[Yellow22]

Just commenting to say that my 22 Grom is doing this. Started around 400-500 miles. I changed the oil and at 760 miles, it's still doing it. I also tried adjusting the clutch cable a few times. No change.

It's at the dealership right now.

Any new information on this issue?

 

[Yellow22]

How often are you having the noise? At some point, with enough complaints, Honda will have to address this. Be sure to let us know what the dealer says.


Just wanted to update on my situation. I'm at 1,600 miles now. I have still only had the noise 2 times. I did install an Akrapovic full exhaust at about 1,000 miles. It is pretty loud so im not 100% that I would hear the noise over the pipe... so... there's that...

About every other ride. I've noticed - as others have - that it takes about 15 minutes of riding before it'll do it. And it usually does it while riding highways at 50mph or so.

 

[Yellow22]

My dealership just called me and said they talked to Honda and Honda told them to loosen the drive chain up almost the entire way. He said they rode it and it's quieter.

I asked him if he was aware that the sound was intermittent and only occurred sometimes, mostly after 15-20 minutes of highway speeds. He said he wasn't.

So I'm not real happy with this outcome. I don't like how they didn't listen to anything I told them when I took it in - I told them it was intermittent and tied to speed not rpms, pulling in the clutch had no effect, etc. - and I'm not too happy that they're giving me a bike back with a chain as loose as it can be and calling it good.

I'm picking up the bike tomorrow, but if this sound happens again, I'm selling the bike. I don't feel like being a part of this great experiment.

 

[Yellow22]

Bummer. Almost what I expected. I would follow up with a call of my own to Honda NA (assuming you are in North America) and confirm the the "fix" for your issue is indeed to loosen the chain out of specification. If they say yes, I would ask them to send me an Email from a Honda email address that states specifically, "It is ok to drive my 22' Honda Grom with a chain set way out of spec as listed on all of the safety placards both on the motorcycle and in the owners manual." And I would want them to include the statement that, "loosening the chain well beyond what is considered to be in spec, by the safety stickers on the motorcycle and in the owners manual that came with the motorcycle, fixes the known squealing noise issue on the 22 Honda Grom." I would ask for some very specific wording or something very close to it.

They are not going to send you that email.

But maybe it will push the (your) problem up the ladder.

Adjusting the chain out of spec is not the fix for this issue.

WOW!!!!

🤣 😂 🤣 😂 🤣 😂 🤣

It's so not funny that its funny!! How can that be the fix?!?!!?

🤣 😂 🤣 😂 🤣 😂 🤣 😂 🤣 😂 🤣

Huh....

SMH

Yeah, he specifically said, "This is what Honda told us to do, but be careful. You'll need to keep an eye on this chain because there's no adjustment left in it."

 

[Yellow22]

Got it back and the chain is way past the 1 3/8" spec listed on the swingarm. You can push the chain up and hit the swingarm with it. I measured it as hanging 2" below the swingarm, so the play in the chain is over 2". Insane.

I called the dealership and respectfully asked them if that's what Honda told them to do. He said yes. He said their words were "loosen the chain until the noise stops."

I told him my bike is still making the sound and he said to put the chain back in spec immediately.

I don't think they understand what this noise is. I don't think Honda knows what it is, either.

I rode yesterday about 80-100 miles and it started doing around the 25-35 mile mark then did it off and on the rest of the ride. Same noise, no change.

I think this is the kind of problem that won't get fixed any time soon because no dealership has the time to go ride every Grom that comes in for 40 miles just to hear this sound.

 

[Yellow22]

I just called another dealer and asked them about it.

1. No, he's never heard of this issue.
2. Since I've already taken it to the other dealer, I need to just take it back to them. (They're 2hrs away.)
3. If the issue only happens after 20 miles or so, I'm kind of screwed. He said no dealership is going to ride my bike that far to test it out because they don't have the time and Honda doesn't pay them to do that. He suggested I try to speed it up, maybe let it idle for a long time to let it get good and hot before riding it and see if that makes it happen faster.
4. I'm currently looking for cheap dirt bikes in my area to go trade for.

 

[Yellow22]

My Grom makes the sound whether the chain is tight, loose, whatever.

This weekend, I decided to go do some testing and videoed different things so I could show my dealer.

1. The sound occurs after 10-15 miles of WOT on the highway. It may take longer sometimes, but about 80% of the time, when I ride from my house into town (about 9-10 miles) it's doing it by the time I get to the first red light. It's a whining sound coming from the engine, maybe even the head area. That makes me think it could be the cam chain tensioner, but that's a guess.

2. As you hold the clutch in, coasting to a stop, that's when you notice it. As you gear down, the sound goes away immediately when you go into second. 3rd, 4th and 5th make the sound as you coast to a stop.

3. When you take back off, you'll be cruising in town now and the bike will sound okay again.

4. Go into 5th at about 35-40mph and before long, the whine comes back and it will be VERY loud this time. It comes on very suddenly. At this point, you can cruise along all day in 5th and it'll make that sound. This is how I was able to get it on video.

5. Go back down to second again and it'll stop it like you turned off a switch.

6. Go back into 3rd, 4th or 5th and the whine may come back again. Or it may not do it again until your next 10-15 mile WOT highway run to the next town.

I've gotten to where I can almost make the bike do it. But, as I said earlier, it requires actually riding the bike for a while and most dealers won't do that.

 

[Yellow22]

I am 99% certain we are talking about the same noise.

You said, "As you hold the clutch in, coasting to a stop, that's when you notice it." I want to point out that when mine makes the noise you can hold the clutch in and rev the bike and the noise does not change. The noise is not dependent on the speed of the motor. The noise is dependent on the speed of the rear wheel and transmission on the wheel side of the clutch. (Edit: this is why I do believe the problem could actually be with the chain. Again, I do not agree that chain tightness was ever the issue.)

I state the above to say, if the above is correct, the cam chain tensioner cannot be the issue. Neither could the head of the motor. Were it anything to do with the motor itself (not including downstream of the clutch) the noise would change based on the speed of the motor (revving it) not the speed of the grom.

That's right. All of that is right. I've tried revving the motor with the clutch in and it makes no change. Sound is tied to the speed of the bike, no the engine.

I should have known better than to suggest the CCT.

 

[Yellow22]

Progress on mine.

Called the dealer today and he says Honda wants me to bring the bike back so they can get into the transmission and look at "the gears and the countershaft." He said they think they know what the issue is.

So there's that.

 

[Yellow22]

Final word on mine and it's not good.

Dealer looked at the "countershaft and 32-tooth gear." Bearings went bad and my motor got hot enough that Honda has instructed them to replace all gaskets and the piston rings.

All parts are on backorder, of course. So who knows when I'll get my half-rebuilt bike back.

Not too happy with Honda right now.

 

[Yellow22]

So, countershaft bearing... that actually sounds plausible. They better quick like start replacing bearings or they are gonna be replacing motors. I smell a recall.

There's already a thread about a 23 with this issue.

 

[Yellow22]

Dealer says in addition to rings, the countershaft, bearings and gears are being replaced. "Anything that got hot and discolored." So who knows what all else.

I asked if they could just get me a new motor from Honda. Nope.

I don't know about yall but I'm in Arkansas and I've seen a lot of four wheeler engines get rebuilt by dealerships because someone swamped them in a mud hole.

I've never seen ONE of those engines go on to be anything but a mosquito fogger after a couple months.

 

[Yellow22]

This will 100% depend on how good the mechanic is that puts your motor back together. I would need to disassemble and re assemble the motor myself with lots of photos afterward. Just in case the mechanic fucked something up. (They always do) I would use a torque wrench on nearly every bolt during re-assembly. You will be lucky if a torque wrench touches your bike. I would give Honda hell for this.

Barring not getting a new motor, or your being able to pull it apart afterwards and see that nothing is fucked up, I would sell it. Sorry to put it that way but...

I have a very low opinion of dealerships. I never let anybody touch my shit. Honda does a recall, and it inside the motor, they are not seeing my bike. I'll do the work myself. If I have to. Out of my own pocket. Depending on cost...

YMMV

I am likely on the extreme end of things here but just my 2 cents. Don't put too much stock in a single opinion.

No, I feel the same way. This whole thing sucks.

The bike is gone whenever I do finally get it back.

I thought about trading it to them on something used and cheap but they don't have anything I want.