Now that I have 750 km on the odometer I can comment on my impressions.
I bought the MSX Aka grom, for a few reasons:
First, I am a Honda mini fan. I have 3 z50s, and 3 ct70s. I love collecting, restoring and riding them, so I was really excited when I saw they would be releasing this bike. Second, I believe the MSX might go the route of the zb50, they should be highly collectable and hold their value pretty well. Third, the aftermarket for these will probably provide the owners with a lot of cool upgrade possibilities.
As far as riding impressions I'll break it into 5 categories.
Body: I love the styling and think Honda did a great job for the most part. I did remove the front reflectors, I thought they looked silly. In addition to that the rear fender/licence plate holder is bulky and ugly. The only other thing I'm not too fond of are the huge bulbous turn signals. I will have to eventually swap them out with smaller led indicators. The paint on the white model is a really nice pearl and looks great in the sun. The black, which my buddy bought, has a bit of metallic in it and also looks great. The fit and finish is really nice and Honda used really quality parts. You can definitely tell a different between the Chinese stuff on the market and this. The pictures don't really do it justice. I am getting a lot of looks and questions as I cruise around. People really like it, and it stands out.
Engine: Few question the reliability of Honda engines and I'm sure this 125cc power plant is no exception. While the power output is nothing to get excited about, the engine idles very smoothly and will take a 185lb rider up to 60mph pretty easily on a flat road. You won't be passing many people, but It scoots around adequately in the city. Up hills I can maintain about 50mph and I've gotten it as fast as 68 downhill. Top speed is pretty good, but I'd like to have more grunt on the bottom end and be able to maintain 65mph uphill. I like the powder coated engine casings, this will make cleaning easy.
Brakes: the front brake works quite well and will slow you down pretty quickly, the rear brake is just Ok, it is somewhat stiff and requires quite a bit of pressure for it to respond, but it is possible to lock up the rear tire if you push hard enough. Overall the brakes work pretty well. ABS would have been a nice option, but would obviously drive the price up. Over time it seems to have gotten better or I have just gotten used to it.
Ergonomics: I'm about 5'9 with a 33" inseam and for me it feels a bit cramped, but this was to be expected. Moving the handlebars forward gave me a more comfortable riding position. As for the seat, it is absolutely horrible. It is extremely hard and is almost unbearable after 45 min. It also slopes forward so you have to push on the handlebars to stay in position. I'll be taking it to be re-foamed as soon as I can. Once the seat is fixed I believe the ride will be vastly improved. For now I'm using an air hawk inflatable seat cushion which makes riding much more enjoyable.
Suspension: the front forks are a definite improvement when comparing to the old CT70 or dax, but they could benefit from rebound and compression adjustments. the rear shock seems a bit stiff for my taste. Overall for the street the suspension is decent, but I believe the öhlins shock would give the bike a completely different feel and for around $600, it better. I also want to mention the Vee rubber tires it comes with. I've ridden on many brands to include Bridgestone battlax, Metzler Tournance II, and Dunlop tr91s. I thought they were all pretty decent on my big bikes. I also have Hidenau tires on on my custom Z50. In comparison I can't recommend the stock Vee rubber tires. When the road is wet in curves it feels like the rear tire wants to slide out, because the rear suspension is so stiff it can cause the rear end to bounce causing the tire to momentarily lose contact with the road. The combination of the tire not being sticky enough and the rear suspension being too stiff could cause a dangerous situation. A good option would be to take it easy when the road is wet and buy some different tires or explore other options when the stock wears out.
In conclusion I am very happy with my MSX and can't wait to see more custom parts on the market. The MSX125 has the potential to be one of the coolest, unique mini bikes out there and it's a great platform to start with. Stock it's still a lot of fun to ride and I would recommend the MSX to anyone who loves minis, is a new rider or someone who wants a bike that gets 100+ mpg, but doesn't want to ride around on a scooter.
). How do you find it for your back and for body lean, do you find yourself sitting back steady in it or do you find yourself leaning forward a lot? Would you say it's a comfortable ride?
