Boom Vader Gen 2 Crossed 1,000 miles! (My Grom Clone)

My little Grom Clone motorcycle has crossed over 1,000 miles and is still strong. This Boom Vader Gen 2 (BD125-10) motorcycle has impressed me. I was a little concerned with some items I found wrong with the design( Boom Vader / Grom Clone Assembly Problems & Concerns ) and assembly(shakedown cruise), but it improves with the more I ride it.

Now my Boom Vader could have been left in stock, but I didn’t, so I’ll tell you what about this ride impressed the original parts.

1.- The Stock Foot Shifter.

The clunky shifter setup is working well. The move of a lever to push/pull a cross-arm to another lever to shift around gears is something you would suspect Rube Goldberg would have designed. Too many mechanical losses in the design, but it functions.  

2.- Gear Shifting.

Getting into and out of gears is working out well. I am finding neutral more often but from 2nd gear instead of 1st. The only time I find neutral from 1st is when I try to accelerate from a light. Ha.

Weird, this is all I have to quickly say that has continued to improve crossing over this milestone. One Thousand Miles!!!!!

My Previous Boom Vader Gen 2 Motorcycle Reviews.

This post isn’t a detailed review of the Boom Vader, just a post about how much I’ve enjoyed this little motorcycle. A simple recap of how this little Grom Clone is continuously improving with age and simple upgrades.

Here are my previous reviews of my Boom Vader 125 Motorcycle:

Out Of Box Review: Boom Vader / Grom Clone Assembly Problems & Concerns

My First Ride: Boom Vader (Chinese Grom Clone) Review (First Ride)

Review At 100 miles: Boom Vader (Grom Clone) Review @ 100 Miles

Review At 200 miles: Boom Vader (A Grom Clone) Review @ 200 Miles

Review At 400 miles: Boom Vader (A Grom Clone) Review @ 400 Miles

Now, remember some of the past reviews were with a motorcycle that is more stock than it is today. So, today’s event was completed with my following motorcycle upgrades.

My Current Boom Vader Upgrades.

Remember, my Boom Vader still has the stock tiny 125cc engine, so many of the items here are upgrades for the stock engine. Keep this in mind since my carb upgrade might be small compared to other people’s bike upgrades. Here are some of my upgrades:

Boom Vader (Grom Clone) 17t Front Sprocket Upgrade

Grom Clone Motorcycle Chain Replacement Instructions

Basic Boom Vader Aftermarket Exhaust Upgrade

Boom Vader Carb Upgrade Kit Came in, for Grom Clone 125’s

Now you might notice a simple theme to all my past upgrades. None of these were meant to be cosmetic but to improve the Boom Vader’s power and reliability. 

Increasing Top Speed Of My Boom Vader Motorcycle

Out of the box, the little stock Grom Clone motorcycle had a very low top speed: Stock Boom Vader’s Top Speed Test.

With an upgrade to the front sprocket, the Boom Vader’s top speed did improve: 17t Upgraded Front Sprocket Boom Vader Top Speed Test.

Since I noticed it was difficult for the little 125cc engine to reach red line after the sprocket upgrade, I focused on improving the engine output.

After the sprocket change, I didn’t change the gearing(front and rear sprocket sizes) any further. My top speed for the Boom Vader is limited by how much I want to push the engine into the tach’s red zone and what I want for max RPMs. 

I Felt 7500+ RPMs were a reasonable limit for the initial period, so been using that as the benchmark for my past speed tests. So will continue to do so going forward, but I do find myself accidentally in the 8k+ RPMs red zone too often now. The Boom Vader takes it like a champ!

Stock Motorcycle Chain Note: 

One could argue that the better motorcycle chain ( Grom Clone Motorcycle Chain Replacement Instructions ) allowed more energy to be transferred to the rear wheel, which helped with acceleration, but I never tested this. This upgrade was almost 100 percent for reliability ( Stock Boom Vader Chain Good or Bad? ).  

If you have information that changes from the stock chain to another chain indeed improves the delivery of power to the wheel, please do. I didn’t weigh the two motorcycle chains or check their flexibility. Again, I just wanted not to have a premature failure of the Grom Clone stock motorcycle chain tearing up my motorcycle or leg.

So What I Like About My Boom Vader So Far(1,000 Miles Later).

It’s A Honda Grom Mimic

Well, let’s face it, the best thing about the Boom Vader and any Grom Clone is it’s modeled after the Honda Grom characteristics. Honda made a great choice by taking the lead in the Mini-Moto area of the market.  Really opened it up for others to add their own contributions.

Being a Honda, you know all the Mini-Moto’s strong suit is reliability and max performance. However, much of the original Grom’s charm comes from how it looks like a tiny sports bike. Very Cute.

So, what I first like about my Boom Vader is that it looks like a cute small sports motorbike. Now, of course, this looks. We all know Grom Clones, in general, don’t seem to perform like little sports bikes without some serious mods.

Summary of Boom Vader Likes:

1.- The Mini-Moto Size.

The Boom Vader is easy to flat-foot on and, due to its small wheelbase, is very flick-able. Add in the tiny tires. This bike turns very well and offers a lot of maneuverability for a “low” cost bike.

2.- Not An Intimidating Motorcycle.

Face it. The bike is cute. You see a Boom Vader, nothing scary about it. At best, it makes sounds like an angry lawn mower.   

3.- That Grom Clone Low Cost.

With the low cost, the motorcycle leaves a lot of money in your pocket to make the bike more reliable(Chain Change) and add customized performance upgrades(Carb and exhaust) with tailoring its use like speed/toque characteristics (Front sprocket).  

All while leaving a lot of money left over to customize its looks to make this bike a reflection of your mental state. Some of you people are sick.

So What I DON’T Like About My Boom Vader(But Live With).

When you get a copy of the original, you have to settle for how well it’s copied.

The Boom Vader has some manufacturing concerns right out of the box ( Boom Vader / Grom Clone Assembly Problems & Concerns ) and reliability issues with parts( Boom Vader Vapor Lock? and Boom Vader Gas Tank Is Leaking From Bottom, Again!?!).

Also, I know I bought it already like this but starting to get tired of carburetors. I mean, each time I bought a bike, now twice, the carb was so tuned down that any upgrade( My TaoTao TBR7 included: TaoTao TBR7 Review & Specs: Out Of The Box ) was a real boost in performance.  

From day one, the bike comes almost restricted in how much fun you can have. But again, due to the low cost, upgrades ( Boom Vader 125 (Grom Clone) Upgrades To-Do List ) are easy and cheap.

I could go on and on about minor details, like the cast wheels or the silly horn, but no need. With time even these small items will be changed or grow on me.  

Final 1,000 Mile Boom Vader Motorcycle Comments.

I like this bike. The Boom Vader was a great Grom Clone motorcycle choice, and I’m having too much fun on it. I look forward to riding it after work. It’s easy on the gas, and its peppy spirit makes me feel like I’m going fast when I am NOT going fast.

Even the H-D leather Daddies wave back when I wave—something they don’t do much with my TaoTao TBR7 dual-sport motorcycle.

Your Boom Vader or Grom Clone Motorcycle Feedback?

• Do you have a Grom Clone Motorcycle?
• Is it a Boom Vader Motorcycle?
• What Do You Like About Your Motorcycle?
• What Should Be My Next Upgrades?
• Do You Have A Cheap Source For Grom Skins and Grom Decals? Amazon.com?

Etc, Etc.

I am looking for any feedback or suggestions from current Grom Clone owners. Please leave a comment below!

Thank you, and Ride Safe, Ride Fun!

Click To See My Recommended

Boom Vader Gen 2 Upgrades