Short answer: Honda Grom 125 performance is small-bike performance done honestly — a 124cc air-cooled single with a five-speed gearbox, a real-world top speed around 60 mph, and fuel economy that embarrasses nearly every other motorcycle on sale. This Honda Grom 125 performance guide starts with the framing that matters: the Grom is Honda’s bestselling streetbike in the United States, not because it is fast, but because it is fun at speeds where fun is legal, cheap to run, and easy to ride. The 2026 bike costs $3,599 plus $300 destination, and this Honda Grom 125 performance guide measures it by city speed, back-road agility, and miles per gallon, not by freeway numbers it was never built to chase.
One framing fact belongs up front in this Honda Grom 125 performance guide: Honda USA publishes no horsepower or torque figure for the Grom, and no US magazine has ever run a 0-60 mph test on it. Every power number here therefore carries its non-Honda label, every top-speed figure carries its source, and every MPG figure carries its test — because the Grom’s numbers are a three-way argument between Honda’s estimate, marketing copy, and real-world testing. For the full model story, see our Honda Grom 125 review.
Honda Grom 125 Engine Performance and Power Delivery
Engine performance on the Grom is about delivery, not output. The little single makes its modest power low in the rev range, pulls cleanly from a stop, and runs out of breath exactly where a city bike should.
Cycle World Dyno for Gen 1: 8.96 Rear-Wheel HP
Cycle World dyno for Gen 1: 8.96 rear-wheel HP is the only magazine dyno figure this Honda Grom 125 performance guide can print, and it belongs strictly to the first-generation bike. Cycle World’s December 2013 first ride put the 2014 Grom on its dyno and recorded 8.96 rear-wheel horsepower — close enough, the magazine said, to call it 9. That figure describes the Gen 1 engine: a 124.9cc air-cooled single, 52.4 by 57.9 mm, 9.3:1 compression, four speeds. It does not describe the 2022-on bike, which runs a revised Euro 5 engine at 124cc, 50.0 by 63.1 mm, 10.0:1, with five speeds. Honda USA publishes no horsepower or torque figure for any Grom year, so this Honda Grom 125 performance guide never prints a Honda power number — because none exists. Press and European claims do circulate, including 9.7 hp at 7,250 rpm and 7.7 lb-ft at 5,500 rpm, but those are non-Honda-USA figures, printed only with that label.
No Magazine Dyno Exists for the 2022-On Bike: Tuner Only
No magazine dyno exists for the 2022-on bike: tuner only is the honest position of this Honda Grom 125 performance guide, and it matters because the 2022 engine is genuinely different. The Gen 3 bike gained a fifth gear, a longer-stroke layout, and Euro 5 compliance — but no magazine has published a stock dyno run for it. Tuner and shop dynos exist, and Motorcycle.com’s project-bike figures (9.04 hp stock baseline, 9.36 hp with a stock pump, 9.89 hp with a Two Brothers map) are sometimes quoted as if they were stock tests — they are not. Those are modified Gen 1 figures, never a stock 2022-on dyno. What the 2022-on bike does offer is verified elsewhere: a 24 mm throttle body, programmed fuel injection with automatic enrichment, a crisp throttle, and a light clutch pull. MotorBiscuit’s 2022 Grom coverage reports the same story — a tiny power gain, a new five-speed gearbox, and a top speed up from 54 to 59 mph. For the service habits behind that delivery, see our Honda Grom 125 reliability guide.
| Engine item | Gen 1/2 (2014–2020) | Gen 3/4 (2022–2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Displacement / bore × stroke | 124.9cc / 52.4 × 57.9 mm | 124cc / 50.0 × 63.1 mm |
| Compression / gears | 9.3:1 / 4-speed | 10.0:1 / 5-speed |
| Magazine dyno | Cycle World: 8.96 RWHP | None — tuner/shop only |
| Summary | Honda Grom 125 performance: delivery over output | Honda USA publishes no hp/torque |
Honda Grom 125 Top Speed and Acceleration
Top speed and acceleration are the two questions every buyer asks first about Honda Grom 125 performance, and both have the same honest answer: the tested numbers are modest and the claimed numbers are higher.
Tested: 55 MPH Upright, Around 60 on the Newer Bike
Tested: 55 mph upright, around 60 on the newer bike is the attributed top-speed line this Honda Grom 125 performance guide stands behind. Cycle World’s 2013 Gen 1 test recorded 55 mph upright at 7,000 rpm in top gear and 61 mph tucked on level pavement. The newer bike is a little faster: RideApart, via MotorBiscuit, puts the 2022 bike at 59 mph against 54 mph for the older bike, and Cycle World’s 2025 test found a comfortable 60 mph for a rider over 200 pounds on flat ground, with an indicated 66 mph tucked and drafting downhill. Two cautions apply. First, stock Grom speedometers read roughly 10 to 15 percent high by aggregator claim — an aggregator claim, not a tested fact — so indicated speeds flatter the bike. Second, owner claims of 70-plus mph describe tucked, downhill, or modified runs, never a stock bike on level ground. The freeway verdict follows directly: the Grom is street-legal everywhere in the US as a full-class motorcycle, but sustained 55-plus mph running sits at the bike’s limit, and minimum highway speeds of 45 to 55 mph leave almost no margin.
No US 0-60 Test Exists: the 6.2s Figure Is 0-60 KM/H
No US 0-60 test exists: the 6.2s figure is 0-60 km/h is the correction this Honda Grom 125 performance guide insists on, because the 6.2-second figure is quoted constantly without its unit. The figure comes from a Japanese Webike test of the Grom (MSX 125): 6.234 seconds from 0 to 60 km/h — not mph. No US magazine has published a 0-60 mph test for the Grom, and this Honda Grom 125 performance guide will not convert the Japanese figure into an American one. Aggregator consensus puts a US 0-60 mph run at roughly 10 to 12 seconds, but that is an estimate only, never a tested time. What is verified about acceleration is the feel: sprightly to about 35 mph, and quick off the line in city traffic. The fifth gear on the 2022-on bike does not make the Grom fast — it makes fifth gear a calmer cruising gear, which is the more useful gain for Honda Grom 125 performance in daily use.
Honda Grom 125 Mileage and Fuel Economy
Mileage is the Grom’s superpower. The tank is tiny, the engine sips fuel, and the honest range answer depends entirely on which MPG figure you believe.
Tested MPG: 97 to 115 Depending on the Outlet
Tested MPG: 97 to 115 depending on the outlet is the real-world band this Honda Grom 125 performance guide trusts most. RevZilla’s 500-mile road trip averaged about 115 mpg — and that same article notes Honda claims 160 mpg, which tells you how wide the gap runs. Other tested and owner figures cluster between roughly 97 and 115 mpg. On the 1.6-gallon tank, tested economy gives roughly 184 miles of range at 115 mpg — a genuine week of city commuting on a tank that costs a few dollars to fill. The Grom runs on regular gas, 86 octane or higher per AutoTrader.
The 160.5 MPG Dealer Figure Is an EPA Estimate: Conflict
The 160.5 MPG dealer figure is an EPA estimate: conflict is the heading this Honda Grom 125 performance guide keeps verbatim, because the conflict is real and must stay visible. Honda’s own EPA-procedure estimate, printed on 2026 dealer spec sheets, is 160.5 mpg combined city and highway — with Honda’s own disclaimer that the figure is based on EPA exhaust-emission measurement test procedures, is intended for comparison purposes only, and that actual mileage will vary. Honda marketing copy separately claims 166 mpg, and TopSpeed prints 166.5 mpg. They are an estimate, a marketing claim, and a press figure. At 160.5 mpg, the 1.6-gallon tank implies roughly 257 miles of range, against roughly 184 miles at the tested 115 mpg. This Honda Grom 125 performance guide presents the tested range and the EPA-estimate range as separate sentences with separate labels, never as one blended range, and never averages the MPG figures. Total Motorcycle’s 2026 Grom coverage confirms the current bike’s positioning and specs, and Honda’s 2026 Grom page confirms the spec list — including what it does not publish.
Honda Grom 125 Real-World Riding Performance
Real-world riding is where Honda Grom 125 performance earns its reputation. The bike is not fast, and it does not pretend to be.
RevZilla Calls It the Gold Standard for Street Playbikes
RevZilla calls it the gold standard for street playbikes is the doc heading, kept verbatim — and this Honda Grom 125 performance guide labels the praise honestly underneath it. The exact “gold standard” wording was not pinned to a verified RevZilla quote in this research, so this Honda Grom 125 performance guide does not present it as a verbatim quotation. What RevZilla did verify in 2025 is the substance behind it: the Grom has topped Honda’s sales charts in the United States since it was introduced, it is a cult classic, its service and consumable costs are low, and parts availability is excellent. That is the real-world performance story — a bike whose owners keep it, ride it daily, and can afford to maintain it.
2025 Changed Bodywork Only: Running Gear Identical
2025 changed bodywork only: running gear identical is verified, and it simplifies every used-bike decision in this Honda Grom 125 performance guide. Cycle World’s 2025 first ride states the Gen 4 bike is identical to the previous model in running equipment and differs only in body-panel tweaks. That means a 2025 or 2026 Grom performs like a 2022–2024 Grom: same 124cc engine, same five-speed gearbox, same 31 mm inverted fork, same 220 mm front and 190 mm rear discs, same 47.2-inch wheelbase, same 30-inch seat. The one running-gear fork that does matter is the generational one: four speeds through 2020, five speeds from 2022, with the fifth gear calming highway revs. For the buying decision behind this verdict, see our Honda Grom 125 buying guide.
Honda Grom 125 Handling, Braking and Stability
Handling on the Grom is light, low, and forgiving — the foundation of Honda Grom 125 performance. The bike weighs roughly 224 pounds in 2026 dealer-sheet form, sits at 30 inches, and steers easily.
Sprocket Change for 2022: 38T Rear Against 34T Before
Sprocket change for 2022: 38T rear against 34T before is the gearing fact behind the newer bike’s calmer feel, and this Honda Grom 125 performance guide states it plainly. The 2022-on final drive is a #420 chain running 15T front and 38T rear, against a 34T rear sprocket on the earlier bikes. The taller rear sprocket, paired with the fifth gear, is what lets the newer bike cruise at road speed with less buzz and reach its slightly higher top speed — 59 mph against 54 mph on the older bike by the RideApart account. Chassis numbers complete the picture: a 31 mm inverted fork, a single rear shock, a 220 mm front disc and a 190 mm rear disc, a 25-degree rake, 3.3 inches of trail, and a 47.2-inch wheelbase on 12-inch wheels. Braking deserves its own plain sentence: ABS is front-wheel only and only on the ABS trim.
Stock Chain Stretches Quickly: Owners’ Consistent Report
Stock chain stretches quickly: owners’ consistent report is owner-reported consensus, and this Honda Grom 125 performance guide labels it exactly that way — never as a Honda finding. Owners consistently report that the stock #420 chain needs frequent adjustment early in its life, and the manual’s own schedule backs up the attention it needs: inspect and lubricate every 300 miles, with slack held at 20 to 30 mm per the 2018 manual extract. A stretched chain wears the sprockets, and chain and sprockets should be replaced together. The practical performance point is small but real: a well-adjusted chain is part of Honda Grom 125 performance, because a slack, dry chain dulls the already modest acceleration.
Honda Grom 125 Performance Compared With Other Mini Motorcycles
Comparison is where Honda Grom 125 performance becomes a buying decision.
Honda Grom 125 vs Kawasaki Z125 Pro and CFMOTO Papio
Honda Grom 125 versus the Kawasaki Z125 Pro and CFMOTO Papio is a close fight on paper and a clearer one in the showroom, once prices are year-labelled. The 2026 Kawasaki Z125 Pro costs $3,799 to $3,999 depending on trim and color — the price conflict is real, so this Honda Grom 125 performance guide prints the range, never a single price — against the 2026 Grom at $3,599 to $3,799 plus $300 destination. The 2026 CFMOTO Papio SS costs $3,299, undercutting both Japanese bikes with a 126cc single. The Grom answers with Honda’s dealer network, parts availability, resale value, and the five-speed gearbox. The video below in this Honda Grom 125 performance guide is Motorcyclist Magazine’s 2022 Grom ABS review — honestly labelled as a review of the five-speed ABS bike, not a comparison test, and the clearest ride-and-handling look at what this Honda Grom 125 performance guide covers.
| Mini bike (2026, year-labelled) | Price + destination | Honda Grom 125 performance verdict |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Honda Grom | $3,599–$3,799 + $300 | 5-speed, 124cc, ~60 mph, ~115 mpg tested |
| 2026 Kawasaki Z125 Pro | $3,799–$3,999 (range) | 125cc rival; price overlaps Grom, no network edge |
| 2026 CFMOTO Papio SS | $3,299 | 126cc, cheapest; Grom wins on network + resale |
| 2026 Honda Monkey ABS | $4,399 + $300 | Retro sibling; same miniMOTO fun, higher price |
| Summary | Honda Grom 125 performance: fun per dollar, not speed | No maker here publishes power to rank |
Is the Honda Grom 125 Suitable for Beginner Riders? Yes
Is the Honda Grom 125 suitable for beginner riders? Yes — with the freeway caveat this Honda Grom 125 performance guide has carried throughout. The case is strong: a 30-inch seat, roughly 224 pounds, a light clutch, a crisp throttle, gentle power that forgives ham-fisted inputs, and full-throttle-at-road-legal-speeds fun that teaches throttle control without terror. A motorcycle endorsement is required — the Grom is a full-class road motorcycle, not a scooter and not an off-road bike. Cycle World’s Grom coverage confirms the bike’s long-running popularity and test history. City, town, and back-road riding, yes; sustained freeway running, no. For the bigger-feel Honda alternative in the same miniMOTO family, see our Honda Monkey ABS 125 performance guide. The last word on Honda Grom 125 performance is simple: it is the easiest, cheapest, most fun way to learn real motorcycling at real road speeds — as long as those roads are not freeways.
Honda Grom 125 Performance FAQs
Direct answers to the Honda Grom 125 performance questions buyers and new riders ask most, with every figure labelled by source and model year.
How much horsepower does the Honda Grom 125 make?
Honda USA publishes no figure, says this Honda Grom 125 performance guide. The only magazine dyno is Cycle World’s Gen 1 result of 8.96 rear-wheel horsepower; no magazine dyno exists for the 2022-on bike.
What is the Honda Grom 125 top speed?
About 60 mph on the newer bike by attributed tests, says this Honda Grom 125 performance guide — 55 mph upright and 61 mph tucked on the Gen 1 Cycle World test, 59 mph for the 2022 bike by RideApart.
What is the Honda Grom 125 0-60 time?
No US magazine 0-60 mph test exists, says this Honda Grom 125 performance guide. The quoted 6.2 seconds is a Japanese Webike 0-60 km/h test (6.234 seconds), not a US 0-60 mph figure; aggregator US estimates of 10 to 12 seconds are estimates only.
What MPG does the Honda Grom 125 get?
Tested economy runs 97 to 115 mpg depending on the outlet, says this Honda Grom 125 performance guide — RevZilla averaged about 115 mpg on a 500-mile trip — against Honda’s EPA-procedure estimate of 160.5 mpg.
How far can a Grom go on a tank?
Roughly 184 miles at the tested 115 mpg, says this Honda Grom 125 performance guide, against roughly 257 miles at Honda’s 160.5 mpg EPA estimate.
Is the Grom fuel-injected?
Yes, says this Honda Grom 125 performance guide — programmed fuel injection (PGM-FI) with automatic enrichment, and a 24 mm throttle body on the 2022-on bike. The engine is air-cooled, never liquid-cooled.
Does the Grom have a clutch lever?
Yes, says this Honda Grom 125 performance guide — a five-speed manual gearbox with a clutch lever on the 2022-on bike (four speeds before 2022). It is a real motorcycle gearbox, not an automatic.
Does the Grom have ABS?
Only on the ABS trim, says this Honda Grom 125 performance guide — front-wheel ABS only, on the $3,799 ABS model. Base and SP trims have no ABS at any price, and no trim has rear ABS.
Is the Grom good for beginners?
Yes, says this Honda Grom 125 performance guide, with the freeway caveat: a 30-inch seat, light weight, gentle power, and low running costs make it a genuine first bike for city, town, and back-road riding — but sustained freeway running is at the bike’s limit.
Is the Grom street legal?
Yes, says this Honda Grom 125 performance guide — a full-class road motorcycle, street-legal everywhere in the US with a motorcycle endorsement. It is not an off-road bike and not a scooter.
How much does the 2026 Grom cost?
Honda Grom 125 performance value starts at $3,599 for the base 2026 bike plus $300 destination — $3,899 total — with the SP at $3,699 and the ABS at $3,799, all plus $300.
What changed on the Grom for 2025?
Bodywork only, says this Honda Grom 125 performance guide — Cycle World verified the 2025 bike is identical to the previous model in running equipment and differs only in body-panel tweaks.
