplane flying across the country to bomb around the streets of Alabama on the updated version.
The new Grom has brand new bodywork with a more urban streetfighter style. Honda says the engine is new, but didn’t provide any further details on that just yet. The Euro version is up a few fractions of a horsepower while meeting Euro5 regs, so I expect it to be the same as the one we get. The fuel tank is a little bigger, which is nice. The gearbox gets an extra gear, up to five from four, which helps increase the bike’s top speed from 54 to 59. Oh yeah, this is going to be good!
Honda has invited me to attend Barber Small Bore, an event specifically for mini motos, with all kinds of events for me to participate in from old-school gymkhana to drag racing and hill climbing. There will also be a small bore swap meet, which will be incredibly dangerous for my wallet.
This sounds like it’s going to be a very fun weekend, and any time spent with a Grom is time spent with a smile on your face. The two gripes I had about the 2020 model, namely the four-speed gearbox and the lack of a dash gear indicator, have been fixed for the 2022 model, so even if this is only marginally better than the bike it replaces, I’m pretty sure it’ll receive a glowing review from me. Obviously I’ll keep an open mind about it…
So anyway, what do you want to know about this bike? And while we’re at it, what do you want to know about the Barber Small Bore festival?