User Panel
Those little bikes can be a riot, I have a z125 and it's a hoot. I've even raced it at the track
I also have several other really fast bikes, I can't imagine just having a baby bike. |
|
Quoted: Saw a 'kid' leaving the local Community College about a mile from my house on a Grom. Followed him toward home and then laughed my @ss of as he hit the steep hill around the corner, his speed rapidly diminished to Warp -10 and he had to foot paddle to get it up the hill. I hate those goofy little POS's. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Why not just buy a grom if you want to look like a weirdo who makes poor life choices? Saw a 'kid' leaving the local Community College about a mile from my house on a Grom. Followed him toward home and then laughed my @ss of as he hit the steep hill around the corner, his speed rapidly diminished to Warp -10 and he had to foot paddle to get it up the hill. I hate those goofy little POS's. Projecting your hate because you can't ride and making up a story that didn't happen are not positive traits |
|
|
I've been wanting one but mainly for when I go to the track, much easier to get around on a small moto then walking or driving.
|
|
Quoted: I have one and it's AWESOME !!! It's not about going fast, it's about enjoying the ride! People always look and ask questions at stop lights/gas stop too and apparently it's a chick magnet as well or at least for me it is lol. https://i.imgur.com/UF1eR06.jpg https://i.imgur.com/W0YSwBv.jpg https://i.imgur.com/JwUyT5K.jpg View Quote @MNRidesHonda you put Ohlins on a Monkey? |
|
Grom’s have a strong following and people have a blast on them. The Monkey is just the retro version of it. It the world of motorcycling it would be great fun as a second bike, or in your case strictly as a commuter. There’s some great video’s on YT of people with their Grom’s at the TOTD and other twistie spots and they are kicking it! I think both of these fall into the ruckus craze, where there are a ton of inexpensive parts, tons of mods and tons of fun. Not my cp of tea, but if it’s got two wheels I’m all for it
|
|
|
|
|
I had a gold mini trail 50 in my early teens and now I would like to have a Monkey. The problem with any small bike on the street is that it lacks enough ass to get you out of trouble quickly if needed. I still want one though.
|
|
I think it's cool they are making these smaller bikes again. They help get people into riding. Good college town get arounders. They are good bikes to put on the back of your motor home or trailer, for camping bikes. But at $4000 they aren't cheap for entry level/college kid folks. That said, there's eventually a used market that is more affordable.
I think the new E bikes may be the up coming thing though. If they can keep an entry level price, say in the 2K range. Not sure what they go for now, as I haven't looked. There's always a market for cheap transportation. |
|
|
Quoted: This is why riding a motorcycle borders on insane around here. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes |
|
|
There’s someone around here with a red Monkey. It would be at the extreme low end of what I’d ride here because of the speed limits and shifty drivers. I have no real use for one, but I still want one. If I lived somewhere with a little more sedate traffic and driving, I’d have one.
I’ve yelled, “Monkey!” more than once seeing the dude out on his. They give me a goofy smile every time I see one. |
|
always wanted to travel thousands of miles on a smallish bike...
this guy rode across canada on a moped https://mopedtrip.com/ |
|
My wife bought a Honda PCX150 scooter about 6 years ago.
It's very difficult to save money buying buying a commuter bike. Yeah, 70mpg is a lot more that 25mpg, but you have to ride it a lot for it to add up to a significant about of money. Then you have to consider insurance cost and only getting a few thousand miles out of tires. |
|
You guys need to watch Ed March’s videos of him riding his C90 around the world. It’s like one continuous Top Gear special
Riding a C90 through India Warning: field full of Indians shitting in this video,not graphic and from a distance but you can certainly tell it’s a designated shitting field. |
|
Quoted: Monkeys / Groms are for the "My wife doesnt want me to ride a dangerous motorcycle so i got a kids toy crowd" problem is it is all of the risk without the guts to get out of the way. and you sit low so visibility will be crap. Dump the same 3k into a nicely used japanese 250 dual sport. ride it for a year and see what you like. View Quote Bingo. |
|
Quoted: They are a blast. The mods list that you can do is crazy. If I didn’t have 7 bikes I’d buy one in a second. The guys in Europe make them more offroadish and do group camping tours all the time. This is currently the most fun thing I own. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/99195/4CAEB119-B1DF-42BA-86CA-87069DF94720_png-1779505.JPG View Quote Not my bike. Me file size is too big for me to post a pic of mine. KTM 350 XCF-W Very agile. Made it street legal a couple years ago. Next step is extra set of wheels/tires/smaller sprocket... The one I put together before that... Attached File |
|
I would get a lightly used Suzuki DR400 Super Moto. Way more power, you are taller so people can see you, and you can do a whole lot more with it. Fun factor is still huge.
|
|
I'll admit that I'm always fascinated by these smaller bikes and scooters. Ridden a motorcycle for over 20 years, but not hard core and just for fun rides now and then. I had a Ninja 250 but sold it 2 years later because it did not have enough power on the highways. Turns out alot of my day to day use took me to 60 mph+ highways. The ninja could handle that way better than these 125's discussed here, but it still was just too underpowered for me.
If you get a small bike, you just have to be very realistic of their use. Around town and for short hops they can be a blast, but they are just not up to extended highway use. So if you use them appropriately, they can be great. All that said, I also like the older, simpler style of bikes, and there is a Chinese clone of the honda trail 70. This simple and classic bike/scooter has been copied as the Ice Bear Champion 125cc. You can have one delivered for around $1300, and according to many reviews, it is a decent machine. Basic, low-tech design trail scooter. It looks like a lot of fun, and plenty of guys on YouTube have run them pretty hard with good results. Sure, a $4000 honda is way better, but these do well for the price. Just remember, it's a small bike for around town. You won't like it if you have a lot of highspeed use. My ninja 250 could hit 90mph and was a capable (underpowered) highway cruiser, but to me, it was too cumbersome for around town scoots, and out of it's class on the highway. I'm also getting older, so I don't care as much anymore about how I look on the bike. I used to care and did not want to be seen on a smaller bike, but then I finally realized: who cares what some random person (might) think about you when you blast past them on a cheap scooter. They are fine for local, short trips at moderate speeds, but they do not cut it if you have virtually any highway use. |
|
|
Quoted: @MNRidesHonda you put Ohlins on a Monkey? View Quote Its like Franks, that that shit on everything. I have Ohlins on my Italjet Dragster 180. Funny enough the part number is for a Grom rear. Attached File |
|
Quoted: I miss my childhood and riding around in huge orchards on an old honda trail 70. Mom got drunk one night and decided she wanted to impress my neighbors by whiskey throttleing it all the way into a tractor tire. I remember all i could think about was my chrome fender. Didnt check on mom. Just couldnt believe what she had done to my fender. View Quote |
|
Quoted: Its like Franks, that that shit on everything. I have Ohlins on my Italjet Dragster 180. Funny enough the part number is for a Grom rear.https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/263918/20201011_115018_resized_jpg-1780777.JPG View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: @MNRidesHonda you put Ohlins on a Monkey? Its like Franks, that that shit on everything. I have Ohlins on my Italjet Dragster 180. Funny enough the part number is for a Grom rear.https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/263918/20201011_115018_resized_jpg-1780777.JPG Attached File |
|
i like the looks of the monkey over the grom.
y'all have convinced me to sit on slash look at both the monkey and the grom. |
|
Very Cool! |
|
Quoted: Forget the haters, the minibike craze has gotten more people onto 2 wheels than I've ever seen elsewhere. We do a lot of public group rides on sportbikes in the summer; the number of new faces have dwindled over the years. Cruise around and there are just mobs of Grom, Moneky, and Ruckus. These are about as close as you can get to having mechanized legs; they're light, nimble, and gas efficient, a complete hoot to ride. I rebuilt mine for more power. I can beat Priuses and still get 70mpg. I didn't know squat about engines until I rebuilt the Grom, so easy to learn on. https://i.imgur.com/RVqUtdl.jpg View Quote Yeah buddy. I'm tempted to build a adv Grom. I watched a YouTube video of a guy who built up a z125 adv. Badass. |
|
Quoted: Saw a 'kid' leaving the local Community College about a mile from my house on a Grom. Followed him toward home and then laughed my @ss of as he hit the steep hill around the corner, his speed rapidly diminished to Warp -10 and he had to foot paddle to get it up the hill. I hate those goofy little POS's. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Why not just buy a grom if you want to look like a weirdo who makes poor life choices? Saw a 'kid' leaving the local Community College about a mile from my house on a Grom. Followed him toward home and then laughed my @ss of as he hit the steep hill around the corner, his speed rapidly diminished to Warp -10 and he had to foot paddle to get it up the hill. I hate those goofy little POS's. No, you didn't. |
|
Quoted: Yup. Front and rear! I have Ohlins on all my bikes and I’ve been a fan for as long as I can remember. Plus the stock Monkey suspension isn’t that great, the Ohlins make a whole world of a different. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: @MNRidesHonda you put Ohlins on a Monkey? Yup. Front and rear! I have Ohlins on all my bikes and I’ve been a fan for as long as I can remember. Plus the stock Monkey suspension isn’t that great, the Ohlins make a whole world of a different. I'm a cheapskate and went with the YSS on the rear of my Grom. I didn't think it'd make a difference, but it's noticeable. Other than that, eliminated the rear fender and installed lower profile front and rear signals. Also designed a module to allow the signals to act as side markers so they're mid-rate on with full rate signal. Changed the mirrors too. 5'11 and 185 pounds. I drive it to work now and again in the winter and summer on rural route roads, two stretches in the 15 miles that are 55mph about 3 miles each. I can top out about 58. Riding it to work in the winter is fun, 13 degrees is the lowest I've ridden it to work. I really need better tires for that kind of riding, even though I don't ride in the snow with it. Frost on the roads makes me a little nervous. Oh, and I average 107 miles per gallon. |
|
Reminds me of the old QA50. Neat as a kid but not as an adult, sorry.
|
|
|
Quoted: I'm a cheapskate and went with the YSS on the rear of my Grom. I didn't think it'd make a difference, but it's noticeable. Other than that, eliminated the rear fender and installed lower profile front and rear signals. Also designed a module to allow the signals to act as side markers so they're mid-rate on with full rate signal. Changed the mirrors too. 5'11 and 185 pounds. I drive it to work now and again in the winter and summer on rural route roads, two stretches in the 15 miles that are 55mph about 3 miles each. I can top out about 58. Riding it to work in the winter is fun, 13 degrees is the lowest I've ridden it to work. I really need better tires for that kind of riding, even though I don't ride in the snow with it. Frost on the roads makes me a little nervous. Oh, and I average 107 miles per gallon. View Quote What gloves are you wearing for winter rides at those temps? I need a better set of gloves for winter. Weather and temps dont bother me either, but when i get home my fingers are always super numb. |
|
Quoted: TW200 https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1818/F4EFE839-8A52-4C82-B28D-F6BEEE519804_jpe-1779474.JPG $4700 View Quote Agree |
|
Quoted: I forgot to add, I have a set of heated grips installed also. For gloves, I've only tried two different pairs. Keep in mind, guys that are into winter sports may have better suggestions. I tried my best to get a pair with protection, but both pairs leave a lot to be desired. I also looked into heated gloves, they start around $125 so I strayed from getting a pair. Sorry about the Amazon link. This first pair isn't too bad, but I start feeling it on the tips of my fingers at about 20 -25 degrees 30 minutes of the way through the 40 minute trip with the heat on. www.amazon.com/dp/B002BQJC0K https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81l0r5HjWIL._AC_SL1500_.jpg The second pair is about the same in warmth. I'm sure the low price and poor quality of the gloves I bought have a lot to do with it too, but it's honestly not that bad. I really need to get some bar end wind guards. The chill I'm getting is from the wind. The thicker the glove probably the better, but there goes your dexterity. I'd thought about winter sport mittens but not sure how I'd like that on a motorcycle. View Quote Yea, the wind chill is what gets me too. Im used to cold weather having lived in N. Idaho the last 15 years, but my bilt gloves leave a lot to be desired in cold high winds. Maybe i should look at gloves marketed towards the snow mobile guys. |
|
Quoted: I had a Grom and while it was great fun, it's kind of a shitty bike. It has an oil spinner and oil screen instead of a real pickup pump, to clean the oil screen you have to crack the cases openSome of the components are on the cheaper side of "economy" and under the plastics some parts had a cheep vibe. I have been following the Monkey bikes for a while and I have heard several reports that they are not holding up well even compared to the cheapish Grom. Lots of rust issues with some of the cheaper parts which is unfortunate because I wanted one. Guys also look at the new Trail cub 125, same motor but you even get a kick starter and spoked rims. View Quote |
|
Quoted: The 2021 Grom models have a new engine and 5spd and have an oil filter. No need to crack the case every 3-5k MI anymore. Not that it is a big deal if you like tinkering on bikes. View Quote 2015 here. Bought it NOS in ‘16, I like the looks of ‘15 and earlier. Yep, I love tinkering so I don’t mind popping the cover. I have a spare seal, but I’ve popped it three times now and haven’t had to replace the original. Valve adjustment can be a pain on the intake because of the confines since I only remove the valve cover, but I have my technique down pretty good now. I run a hotter plug in the winter. |
|
An alternative: only weighs 2 loaded ARs more than a Grom,goes absolutely anywhere,can outrun a Prius up to 125 kph and your grandma could look like a wheelie god on it
Attached File |
|
Son just called from the Mecum Auction down in FL going on right now. He said that fully restored 100% correct Honda CT-70’s are selling anywhere from $10K to $15K. . I sold my project CT-70 about 15 years ago for $200 because I could have bought one done for $3500.
|
|
Quoted: An alternative: only weighs 2 loaded ARs more than a Grom,goes absolutely anywhere,can outrun a Prius up to 125 kph and your grandma could look like a wheelie god on it https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/56204/F7061B11-3E75-4C38-B8AF-318CE0EBC74B_jpe-1781703.JPG View Quote |
|
|
|
Quoted: i'm a big fucker. i need some horsepower. View Quote That is my problem as well |
|
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.