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We all know that stock Honda Grom tires are not the greatest. While they do just fine for random group rides, grocery trips, and any other type of everyday riding, you feel their inadequacies as soon as you decide to send it. Off-road riding is the send topic we will focus on today. If you’ve ever wondered off the beaten path with your factory tires, you know they are NOT engineered for this type of riding. For quick reference, we’ve put together the very best brands and size options available when it comes to off road tires for your Honda Grom.
Why use Grom Knobby Tires?
If you’re new to this, let me tell you – Your Grom is capable of so much more than you think. Gone are the days when these little machines were relegated to only the mundane street riding that Honda engineers had in mind. It’s time to expand the variety of ways in which you can send this bike, and that starts with a good set of knobby tires. What does that mean? ‘Knobby’ is simply the slang term used to refer to tires manufactured with a more aggressive tread pattern aimed at tackling more than your everyday paved road. The knobby tires we discuss here are designed to take whatever you can through at them and are sure to up your bike’s fun factor in no time.
The Maxxis M6024 Honda Grom Off Road Tire
The most popular off road tires for Honda Grom enthusiasts, and our favorite, is the Maxxis M6024. Just by looking at it, you can immediately tell that it was designed to tackle the dirt. They are true knobbies. The Maxxis M6024 is covered wall to wall with aggressive, protruding robber knobs. They reallys work to grip the loose dirt and mud awaiting ahead of your next trail ride. While it is only technically J-rated to a maximum of 62 miles per hour, I can tell you from personal experience that they hold up just fine beyond that.
We took the Groms down to Townsend, TN for the 2018 Crawl dead-set on sending it. One of them still had a fresh set of M6024’s mounted up since we wanted to see how they performed on the Tail of the Dragon. The Honda Grom can certainly hold its own with off road tires. We spent hours slaying the dragon, sending it so hard that we ended up grinding down the new Hindle exhausts I had just put on. I lost count of how the number of times I was asked, “How do those things handle out here?” And let me tell you, they killed it!!! We ground the chicken strips down dto the edge of the last row of knobbies on the tire’s profile. The M6024’s rubber compound is hard enough that they consistently held up under the most extreme asphalt riding we could throw at it.
As you can see in the table, there are essentially two different tire sizes that people run:
As you can see in the table, there are essentially two different tire sizes that people run (these happen to be the factory sizes on the Grom, by the way):
- 120/70-12: The go-to tire size for the front. Since its the factory tire size, it fits perfectly.
- 130/70-12: The go-to tire size for the rear. I people opt to run the 130 on the front as well.
Note: If you do choose to run a 130 front tire on a Grom, you will have to get a little creative with your front fender. Since the Honda Grom’s front fender is mounted so low, the slightly wider 130/70-12 runs into clearance issues especially once you start slinging mud around. One option is to replace your factory fender with an aftermarket motard fender. Another alternative is to lift your front fender slightly using commonly available 5mm extension plates. And, of course, you can just remove the front fender altogether and run a naked front end.
The Duro HF903 Honda Grom Off Road Tire
The Duro HF903 is probably the second most popular option when it comes to off road tires for the Honda Grom. It touts an obviously less aggressive tread pattern and the same J-rating for top speed as the Maxxis. From our experience, the Duro is a little more street friendly and a bit less capable on the trail than the Maxxis M6024. Since pricing between the two is pretty close, the choice between these two really comes down to your riding style. They’re both extremely capable tires both on and off-road.
The DUNLOP D604
A lesser known, but worthy contender on the scene is Dunlop. They’ve been around for awhile and produce a variety of tires for motorcycles and other off-road applications. Their D604 line is a solid alternative with a similar tread pattern to that of the Maxxis tire. As of this writing and as far as we know, the Dunlop is only offered in a 120/70-12, so keep that in mind when shopping. Though we don’t personally run these tires on any of our bikes, reviews seem to be positive. Many riders tout the ability to seriously lean in the corners without sacrificing performance, while on the same day being able to aggressively trail ride.
