Honda just has updated the beloved Grom and the big news is that it really hasn’t changed much. Version 2025 Honda Grom ditched the oversized ‘grommets’ that adorned the bodywork and used sleek new plastics for a sportier look. But it’s still a lovely minibike under the hood—because why ruin a good thing?
The good folks at Steady Garage in California aren’t known for not leaving good enough behind. Run by Kevin Dunn, Jimmy Chen, Bahwee Suh, and Duy Nguyen, Steady Garage specializes in minibikes—or, more specifically, wild custom minibikes. They love the Grom, and they know exactly how to make it even better.
While we wouldn’t call the little 124cc, 12-inch-wheeled Grom a sportsbike, that’s what Steady saw when it rolled into their workshop. Drawing parallels between its streamlined new design and the look of Honda’s actual sportsbikes, they decided to turn it into an aggressive little streetfighter, while keeping its most distinctive features intact.
Steady’s standing in the minibike community (and their impressive parts store) has given them a lot of connections, so they’ve gone through their Rolodex and tapped the best in the business to outfit their Grom with a killer list of hop-up parts.
Gears Racing came to the party with a host of suspension upgrades. First, they overhauled the front forks with aluminum tubes, black chrome struts, and what Kevin tells us is the first set of matching cartridges for the Grom. Then they sent a fully adjustable piggyback shock out back, hooked up to a gorgeous aluminum swingarm from G-Craft.
The CNC machined forks and steering shaft are a complete set from Sex Machine Racing of Thailand, while the column mount is a Nemoto part.
Steady’s friends at Chimera Engineering also provided a lot of the goodies, starting with the shiny new modular three-piece Grom rims. Measuring 12×4.00” up front and 12×5.00” out back, they’re wrapped in Kenda tires. The hubs, spacers, hubs, and swingarm pivots are also from Chimera, as is the rear sprocket mount.
The braking system uses new Anchor calipers, bolted to Chimera caliper mounts. Wave-shaped brake discs and EBC braided stainless steel cords add stopping power.
The Grom’s drivetrain gets a little help from a DHM camshaft and a high-performance ignition coil and wire set from Nology. Steady upgraded the clutch with a new six-plate shifter and springs from SMR, and installed an SMR billet aluminum stator cover. The ram air intake and conical air filter are from Chimera, as are numerous covers and shields scattered throughout the bike.
For the bodywork, Steady Garage partnered with Detailed by Panem—a Las Vegas-based carbon fiber auto parts specialist. The necessary parts were designed and refined using 3D modeling software, before Detailed by Panem molded and manufactured the final parts.
The collaboration resulted in a pair of sporty fenders, nacelle headlight side panels, side skirts and a fuel tank shroud. Steady further enhanced the bodywork by adding vents to the main fuel tank side covers.
As for the rear end, that requires a heavier hand. “Fortunately, Honda’s redesign of the Grom frame for 2022 into two separate pieces—the main frame and the rear subframe—has opened up more opportunities for customization and aftermarket parts,” Kevin says.
Steady removed the old subframe, replacing it with a machined aluminum bracket made in collaboration with Chimera. Rogelio’s Auto Upholstery handled the rear body, along with the seat foam and luxurious walnut leather upholstery. The redesigned rear end also required a new battery tray and some OEM wiring tweaks.
“Creating a design that exposes so many areas of the motorcycle’s interior required considerable effort,” says Kevin, “including relocating components and combining existing panels with the new layout. We also noted the possibility of creating additional kits for enthusiasts who might want to replicate our design.”
Lighting is via Baja Designs headlights in Chimera housings, with Motodynamic taillights integrated into the tail. Woodcraft grips with ASV levers flank the OEM dash, attaching to a Chimera grip switch plate that mounts directly to the standard bar mounts.
Vance and Hines took Steady’s 2025 Honda Grom project to the finish line with a custom exhaust system. “They brought our exhaust design to life with custom exhaust guards that blend in with the side panels,” says Kevin.
Finished in teal, with sharp yellow graphics and just the right amount of carbon fiber, not an inch of this Grom is left untouched. With outfits like Steady Garage and their accomplices on the job, it’s no surprise that the mini-moto custom scene is thriving.
Stable garage | Facebook | Instagram
Steady Garage would like to thank American Honda, Vance and Hines, Chimera Engineering, Kenda Powersports, G-Craft, SMR Factory, Gears Racing, Anchor Brake Systems, Rogelio’s Auto Upholstery / RAU Engineering, Micro Machines SGV and Bike EXIF.
