by Abhinand Venugopal from https://www.rushlane.com
The 2020MY Honda Grom 125 remains mechanically unchanged from its previous version
Honda Motorcycle has unveiled the 2020 Grom 125 for international markets. Also known as the Honda MSX125 in certain regions, the modern-day minibike (with naked street motorcycle traits) receives minimal changes for the 2020 model year.
The mechanical department remains untouched while Honda has added new colour choices depending on the market. In the US, the 2020MY Honda Grom 125 is available in four colours: Cherry Red, Blue Raspberry, Halloween Orange and Incredible Green. The ABS version comes only in Cherry Red. US prices stand at $3,399 (Rs 2.57 lakh) and $3,599 (Rs 2.73 lakh), respectively.
For the niche minibike market, Honda has got another fun product under its miniMOTO category: Monkey. Available from $3,999 (Rs 3.02 lakh) in the US, the Honda Monkey is so popular that it coined the term “monkey bikes” to minibikes — as Xerox did to photocopy or “fridge” (from Frigidaire) to the refrigerator.
Coming back to the 2020 Honda Grom 125, its 124.9cc air-cooled FI single-cylinder motor makes a humble 9.57bhp and 10.9Nm of torque. Even though these figures look low on paper, the Grom weighs just about 103kg to make the best out of the least. The engine is mated to a 4-speed gearbox.
Despite being smaller than the usuals, the Grom 125’s seat height is decently high at 762mm. Braking duties are carried out by 220mm and 190mm disc brakes at the front and rear, respectively. The minibike rides on 12-inch wheels supported by 31mm USD forks and a rear monoshock. Fuel economy figures are claimed to cross well over 50km/l no matter how much you abuse the engine. The Honda Grom 125 gets a 5.5-litre fuel tank.
Other notable features include full-LED lighting, digital instrument console, ABS (optional), etc. The Grom 125’s construction is as simple as it can get and this is the most fun part of owning a minibike. In a safe and legal environment, minibikes are excellent starter motorcycles for kids and lady riders. Its compact dimensions make it a joy to ride in tight traffic conditions.
For our market, Honda Motorcycle India had tried something similar with the NAVI. However, it ended up being an odd-looking CVT scooter that could not garner enough sales or interest. At one point, it was even offered for free while buying the BS3 Honda CBR250R. The outdated CBR250R was discontinued well ahead of BS6 emission norms as sales fell drastically due to tough competition.
