"How low can you go" Grom build

[sk8r3124]

Wasn't sure if this was appropriate for the Garage section or if it was just for cars, can be moved if needed.

After I did my ruckus build 2 years ago (which I regret not doing a build thread on)
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I decided to up the power last year and bought an r6.


In that time I realized that the power is nice, but the small displacement engines give me a different experience. That's why this winter I found a steal of a deal on a Grom, and figured I would finally do a build thread.

Here is how she sat when I got her:
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Bike already had Yoshimura everything. Exhaust, License plate mount, and the full decal kit

Plans:
- 6" Lower front suspension on Ruckus forks
- Custom air ride rear suspension
- Widened front and rear wheels
- Lowered Handle Bars
- K&N Cold Air intake (to make room for the air ride compressor)
- 7" stretch on the swingarm
- Remove Yoshi decals and more than likely wrap the plastics
- New low profile Hot Lap exhaust
- Integrated taillights
- Ruckeyes Headlights

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

How steal of a deal?

[sk8r3124]

How steal of a deal?

Was a little over 2k.
The guys nephew dropped it, hence all the decals covering up some scuffs, so I was able to get down a little more.
Every other one I saw was in the 3k+ area. Also I knew the value I was getting having the Yoshi RS-9 exhaust already on the bike.

[Toilet_X]

Is that a yosher???? You know it'll be runnin 9's all day. Barely fast enough to keep ahead of the SNATCH chasin after ya. Keep the pics comin, guy!

[bjstare]

Wow, awesome.

I'm gonna keep an eye out for one of these, always thought they'd be a blast.

[sk8r3124]

Is that a yosher???? You know it'll be runnin 9's all day. Barely fast enough to keep ahead of the SNATCH chasin after ya. Keep the pics comin, guy!

Yeah a Yosher, but will more than likely be swapping Hotlap BOSO-ICHIBANBOSHI

[Rocket1k78]

That Ruckus is nicely done but im all for the Grom. I want one so bad

[sk8r3124]

Update 1: Lets start getting low

first big change is the front forks. I researched a few options, the easiest by far was to just buy a lowering kit that replaced the springs in the fork.... but only 2 inches. If I am gonna go low, I am gonna go as low as I can. A little more effort/funds for a 6 inch drop seemed more appropriate. Essentially I am running Honda Ruckus Low Down forks using some specialized adapters.

Below you can see the difference in height.
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So its time to disassemble. I am not a fan of the grom headlight, so that was removed to get to the triple tree.
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And next... the front forks
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Pretty simple installation as I am pretty familiar with using ruckus forks already with a disc setup. I had to flip the tire around so the disc is on the opposite side, had to reverse the direction of the disc, and will eventually have to reverse the tires as they are directional (Although it will all change again once I get some new wheels in).
I quickly realized that I didn't consider that I could no longer use the OEM axel spacers with the smaller Ruckus forks. My normal parts supplier doesn't sell them, and others only sell the spacers within a kit, so I have taken some measurements and will find someone to mill them locally. I also need to switch out the stock brake caliper to a ruckus designed one, but I will wait on the spacers for that install.

After all is said and done, here is how she sits:
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So low that I can no longer run a front fender, and I have to relocate the horn to another part of the bike. Also, the kickstand is useless now, so its permanently on the rear stand until I can get a skid plate made to protect the underside of the engine. With this ride height, and knowing that I will be running air ride on the rear suspension, I need an exhaust that hugs the engine as much as possible to give as much clearance as possible while fully compressed. The Yoshi header is relatively close to the engine...but I don't think it is going to do the trick.

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I think next up will be the ruckeyes headlight setup, and then the stretch kit.

[Graham_A_M]

Damn man, looking great so far. :clap:

[sk8r3124]

Update 2: Lets Get NAKED!

This is update may be a little boring, but it sets up for some more interesting stuff. After spending a good 30 minutes taking the seat off (A notorious issue on the bike), I was finally able to get all the fairings off. Once she was naked, you can really how tiny of a bike it actually is.

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Next order of business was removing the stock air filter box and replaced with a cone air intake. The usual reason people make this mod is to get a tiny bit more power of the bike, but I needed to do it to make room to mount my air ride compressor. Looking online, the air intake kit was gonna run me $175, which seems crazy. After posting in some facebook groups, I tracked a used kit for much cheaper. Here is a look at the stock air filter box, and the installed air intake mod from the other side of the bike. You can also see how much room it creates for the air compressor.

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Last minor thing, was now that the frame is exposed, I was able to relocate the horn to the frame as the lowered front end forced me to remove it.

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That's how she is currently sitting. I will take the decals off the fairings and clean up all the residue left from the glue, but the fairings won't be going back on until the very end, or at least until I get bored and want to see how she will look before wrapping them. Also, having the bike naked will make it a lot easier to install the stretch, as well as air ride and associated wiring.

[s dime]

Looks great, I want one!

[D'z Nutz]

While I think Groms are pretty lame looking (but I think Ruckus' are pretty sweet), I do appreciate a good build thread and this isn't disappointing. Looking forward to seeing more!

[sk8r3124]

Update 3: Lets stretch this thing out

So the first thing I noticed when attaching my extension kit, is that I would have to remove my bike stand spools. Meaning without them, and the already lost kickstand functionality, the bike is now going to stay on jack stands until further notice.
I removed the tire and went to go bolt on the extension kit. You can see the difference in length with the tire off quite clearly.
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the kit wasn't as bolt on as I was led to believe, lets just say it didn't fit like a glove. I am not sure if it was the anodizing or not, but the bolt on extension did not fit in the swingarm. So after spending 2 hours with the dremel making sure not to grind off too much material. I finally was able to attach the kit.

Here is the comparison pre and post stretch:
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(Yes, I am aware my wood pile is not an acceptable jack stand....I just can't seem to locate my second one at the moment. I have one on order from Amazon)

[ExtraSlow]

ExtraSlow approves of your wood pile.

[sk8r3124]

Update 4: Foreign Deliveries

So I got the new exhaust in and it is a thing of beauty. You can tell that this was made by someone's hands in Japan. I watched the mini moto lab mini doc on Hot Lap, and have a bigger appreciated the amount of professionalism that they put into them.
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Here is how it looks on the bike (Will still need to adjust some angles once the air ride is dialed in)
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My main reason for the exhaust purchase was to give me a bit more clearance given the low stance. Here you can see the difference between the Yoshi vs Hot Lap
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Also from foreign soil were the wheels. These were kind of a crap shoot, as after the purchase....the seller went radio silent for over a month. I was almost ready to dispute it on paypal. I mean, I did buy them from a shop based out of Israel who source them straight from Thailand, but yesterday...They arrived out of nowhere. I didn't want to look into potential vinyl until seeing the exact color of the rims, but once I had them I was able to find something that closely matches.

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My plan was to get the frame drop plate finished before installing the air ride suspension, but the more I think about it, I need to see how the bike sits on the most compression to get a better idea how to engineer the plate. It will essentially be my new kickstand, as well as protect the engine if I accidently ride it too low. All my research points to some solution that requires the stock kickstand to be cut off, but I really don't want to chop the frame unless its a last resort. Hopefully seeing it at its lowest point should spark some ideas.

[ExtraSlow]

Thai-israili rims are so hot.

[schurchill39]

Its been four days! The people are waiting for updates!

[sk8r3124]

Its been four days! The people are waiting for updates!

I don't have an official update yet other than I took a stab at vinyl wrapping, needless to say..... It's not as easy as it looks, and I get impatient easily.
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[D'z Nutz]

That's vinyl? Wow, looks like a paint job.

[bjstare]

Hopefully seeing it at its lowest point should spark some ideas.

Nice.

[sk8r3124]

Update 5: Vinyl is an art...and I suck at Art

Had a busy week so I didn't have much time to do anything big on the build. Decided to try my luck with the vinyl wrap, and its not as easy as all those youtube tutorials make it out to be. But at least I can get a look at how the color will look against the stock black frame and engine. Some of my errors will be hidden by other panels, and the seat, but its still not the perfect job I set out for. I also am not to particular about this first go around of wrapping as I would like to see how durable it is once I am out and about this summer. The beauty thing with vinyl is that I can always re-wrap it. From afar...it looks....Okay

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Close up is a different story:


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My big learning on this first go around is to mount the fairing first to see what actually shows once its mocked up. I was so worried about removing "fingers" in an area that isn't even visible when everything is put back together, that it messed up parts that will be visible. It also lets me know which side of the part to start stretching and molding first.

These were the smaller pieces, so hopefully the practice will show in the larger pieces.

[D'z Nutz]

Was there a reason you went with vinyl instead of something like plasti-dip?

[sk8r3124]

Was there a reason you went with vinyl instead of something like plasti-dip?

I have a heat transfer setup at home, and when talking to my vinyl distributor, I realized it wouldn't be crazy expensive given the grom fairings are relatively small. Also, its a skill I don't have, and this gives me an excuse to learn. I work in an office 8 hours a day, and was never a mechanical person. I wanted to learn, so that's why I started with the ruck, learning the fundamentals of CVT engines, and wiring. I guess I am always just looking to learn skills I don't have. That's how I tackle choosing my winter projects

[ExtraSlow]

That's an awesome attitude.

[sk8r3124]

Update 6: Lets put some air on this girl

So everything so far has been essentially bolt on. There is enough of an appetite for aftermarket parts that companies make specialized add-ons. The air ride kit is not one of them. I saw an instagram post of an air ride grom and reached out to the guy to ask him where he bought his setup. He told me that he makes the kits himself, and the thing wasn't cheap (The shitty exchange rate didn't help the cause either). I have seen a bunch of groms in the city with stretches, and lowering links on the back end, but I wanted something truly unique, than not everyone would do. This is going to be the one thing that sets this bike apart from the pack. So I pulled the trigger....and hoped this random guy in Pennsylvania doesn't run away with my money. I waited...and waited.... and finally got a tracking number...phew!!! After I knew the package was on its way, I didn't mind the 3 weeks it stayed at customs before being released. Then the day arrived. Here she was in all her glory:

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I wanted to see how much lower it would look, so I did a side by side with the shock support.....and there wasn't any difference.

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Turns out, its the custom brackets the guy made that changes where the shock sits are what makes it go lower than stock.
Here is the air strut with the brackets on.
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[sk8r3124]

There was one problem though....The undercowl that holds the battery and fuses was preventing me from attaching the top bracket to the frame.
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But that job is no match for my trusty dremel. Normally I hate making permanent cuts or changes to body panels, but a quick search on partzilla and I realized that if I messed up, it would cost me a whopping $16 USD plus shipping to replace. So I powered that baby up and started hacking away. (In hindsight, I cut off a little more than I actually needed to)
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With the cutting, the battery needed to be shifted higher, I will probably 3d print some "L" brackets and plastic weld them to the under side of the cowl to replace the box enclosure I hacked apart. But all in all, I don't think it was the worst fix.
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[sk8r3124]

My next mission will be coming up with a way to mount the air compressor to the bike. The grom is already such a small bike, there isn't much room. Given that I had done the air box delete, I made a bunch of room around the front of the bike. So thats the plan.
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Again not wanting to do anything too permanent, I wanted to stay away from welding or drilling through the frame. So before heading to the hardware store.... I drew myself a plan better than anyone could do in AutoCAD.

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After basking in my engineering genius for a few minutes... I headed out to lowes and found some stuff that may work with minimal adjustments.

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So that's where she is are right now. Once the compressor is mounted, its just a matter of connecting the lines, and integrating the electrical and the air ride milestone will hopefully be done.

[schurchill39]

Do you not want to do anything permanent strictly so you can return it to stock and resell it later or whats the thought process there? Love the updates!

[sk8r3124]

That's kinda my thought process. Most of the time your taste isn't going to be everyone's taste. There isn't much of a custom grom market that I have seen yet, so I can't really guage what I would get if I sold it. Its kind of the same with the ruckus (Although every time I consider selling the ruckus... I just can't do it, its just such a blast to zip around on)

[schurchill39]

Updates?

[sk8r3124]

I have kinda been at a stand still. Currently getting some custom brackets made, and until all of them are made, I didn't want to progress much farther.

[sk8r3124]

I set up the air system temporarily. This is how low she will sit when parked

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[sk8r3124]

Update 7: Compressor finds a home

I was originally going to get a buddy to machine the compressor mounting setup pieces I need to progress the air ride part of the build. Then decided that since it would be covered by the fairings, there really isn't a need to make it look super clean. So I just went to Lowes, grabs some flat metal, an angle grinder and drill and started fabricating myself.

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Everything is still bolt on so I can still turn back to stock if I choose to. To protect the frame, I took some of that padding for under doors to prevent drafting around the uclamp, and this will also allow me to get a better seal to the frame. There were a couple of items on the frame that had to be relocated to fit the compressor, they are ziptied to new locations now and will make them a little more permanent in the future.

So here is how it is mounted:

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[sk8r3124]

Short clip of the system in practice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAeLaZ9WXi4

[sk8r3124]

Update 8: Last part of the air setup complete

The last part of the air ride system is the drop plate to protect the engine while riding, as well as act as a kickstand when the bike is parked. Now that it is so low, it is not very sturdy unless it is on jack stands, so the drop plate was a must before I can take it off the stands and start testing some mechanical things. This is also where I realized that I will actually have to do something permanent to the frame. I have to do a stock kickstand delete or I wouldn't be able to turn left without it hitting the ground. So to the dremel I go.

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The drop plat consists of two industrial grade door brackets and to pieces of steel attaching them. After lining them up, drilling some holes, I was able to put them together and align where on the frame I need to drill the hole in order to attach them.

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I could have gone a little lower at this point, but the exhaust wasn't on yet, so I wanted to er on the side of caution. I can always order new brackets if I want to make any adjustments in the future. As you can see after I attached the exhaust back on, I have about a half inch of clearance to play with if I wanted to adjust in the future.

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[sk8r3124]

I pulled the grom up to the ruckus so people can see how low it actually is. Its almost the same size that the ruckus when its fully aired down and from the other size you can see how low it is compared to a larger vehicle.

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[sk8r3124]

Update #9: Back to the cosmetics…Let’s make her look pretty

Now that the air system has been figured out, its back to the cosmetic stuff. To compliment the lowered stance, I also lowered the handle bars. Very simple swap, and it turned out to be cheaper to buy them out of Florida and pay shipping and a terrible exchange rate compared to my main supplier in Quebec.

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Next up are the wheels. Originally, I had planned to get a wide set of custom wheels as that’s one of the defining pieces on the Ruckus, but between the two custom rims, and the two custom hubs required to run them, it would make the build super pricey. Instead I ordered some wheels from Thailand. They are alloy so not as strong as billet aluminum, but I am not stunting this bike and doing wheelies so they should hold up. Maybe in the future I will upgrade to the widened wheel kit, but let’s see how much I enjoy this thing before dumping even more into it. The stock black wheels would have technically worked with the color scheme I was going for with the bike, but I like the gold look.

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(Not sure why I cant remove the headlight picture below)

[sk8r3124]

Next up is the headlight. I am personally not a fan of the stock headlight, so I wasn’t worried that it would have to go because I lowered the front of the bike so much. There is some nostalgia I have with the Ruckus headlights. The simplicity of them made it an easy decision to go with them on the Grom build.

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[schurchill39]

Those head lights make it look like a nerdy kid with coke bottle glasses.

[eglove]

Should have done a small lightbar or something more aesthetic

[firebane]

Stealing lights from a ruckus lol.

I'd be calling this bike Bubbles cause its so ugly and hideous.

[sk8r3124]

To me, the lightbar is an Ebay mod. Ruckus lights are nostalgic and something to set it apart.

[ExtraSlow]

Ruckus lights are awesome.

[loweg]

Agreed I'm pro Ruck lights

[sk8r3124]

Stealing lights from a ruckus lol.

I'd be calling this bike Bubbles cause its so ugly and hideous.

Can't please everyone.

[sk8r3124]

Update 10: SHE DONE!

Last thing to do was vinyl on the fairings. I learned a couple things from my test run, but I am by all means still not an expert. While at driven this year, I saw this one car that had a pattern under the vinyl, so I thought since I have a vinyl cutter for decals, why not try something similar out. So I made some decals of some of the suppliers I used on the build, and put those underneath the vinyl wrap on one panel. I think it turned out pretty good.

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Its been finished for about a month now, and I have been riding it quite a bit to work. One thing I have noticed, even though I used primer glue on spots I know would have extra tension, there has been some lifting over time.

I will be at illmotion's sunday school on the weekend, so people can see this thing in person.

[Doozer]

Looks awesome, nice work!

[ThePenIsMightier]

Can't please everyone.

First time clicking this thread. I still can't figure out why I don't know what a "Grom" is.
At any rate, props to Beyond as a forum for allowing the mean criticism post that you responded to. I've always felt that if you put your shit out there, you can't just await the shower of hand-jobs & praise awhile having anything remotely negative deleted. That's bullshit, "participation badges for EVERYONE", soy-boy garbage. You gotta take some heat for not matching everyone's tastes and grow a pair in the "no fucks given" category when someone flames you. Big deal.
Plus, I don't get the impression you lost a lot of sleep and chewed on the soap in the shower after the mean mean man said your shit is ugly. Good for you, on that!

[firebane]

First time clicking this thread. I still can't figure out why I don't know what a "Grom" is.
At any rate, props to Beyond as a forum for allowing the mean criticism post that you responded to. I've always felt that if you put your shit out there, you can't just await the shower of hand-jobs & praise awhile having anything remotely negative deleted. That's bullshit, "participation badges for EVERYONE", soy-boy garbage. You gotta take some heat for not matching everyone's tastes and grow a pair in the "no fucks given" category when someone flames you. Big deal.
Plus, I don't get the impression you lost a lot of sleep and chewed on the soap in the shower after the mean mean man said your shit is ugly. Good for you, on that!

Grom is a major popular 125cc legal bike that ANYONE and their mom can ride.

I'll take a Z125 over the grom though.

[schurchill39]

Really digging the decals behind the vinyl look!

[Andy643]

Turned out great. Really like following this.
Personally I like the ruck lights.

Might have put 20km on my ruckus this season.

[Toilet_X]

I havent checked in on this for a while. Looks good, do you think it would pull my float at the pride parade next year?