What Does 'Grom' Mean And Why Did Honda Choose It For Its Mini Motorcycle?

Soichiro Honda's first commercial enterprise was adapting leftover World War II generator engines to power bicycles, and the company he formed would go on to make such formidable motorcycles as the CB10RR-R Fireblade SP, a mouthful of a name befitting a bike with an engine that revs safely up to 14,000 revolutions per minute. Honda has also produced the Super Cub motorcycle in different forms since 1958, cranking out more than 100 million of these popular bikes through 2017. 

Honda's current hot two-wheeled property is the Grom, a mini-moto with some of the features of a full-sized bike. "Grom" is the name Honda America officially attached to that market's version of the bike that is known as the MSX125 in the rest of the world. 

A new model name was needed in the U.S. market to avoid copyright issues, and the word "Grom" is used to refer to a young surfer with promising skills. It's a fitting term for a bike aimed at a younger demographic that is suitable for stunt riding. 

Honda makes the surfing connection on its website with the statement: "Around the world, hundreds of thousands of young riders treat their Grom like a surfer rides a board, pulling tricks at every opportunity." Despite the Grom's 12-inch wheel size and stubby wheelbase of just under four feet, it's a comfortable ride for tall riders. Rider's Greg Drevenstedt hopped on one when it hit U.S. shores a little over a decade ago, and noted that "even though I'm 6-foot, 2-inches and 200 pounds, it didn't feel like I was riding a minibike." 

The Grom debuted as a 2014 model with a 124cc single-cylinder engine that puts out 9.7 horsepower and 7.7 pound-feet of torque. That oomph is sent to the rear wheel via a five-speed transmission and chain drive, and this drivetrain delivers a wallet-friendly 109.1 miles per gallon of fuel efficiency.

The Grom was an instant sales darling, and Honda has moved 750,000 of them worldwide since its debut. Part of the Grom's popularity is because the bodywork can be removed easily for customization. Dan Sutherland of Motorcycle News called it "a blank canvas for owners to mod their machines to their heart's content." With a base price of just $3,599 for the 2025 model, the Grom is also within reach of many young buyers. The Grom's closest competitor is the Kawasaki Z125 Pro because both bikes are easy to handle and well-suited to city cruising.