Honda Grom

[makattak]

In the last year or so, I've been seeing a LOT more young 20-something women on scooters than in the past.  Not sure if that's a byproduct of me becoming a motorcyclist and just noticing other riders more often, or if 20-somethings are actually buying more fuel efficient vehicles including scooters and bikes.

But you might be on to something, Scout.  Guys typically don't ride Vespas, so this is Honda making a more masculine version of the neighborhood errand-runner.

http://www.npr.org/2013/08/21/209579037/why-millennials-are-ditching-cars-and-redefining-ownership

NPR spins it that they are happy about it and are "choosing" not to get cars while glossing over "the economy" in the article and not mentioning ballooning student loan debt...

But cars are expensive. Scooters and motorcycles not as much so. (Of course, there is a trade-off of risk, but young people are more willing to take risk than older folks.)

[Jocassee]

I liked the video in spite of myself. Hmmm.

[Ben]

Looks like a 21st century version of one of these. We had one when I was a kid that my dad put on a rack on the pickup when we went camping. Seemed like every other camper had one back then. Kinda sorry we got rid of it - they've apparently reached some kind of collector status now.

[Harold Tuttle]

cool thing about the motoped is you can upgrade the powerplant and loose the pedals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M473J6H9fV8

[Harold Tuttle]

[tokugawa]

That "Grom the Barbarian"  has a lot of styling cues from the motard market- and a real 4 speed box- it weighs , full of gas, 225.  It does not look like it was designed by a scooter/utilitarian team. Geared right it could be a lot of fun.
 
 

[tokugawa]

That would make an outstanding training bike.  Also a really fun box stock racing /gymkhana  bike- a course could be set up almost anywhere. 

[CNYCacher]

The dog appears CG which is weirding me out a little.

I think he's the construction worker's dog

[Jamisjockey]

I'm 5'3" and don't enjoy riding motorcycles because of their size....if the grom can do highway speeds plus has enough power to accelerate well when needed I'd consider one.

[Hawkmoon]

Still too tall , heavy, and expensive for many riders.  Think Honda Cub or Trail 50, but modernized and with a fair bit more power and visual attitude.

How about this little gem? Honda sells a ton of them in Chile, but they won't import it into the U.S. It's a 125cc.




I like this one, also 125cc and popular in Chile:




And, lastly, a little brother to my old CB-350 ... again in 125cc and sold in Chile but not the U.S.

[Hutch]

Tuttle, where do you find these pics?  I am continually amazed.

[MillCreek]

I would love to have a contemporary Honda Trail 90.  One updated to modern standards.

[RoadKingLarry]

Looks like a 21st century version of one of these. We had one when I was a kid that my dad put on a rack on the pickup when we went camping. Seemed like every other camper had one back then. Kinda sorry we got rid of it - they've apparently reached some kind of collector status now.

One of those was the first motorcycle I ever rode by myself. It belonged to some friends of ours.

[Cliffh]

How about this little gem? Honda sells a ton of them in Chile, but they won't import it into the U.S. It's a 125cc.




I like this one, also 125cc and popular in Chile:




And, lastly, a little brother to my old CB-350 ... again in 125cc and sold in Chile but not the U.S.

Those are what small bikes should look like.  Not like an upgraded mini-bike, but an actual small motorcycle.

Any idea why Honda won't sell them here? 

[makattak]

Those are what small bikes should look like.  Not like an upgraded mini-bike, but an actual small motorcycle.

Any idea why Honda won't sell them here? 

Going out on a limb and saying "EPA"

[Harold Tuttle]

Tuttle, where do you find these pics?  I am continually amazed.

nice blunderbus, huh?

[Hawkmoon]

Those are what small bikes should look like.  Not like an upgraded mini-bike, but an actual small motorcycle.

Any idea why Honda won't sell them here? 

Not officially, but I don't think it's the EPA. Half the population of Chile lives in the Santiago metropolitan area, and they have a smog problem far worse than Los Angeles ever thought about. They have a lot of these little Hondas, as well as the same bike cloned under half a dozen different names by the Chinese. If they were polluters, I don't think they would be allowed in Santiago.

I suspect they aren't sold in the U.S. because Honda thinks that we Americans won't buy a small bike like that.

[Regolith]

Tuttle, where do you find these pics?  I am continually amazed.

I seem to recall that he has mentioned that he works for or has worked for National Geographic? Anyway, that looks like one of the full sized ads that you might find in some of the older issues...

[RoadKingLarry]

Way back in prehistoric times in Indian Territory days, a 14 year old could get a MC license for a 125cc bike. Sometime during my nautical adventures that was change to 250cc because the 125cc availability had evaporated. I was 15 before I could scrape up enough cash to buy a little Yamaha DT125.

[Cliffh]

I suspect they aren't sold in the U.S. because Honda thinks that we Americans won't buy a small bike like that.

Their loss.  Without trying I can think of a half dozen people who'd buy one at least of the 3.  I might even get SWMBO off her 4 wheeler and onto 2 wheels with one of them.  Although, she just might continue to hold out for a Spyder.

[BobR]

Way back in prehistoric times in Indian Territory days, a 14 year old could get a MC license for a 125cc bike. Sometime during my nautical adventures that was change to 250cc because the 125cc availability had evaporated. I was 15 before I could scrape up enough cash to buy a little Yamaha DT125.

When I was first licensed, it was actually for a motorcycle with 5hp or less. You couldn't have a passenger and had to be off the streets by 2100 IIRC. Because it was so long ago that I got my first Indian Territory MC license at 14 y/o, I may be a little fuzzy on the details. I started on a Yamaha 60, then a Yamaha Trail 100, then onto a Yamaha twin 100 street bike, and then I said to hell with the rules @ 15.5 and bought a Suzuzki X6 Hustler. That started a life of always having at least one motorcycle in the stable. Prior to the license, I had a Cushman scooter and a Vespa, starting around 12 years old.

When I did my first driving test, I went to the DMV, the guy went across the street into the diner for some coffee and I did a figure 8 around and through a 4 square block area. I came back to the starting point alive, so I got a license. That has been the extent of my motorcycle licensing testing to this day.  

bob

[RoadKingLarry]

Similar to mine, the tester followed me out, inspected the bike and told me to drive around the block twice. When I got back he had a cup of coffee.
When I got out of the Navy I stayed in VA for a while and had to change my license over. Somewhere in the intervening years the MC endorsement had been omitted or OK didn't require it yet but I had to test to get the VA MC endorsement. I was in full leather wearing a 3 piece MC patch. The tester had me circle the lot once.

[Tallpine]

I would love to have a contemporary Honda Trail 90.  One updated to modern standards.

Yeah.  Needs a girl in a bikini with an AR-15.   

[charby]

Tuttle, where do you find these pics?  I am continually amazed.

Behold the power of Google and one with sorcery skills to mine for data.

Here is old H-D ad

[Harold Tuttle]

somewhere in my archives is a print of "every boy wants a hummer for christmas"