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Today, we try and address one of the more common questions we get nowadays. What is the best Honda Grom clone available? With the 2020 Honda Grom set to retail just under $3,400, and the Kawasaki Z125 (which we’ve already compared in-depth to the Grom) priced just shy of it at $3,199, this is definitely a fair question! Not everyone wants – or is willing to shell out thousands of dollars to send it on today’s modern monkey bikes. There are likely more Grom clones available than you would have imagined. And, we use the term ‘clone’ here rather loosely. Many of these bikes have plenty of character of their own. But to make it simple, we’ve compiled a side-by-side comparison chart below. Feel free to read on to our reviews on a few of our favorites in the table below.
Our favorite Honda Grom Clone: The X-Pro 125
The X-Pro 125 is quickly becoming a go-to favorite in the Honda Grom Clone world. Looking strikingly similar to the “OG” Grom, most would be hard pressed to tell the two apart at first glance. It has everything you would expect from a quality clone: the air-cooled 125cc engine breathes through a carburetor and shifts manually through four gears. We LOVE the fact that it comes with pretty decent disc brakes on the front and rear.
The best thing about the Vader is that after paying a fraction of the cost of a new Grom to get it shipped to your door , you can spend all the money you saved on mods! With a few cheap and easy modifications, you can take your new bike from an economical China-scooter, to a pretty darn good-looking (and running!) little motorcycle.
Pro-tip: The Vagabond fender eliminator for the “OG” 2014-2015 Honda Grom will bolt right up to the X-Pro using some 8mm bolts. It does a fantastic job of cleaning up the rear end of the bike. Also, we’ve seen a few Hellcat riders run aftermarket exhaust pipes designed for the 14-15 Grom simply by cutting and sliding it over the X-Pro’s header pipe.
Lifan 150cc
The Lifan 150cc is quickly gaining a reputation for being one of the most powerful Grom clones in the industry. Most notably, the Lifan comes standard with a ground-pounding 149cc 4-stroke engine that puts out around 12 horsepower, and is one of the only clones to feature a five speed manual transmission! Many riders report a top speed out of the box of over 70 mph. Other great Lifan features include electric start, front and rear disc brakes, and a fan-assisted air cooling system. Similar to the other clones, you can expect north of 100 miles per gallon for fuel efficiency. The suspension setup consists of inverted forks on the front end and a single rear shock absorber out back. Net weight comes in at 242 pounds, and the Lifan is both EPA and DOT approved in the United States.
Ice Bear Vader 2
We figured it was time to do an update to this article and give you all the down-low on another awesome Honda Grom clone to hit the market. Usually retailing around $1,500 (that’s shipped with a warranty, by the way), this is certainly one of the more affordable Grom clone options out there. Ice Bear is a Chinese motorcycle manufacturer that produces a slew of different scooters, mopeds, and mini-motorcycles for the low. Honestly, I don’t know that I’ve seen any of their machines priced above $2,000 anywhere on the market. Given that pricing, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better Honda Grom clone to ride around Full Send style!
The Vader 2 comes with a 4-stroke 125cc engine that puts out just over 8 hp. It’s similar in size to the Grom and comes standard with a very slick style and a great looking lower engine cowl. Hands down, the Vader 2 gets our award for the best looking clone straight out of the box. The rear end is clean, with no bulky plastic to get rid of. The front end has a nice factory rake to it that we absolutely love. The most common performance mods for the Vader 2 are front and rear sprockets, carb, exhaust pipe, and air filter upgrades.
Ice Bear Little Monster
We can’t talk about the Vader 2 without mentioning its cousin: the Little Monster! Mechanically, this bike is nearly identical to the Vader 2. Where it differs is in styling. With its street-fighter edge, and contrasting exterior subcage, the Little Monster really rocks out of the box. Similar to the Vader 2, a little bit of performance upgrades go a long way. Ditch the factory front sprocket for a 17-tooth version. Upgrade the carburetor too – we like the Mikuni VM22!
SSR Razkull 125 Review
In my honest opinion, the SSR Razkull 125 is an excellent looking and performing Honda Grom clone out there today. Made in China, it looks just like a smaller version of the Ducati Monster and retails around $2,000 here in the States. As is the case with the majority of Grom alternatives available, there is one primary driver behind the cheaper price tag: (1) no electronic fuel injection. That’s right, the Razkull keeps it old school, mixing the air and gas required for the single overhead cam engine through a carburetor.
Similar to the Grom and Z125, the Razkull’s engine is mated to a manual 4-speed transmission. It is advertised to produce a little over 8 horsepower. Rather than the slightly fatter 130/70-12 out back that we’re used to, it runs a 120 series tire at both ends.
Benelli TNT 135 Review
The Grom will always have my heart, but if I had to choose a favorite Grom alternative – just one – it would likely be Benelli’s TNT 135. Designed in Italy and manufactured in China, the Benelli is the only Honda Grom clone that features electronic fuel injection. Consider that along with the FOUR eight ivalve (vs. 2 on the Grom and Z125) single over head cam head and additional ten cc’s of displacement, and its no wonder these bikes have such a loyal fan base.
With such an impressive powerplant, the Benelli delivers over 11 horsepower and can easily reach speeds of 70 mph or more in factory trim. Also very different from the Grom or any of the other alternative bikes is the transmission. The Benelli TNT comes with a 5-speed manual, making high speed riding all the more feasible. It rocks twelve inch wheels and the same factory tire sizes at the front and rear as the Grom, and has a decent disc brake setup to bring all this speed to a stop.
What’s the Cheapest Honda Grom clone?
You can usually find it online for around $1,100. It’s the Tao Tao Hellcat 125. Read the specs and they’re similar to most of the others. It has the traditional 125cc SOHC setup with a carburetor and a four speed manual transmission. It will top out around 50 miles per hour. For the price, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better bike to full send.
Are there modifications for Honda Grom clones?
Of course there are! As is the case with anything on wheels, someone will figure out a way to modify it. You may have to work a little harder to find them, but aftermarket parts are out there. Just take a look at a few of these custom Grom clones we’ve come across.
