Proof that adventures do not require large motorcycles.
We are accustomed to hearing of intrepid riders travelling around the world on larger and/or more powerful motorcycles, but Nicklas Aittamaa has different ideas. He has been riding around the world on a Honda Grom (also known as the MSX 125 in certain countries).
The Swede set off on the “playbike” in July 2018 and has covered more than 22,000 kilometres since. He has ridden through Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India and is currently riding through Thailand. The one question he has been asked everywhere he went is: “Why on a Grom?”
It’s the perfect bike, according to Nicklas, when speaking to ADV Pulse. “It’s small, it’s fun and it’s a real head-turner,” he said.
He was inspired by the Grom when he rented one in Bali, Indonesia while on a surfing trip. “What if I never stopped? I could ride this bike back to Sweden,” he reminisced.
Nicklas performed a number of necessary upgrades on the Grom before he started. He replaced the stock rear shock with a YSS item to handle the weight of the luggage; he added a luggage rack, Puig windshield and Bride gel seat with SW-Motech air cushion. GPS duties are handled by his phone. He also added custom-built crash bars, LED lights and extra fuel tanks along the way.
The bike does 50km on 1 litre of fuel, hence Nicklas can cover as much as 500km using his extended fuel tank.
His worst incident during his trip so far? Not a mechanical failure, but a serious case of food poisoning in Pakistan.
Picture courtesy of Nicklas Aittamaa/ADVRoad.com
Nicklas documents his adventures in a YouTube channel aptly named Gromance.
