2022 Honda Grom Review

[Hugh Janus]

The throttle was pinned as I raced down Venice Boulevard with my chest on the gas tank and my chin jutting forward. With this purposeful, steely-eyed commitment to total performance, it took the length of seven blocks for the 2022 Honda Grom to reach 59 mph.

As I cross Los Angeles on this brilliant yellow pill of a motorcycle, launching from green lights and filtering at red lights, I experience a pure and simple joy. The Grom has been popular since its 2014 introduction, thanks to its easy handling, low price tag, and jaunty—one might even say welcoming—design. Now Honda has updated it in all the right ways, focusing on engine power, fuel efficiency, home maintenance, and ease of customization. The 2022 Grom suffers no increase to its $3,399 price tag, yet enjoys a great improvement to overall function and design.

The 2022 Grom remains the same beacon of good times that we fell in love with years ago, but now more capable than ever. (Jeff Allen/)

Ergonomics

At 6-foot-4, I never expected to fit on a Grom. Anyone who happens to catch a glimpse of me on the thing is practically obligated to toss off a Grape Ape or Shriners joke. But the freshly redone ergonomics make the little bike a joy to ride. The new seat is longer, more cushioned, and totally flat, still providing room for a passenger but allowing a solo rider to slide back on the seat more easily. The new seat sits atop a new subframe, one slightly smaller than before and now removable. Small jaunts around town and one-hour-long rides across Los Angeles were both surprisingly comfortable and easy.

Despite, or perhaps because of, its small size, the Grom is incredibly well suited for city riding and congested environments. (Jeff Allen/)

Approachability

For some reason, people wave and throw me a thumbs-up a lot more often when I’m on the $3,400 Grom than when I’m on a $21,000 Harley. It’s bright. It’s small. It would scream “Wheeeee!” from its exhaust pipe if it could. It’s unpretentious, and therefore by the transitive principle its rider is as well, authentic and approachable. You’re not trying to be a calloused biker on this machine, that’s its strength. You’re a rider who has left their ego and Buck knife at home in lieu of good times and bright colors. If you see someone riding a Grom, say hi; after all, you meet the nicest people on a Honda.

In the crowded side streets of Venice Beach, the Grom is the perfect tool for the job. (Jeff Allen/)

Engine Updates

And this year, it’s a slightly faster little Honda. In updating the engine, Honda wanted to make it more fuel efficient and more easily maintained at home. It achieves this, partially, with a removable oil filter, compared to past models where owners would just clean the oil spinner and screen. A larger airbox also increases intervals between maintenance, as Honda claims it will only need to be changed every 10,000 miles in “normal riding conditions.”

The engine now features a slightly longer stroke and smaller bore, as well as a compression ratio bump from 9.3:1 to 10.0:1, a recipe for torque and engine response. That comes despite a claim of lower fuel consumption on average and some pretty significant changes to the bike’s gearing.

The 2022 Grom now has a gear position indicator in the top right corner of its digital gauge. (Jeff Allen/)

Updated Gearbox

The Grom’s gearbox and final drive have been reworked with longer range in mind, adding a fifth gear and increasing the rear sprocket sizing from 34 to 38 teeth (the front remains unchanged at 15T). With newly adjusted sprocket gearing ratio the Honda feels quicker off the line, but the added fifth gear and the new wider spread of ratios in the gearbox let the Grom reach a higher top speed without over-revving the engine. In real-world testing, the new fifth gear served as more of an overdrive. Fourth gear is needed for any real acceleration, but once the bike gets up to speed, fifth gear is there to reduce the engine’s speed while cruising.

Still, run upon a steep hill and it’s back down to fourth gear, maybe even third, to make sure you don’t slow down too much. On level ground, with my admittedly above-average frame tucked in as much as I could, I was unable to reach 60 mph.

The most notable updates for the 2022 Grom happen inside the engine, with higher compression, new bore and stroke dimensions, and the addition of a fifth gear. (Jeff Allen/)

Suspension

At low and mid speeds, say up to about 45 mph, the suspension is perfectly adequate. But as you get toward the bike’s top speed it runs out of stroke much more quickly, transferring bigger bumps to the rider. Approaching any obstacles or potholes, I found myself standing, almost trying to bunny hop the bike to avoid them, as they were likely to overwhelm the soft suspension. There was no notable weight transfer on acceleration, but hard braking led to notable fork dive; moving back on the seat helped significantly.

Suspension components tend to be one of our first complaints on any budget-minded motorcycle, and they certainly were on previous Grom models. The simple fact is that good suspension is expensive. By leaving the same nonadjustable 31mm cartridge fork and a monoshock with preload adjustment only, Honda has left room for customers to improve these components in their own time and on their own dime. This keeps the price where it was and, as a side benefit, encourages the aftermarket that’s such a big part of Grom ownership.

Suspension and braking components on the Grom remained unchanged, keeping the MSRP the same as last year and leaving room for the aftermarket. (Jeff Allen/)

Braking

As with the suspension, the braking components remain unchanged on this third generation of Grom. The bike is of course light, so its dual-piston caliper grips the front 220mm rotor with plenty of strength and good feel at the lever. The rear single-piston caliper and 190mm rotor work just fine as well, easily bringing the Grom’s 228 pounds (weight measured full of gas, ready to ride) to a halt.

Models equipped with ABS now come with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and linked braking; our test unit was the $200-cheaper base model.

Ergonomic revisions to the Grom include a more cushioned seat that replaces the earlier contoured shape with a long, flat one. (Jeff Allen/)

Fuel Economy

In two weeks of testing I used the Grom almost daily, and I was about as heavy-handed with the throttle as possible. In that time I averaged just over 103 mpg, not quite the 155 mpg that Honda estimated. But seriously, with a near-200-pound rider wringing this little bike’s neck all day, 103 is nothing to sneeze at.

To more easily accommodate aftermarket mufflers, the Grom’s exhaust system is now two pieces. (Jeff Allen/)

Easier Customization

Honda designed the Grom’s four bodywork panels to unbolt quickly and easily for modification. Lay down some newspaper, spray ‘em with that easy-peel rubberized paint, and you can change the whole look of your bike in a couple of hours. The low overall price tag, plastic panels, and ease in swapping those panels takes the intimidation out of modification. And if you mess something up, it’s not the end of the world; the panels are much cheaper than a whole metal gas tank. I want to paint it pink and have the seat upholstered in a Hawaiian shirt pattern, but that’s just me.

Things that would seem reckless on a larger motorcycle are just playful fun on the Grom. (Jeff Allen/)

Fun Machine

When assaulting the narrow alleys and one-way streets of Venice Beach, the Grom proved to be the perfect tool for the job. It’s lightweight, it’s nimble, and its size has more to offer than easy handling. Navigating through and around traffic, even hopping the occasional curb if the situation calls for it, the Grom’s playful nature shaves the edges off of things that might seem reckless on a larger motorcycle. There’s a reason so many people learn to stunt on these wicked little machines.

And so the Grom continues to improve, staying at the top of its class despite competitive offerings from Kymco, Kawasaki, Benelli, and others. It’s more fun for less money than just about any other major production motorcycle, and it’s been improved in all the right ways. Approachable pricing remains, ergonomics are improved, changes in sprocket sizing and gearbox spacing help with acceleration and fuel economy, and home customization is now easier than ever. Honda has once again demonstrated its ability to recognize and meet customer needs without losing sight of what’s made us love the Grom since its inception.

2022 Honda Grom Specifications

MSRP:	$3,399 (base)
Engine:	SOHC, air-cooled single; 2 valves/cyl.
Displacement:	124cc
Bore x Stroke:	50.0 x 63.1mm
Compression Ratio:	10.0:1
Transmission/Final Drive:	5-speed/chain
Claimed Horsepower:	9.7 hp @ 7,000 rpm
Claimed Torque:	7.7 lb.-ft. @ 5,500 rpm
Fuel System:	PGM-FI
Clutch:	Wet
Engine Management/Ignition:	Electronic
Frame:	Steel mono-backbone
Front Suspension:	31mm telescopic fork; 3.9 in. travel
Rear Suspension:	Single shock; 4.1 in. travel
Front Brake:	2-piston caliper, 220mm disc
Rear Brake:	1-piston caliper, 190mm disc
Wheels, Front/Rear:	10-spoke cast wheels; 12 in.
Tires, Front/Rear:	120/70-12 / 130/70-12
Rake/Trail:	25.0°/3.3 in.
Wheelbase:	47.2 in.
Ground Clearance:	7.0 in.
Seat Height:	30.0 in.
Fuel Capacity:	1.6 gal.
Measured Wet Weight:	228 lb. (non-ABS)
Availability:	Now
Contact:	powersports.honda.com

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