Fit for a Superhero, This Custom Grom Proves That Awesome Things Come in Small Packages

Tiny, visually unappealing, and sitting on the opposite spectrum of high performance, some vehicles are considered too boring to customize by many enthusiasts. When it comes to four wheels, one category that springs to mind is that of Malaise-era cars, which the vast majority of gearheads see as totally uncool. Thankfully, there are people out there who chose to swim against the proverbial cool current, creating some epic custom rides like this 400-hp, V8-Powered Gremlin, which is hard not to love.

In the world of two-wheeled vehicles, a category that’s comparable in terms of popularity (or lack thereof) to Malaise cars is mini bikes - or pocket bikes, or anything that’s not regular sized.

But, as is the case with the grossly underpowered, dull-designed cars built in the U.S. from 1973 to 1983, there are fans of these smaller vehicles, who let their creativity loose (and often empty their pockets in the process) and create some epic customs.

This is where we meet Alex Poole of Wichita, Kansas, who has made a name for himself by creating some of the most unusual, yet incredibly awesome two-wheeled, one-offs in the country. His passion for what is generally deemed as uncool bikes started over a decade ago and the flame that lit his fire wasn’t the Grom (which was yet to be released), but something even more unusual: the Honda Ruckus (aka. Zoomer outside North America), a rugged 49-cc scooter.

After years of causing a ruckus (pun intended) in the small yet faithful custom scooter scene, Alex decided that it was time to take on a different project, but instead of choosing a full-size motorcycle, he decided to continue swimming against the current and chose the Honda Grom as a base.

Introduced in 2014 and still in production today, the Grom (or MSX125 in Europe and East Asia) is part of Honda's "miniMOTO" lineup. Although it’s small, the 124.9-cc ride is all motorcycle, making waves on the market for its appealing combination of power and fuel efficiency. At the time of its release, it was such a breath of fresh air for the market that it was awarded the USA Motorcycle of the Year prize.

But, as nice as the Grom is in stock form, Alex went on to transform it into an unbelievably gorgeous custom that you could swear was commissioned by Tony Stark himself.

With all custom vehicles, the visual modification that can make the difference between zero and hero is a nice set of wheels and that’s exactly what the Kansan started with. Fully custom-made, the new wheels are based on Rotiform’s DIA, a Lamborghini Diablo-like aftermarket wheel that you normally see on modified supercars. Equipped with bespoke hubs and wide Michelin tires, the four-inch wheels alone were guaranteed to make the little bike look ten times cooler. However, Alex was far from done.

Since the rear wheel was no less than eight inches wide, the factory-built swingarm had a hard time accommodating it, so it had to be widened by an inch. Apart from that, it got a pair of swingarm extensions that – coupled with a four-inch lowering link and a Fastace shock – gave the bike a far more aggressive stance.

To complement the rear modifications, the front suspension received a complete Mojo Customs conversion kit which added Feign V2 forks that lowered the bike’s front end.

As for power, fans of the Grom will know that its small four-stroke is surprisingly tunable, so Alex went all out. He added a new performance cam, port and polished heads, a custom intake topped with a K&N air filter, and a high-rise single header that connected to a custom muffler tucked under the tail. All the new hardware received a properly-tuned DH Motoring ECU and although we don’t have an official output figure, it’s safe to say that it makes a lot more than the factory-rated 10 hp.

While outrageous, the modified engine is not the custom build’s most controversial mod. When it left the factory, the Grom was equipped with conventional disc brakes, but Alex loved the look of the custom wheels, particularly the rear one, so he decided to convert the stock right-side mounted rear brake to a left-side sprocket brake. Some riders might disagree with this one, but even though it isn’t as effective as a disc brake, Alex says it works and we can’t argue with how cool it looks. Moreover, the conventional front disc brake setup was retained.

The bike was finished off with a completely new bodywork that transformed its rather-modest stock appearance into the two-wheeled mini-Hulkbuster that it is today. Everything from the fairings, belly pan, headlight surround, and even the seat was replaced with custom components.

Even more impressive, the awesome paintwork that you see before your eyes was not done in a professional shop by a seasoned professional but by Alex in his backyard during the summer. Dissatisfied with what so-called professionals had done on previous projects, he armed himself with a paint gun and some pinstripe tape, laying out the design in about three days.

Essentially a homebuilt project, Alex Poole’s Honda Grom is exceptional in every way, pushing the boundaries of creativity to an epic level that few custom builds (two- or four-wheeled) can reach.

You can watch the mini-Hulkbuster roam the streets in the video below and be sure to follow Alex’s Instagram page if you want to see more amazing builds.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alex Poole (@apoole.xxii)