[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.

 

[King Of Beers]

I do believe this will get addressed, eventually. It sucks that we have to deal with this until it does.

I'm not sure what they are doing but they need to buy back, or offer a new replacement, on 5-10 of these bikes that are having the near constant noise and give them to a small team of engineers. They could diagnose the problem and propose a solution in no time.

I think the issue is maybe this has not escalated to a high enough level for the right people to see it. This is bad press for Honda and I'd expect if the right people knew about it that it would be fixed. I guess it could be the opposite. The right people do know about this and their stance is, "No, we are not going to fix this issue." I'd expect it is the former. There are no catastrophic failures to date (that i know of) and I guess relatively few complaints.

I am going to call Honda North America and see what they say. I will tell them I refuse to take the bike to a dealership until a real solution is found. I am going to cite @Yellow22 's and GromXsquatch's rediclulous experiences as to why I will not take it to the dealership. I just want to tell them my grom is having this issue so add one to the list. I'd encourage anyone in my same circumstance to do the same.

The more visibility this issue has the more likely we are to get a satisfactory solution.

 

[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.

 

[King Of Beers]

Honda Powersports North America Contact #

1 (866) 784 1870

M-F 8:30am - 4:30pm PST

 

[King Of Beers]

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.

I wouldn't be so quick to get rid of it unless, now that you have ridden it you have decided a Grom is not for you and you actually wanted a dirtbike. IMO the 22' - 23' Grom is the best available. I am sure a solution to this issue will be found whether it be Honda or aftermarket. And as far as I'm aware there have been no catastrophic failures due to this noise. ( I hold my breath and cross my fingers as I type the previous statement.)

My 2 cents... You do you, and 100% I get it. The Grom is one of 5 bikes I own.

Disclaimer: The above is in no way to be construed as advice on what you or anyone should do with their Groms and/or any other item across space time. If you feel that your grom/car/truck/other motorcycle/intergalactic space tricycle are malfunctioning or unsafe to operate, have your vehicle towed/warped to the authorized and qualified repair facility of your choice.

 

[Dav101]

I am going to call Honda North America and see what they say. I will tell them I refuse to take the bike to a dealership until a real solution is found. I am going to cite @Yellow22 's and GromXsquatch's rediclulous experiences as to why I will not take it to the dealership.

I wouldn't use GromXsuatch in your example to Honda. After he came to the realization he was running his chain too tight causing the issue, he made adjustments on the looser end of chain slack parameters and hasn't had the issue come up in a long time. Seems this problem was solved for him.

 

[Dav101]

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.

You could always just run the bike until it makes the sound your having after you've travelled to the dealer locale and then set someone from the dealer off on it to discover the sound for themselves.

 

[King Of Beers]

I wouldn't use GromXsuatch in your example to Honda. After he came to the realization he was running his chain too tight causing the issue, he made adjustments on the looser end of chain slack parameters and hasn't had the issue come up in a long time. Seems this problem was solved for him.

I did not see this. I assume he has a video on this? I'll look it up. Still curious to why a properly adjusted chain would cause this noise...

 

[Dav101]

I did not see this. I assume he has a video on this? I'll look it up. Still curious to why a properly adjusted chain would cause this noise...

He hasn't made any videos about his Grom experience for months while constantly makes other unrelated ones but you can find in his comments where he admits his folly from having the chain adjusted too tightly.

I don't think a properly adjusted chain causes the issue. It's when the chain is set too tight where the issue begins to arise.

I've paid attention to this issue from day one and have yet to find definitive answers. I keep finding where someone complains about it and others suddenly come out of the woodwork and pile on yet inexplicably no one seems to follow through and share their solution.

Whether people are shy about sharing the simplicity of the solution or what action Honda may have taken to correct it remains a mystery to me.

One thing that the shared experiences I've found have in common is it appears to happen with bikes with lower mileages. No one with high mileage bikes seems to have an ongoing issue. Maybe people are learning something and have taken corrective measures but they're sure not sharing for whatever reason.

 

[King Of Beers]

He hasn't made any videos about his Grom experience for months while constantly makes other unrelated ones but you can find in his comments where he admits his folly from having the chain adjusted too tightly.

I don't think a properly adjusted chain causes the issue. It's when the chain is set too tight where the issue begins to arise.

I've paid attention to this issue from day one and have yet to find definitive answers. I keep finding where someone complains about it and others suddenly come out of the woodwork and pile on yet inexplicably no one seems to follow through and share their solution.

Whether people are shy about sharing the simplicity of the solution or what action Honda may have taken to correct it remains a mystery to me.

One thing that the shared experiences I've found have in common is it appears to happen with bikes with lower mileages. No one with high mileage bikes seems to have an ongoing issue. Maybe people are learning something and have taken corrective measures but they're sure not sharing for whatever reason.

Hmmmmmm... I am certain my chain is not too tight. It has either been in spec or loose as I checked it day one and periodically afterwards. I have only heard the noise on mine twice and I just rolled 1,700 miles today. I know thats still low mileage... mine made the noise right after the first oil change, so 600 miles then again before the Akara exhaust so sub 1,000 miles. So I have not noticed it in 700 miles. Maybe mine is "fixed". LOL!

I don't get the not sharing thing. Seems like gromx made so many videos complaining about it, IMO he owes an explanation for his solution.

I hope it is just the chain as I can't wait to replace mine anyway. IMO non sealed chains are garbage. I have never oiled it and I don't plan on it. When it wears out I'm getting an x ring chain.

 

[Dav101]

I don't get the not sharing thing. Seems like gromx made so many videos complaining about it, IMO he owes an explanation for his solution.

I hope it is just the chain as I can't wait to replace mine anyway. IMO non sealed chains are garbage. I have never oiled it and I don't plan on it. When it wears out I'm getting an x ring chain.

Agreed. But after all that exaggerated heated hate he put on Honda I'm thinking it might be a little embarrassing for him to come out and say it was due to something he was contributing to the cause of.

I have never oiled it and I don't plan on it.

That right there. Be careful! I was of the same mind. After 1700 miles on your bike it wouldn't surprise me if you check chain slack and it's fine. But, and this is a big but, if you put the rear on a stand and slowly turn the rear wheel keep checking the slack and you may find a tight spot.

If you wash your bike a lot with a garden hose - chain rust likes to hide inside the inner links and not initially presenting on the outer side surfaces and might go unnoticed.

I was guilty of this, but it's how I last discovered when I needed a new chain - I rotated that wheel a quarter turn and suddenly my perfect slack went tight! Bam! Kept rotating slowly, now it's fine, rotate, tight again.

Looking at the big picture I think a lot of new riders are prone to adjusting their chain from only one reference point in the chain and not rotating to different areas of the chain and re-checking it here and there to facilitate discovery.

Imagine if you checked slack on a bad chain and made the adjustment based on a loose spot. You'd have a tight chain setting and not know it.

I have personally had noise from my non-sealed OEM chain and discovered it had tight and or loose areas. (And I know my lack of lubricating it didn't help.) The crazy thing is I was absolutely sure the sound was coming from the front of my bike before realizing it was caused by the OEM chain! I even swapped out my front brake pads to rule them out as the cause of the sound. I was so wrong but I could hear a faint rubbing when spinning the wheel and thought maybe it was contributing under speed. Swapped out the chain and my sound immediately disappeared.

A sealed chain is indeed more forgiving compared to the delicate fickle nature of the OEM non-sealed chain. My last 2 Groms I swapped the OEM chain out on day one before even putting a mile on them LoL

Edit: Also, lube that chain! At least it will keep the rust at bay.

 

[King Of Beers]

Agreed. But after all that exaggerated heated hate he put on Honda I'm thinking it might be a little embarrassing for him to come out and say it was due to something he was contributing to the cause of.



That right there. Be careful! I was of the same mind. After 1700 miles on your bike it wouldn't surprise me if you check chain slack and it's fine. But, and this is a big but, if you put the rear on a stand and slowly turn the rear wheel keep checking the slack and you may find a tight spot.

If you wash your bike a lot with a garden hose - chain rust likes to hide inside the inner links and not initially presenting on the outer side surfaces and might go unnoticed.

I was guilty of this, but it's how I last discovered when I needed a new chain - I rotated that wheel a quarter turn and suddenly my perfect slack went tight! Bam! Kept rotating slowly, now it's fine, rotate, tight again.

Looking at the big picture I think a lot of new riders are prone to adjusting their chain from only one reference point in the chain and not rotating to different areas of the chain and re-checking it here and there to facilitate discovery.

Imagine if you checked slack on a bad chain and made the adjustment based on a loose spot. You'd have a tight chain setting and not know it.

I have personally had noise from my non-sealed OEM chain and discovered it had tight and or loose areas. (And I know my lack of lubricating it didn't help.) The crazy thing is I was absolutely sure the sound was coming from the front of my bike before realizing it was caused by the OEM chain! I even swapped out my front brake pads to rule them out as the cause of the sound. I was so wrong but I could hear a faint rubbing when spinning the wheel and thought maybe it was contributing under speed. Swapped out the chain and my sound immediately disappeared.

A sealed chain is indeed more forgiving compared to the delicate fickle nature of the OEM non-sealed chain. My last 2 Groms I swapped the OEM chain out on day one before even putting a mile on them LoL

Edit: Also, lube that chain! At least it will keep the rust at bay.

All good advice.

Im 42 and have owned a motorcycle, no gaps, since I was 12. I was wrenching on bicycles before that. I do all of my own maintenance and modifications on all of my bikes. I'm a bit ADD so my stuff stays in top notch mechanical condition.

I still don't understand the not being able to admit if a tight chain was the issue. Sure, on the surface, it seems like an amateur mistake but, as you stated above there are alot of variables when it comes to tightening a chain. Be a human and help everyone else out and tell us what solved your problem.

I am still doubting the chain adjustment is the cause of this issue. (Sub par chains sourced by Honda more likely?!?!) My Grom's chain has been in spec since the first ride. This noise does not sound like a noise the chain could possibly make. (I could definitely be wrong here. Just my opinion.) Yellow22 said his grom still makes the noise with the chain out of spec loose.

Still waiting for an acceptable solution.

 

[Dav101]

I am still doubting the chain adjustment is the cause of this issue. (Sub par chains sourced by Honda more likely?!?!) My Grom's chain has been in spec since the first ride. This noise does not sound like a noise the chain could possibly make. (I could definitely be wrong here. Just my opinion.) Yellow22 said his grom still makes the noise with the chain out of spec loose.

Still waiting for an acceptable solution.

I think people have differing noise issues and things become conflated. My personal example was simply chain related. Others seem to have quite a different issue. Maybe my rambling above can help some people define and sort out theirs.

As I've said I haven't found any definitive answers but remain interested in the subject because there isn't a concrete diagnosis to even create a solution for. I too am waiting to see where the issue goes.

 

[King Of Beers]

There is a very specific noise that is corroborated by many people. I think generally, most people can read a little and determine if their noise is what I and others are hearing.

The chain could, in fact, be the issue. I do not believe the chain being properly adjusted is the issue at all. (Edit for wording)

Throwing water on the fire and trying to downplay the severity of the issue is helping no one.

The fact is, many of us, have bought a very expensive toy (made by Honda so we expect quality) and occasionally (more for others) that toy sounds like it is going to come apart while we are riding it!

The sound is not normal and it is signifying a serious issue.

Again, I encourage those who have this issue report it to Honda. If it gets enough visibility they will fix it.

 

[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.

 

[King Of Beers]

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.

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.

 

[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.

 

[deoodles]

“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.” This is from post #55

I can agree with everything you posted except…. I have first hand knowledge of this as well and it was only in 4th and 5th. In 3rd it was not present. After coming to a stop it went away and did not return

 

[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.

 

[King Of Beers]

Very nice! Keep us updated!