Boom Vader 125cc Review: First 100 Miles!

Now that I crossed the 100-mile mark on my Boom Vader motorcycle (BD125-10), I thought I would take the time to give a little review of my newest motorcycle. This little Grom Clone motorcycle is brand new and isn’t perfect out of the box, however I want upgrades. This Boom Vader 125cc review can be not so exciting to some since I’ve done no performance upgrades to my bike, yet.

Give me time. I want to keep it in stock as long as possible(minus oil changes). It’s only been 100 miles of riding so far. And so far I’ve enjoyed my Honda Grom-Clone 125cc Motorcycle.

Now take this new motorcycle review with grain of salt. This Boom Vader Gen2 motorcycle review is just covering the first 100 miles into this motorcycle’s journey.  Remember this Boom Vader still has the stock 125 cc engine (BD125-10), and only thing I’ve done so far is upgrade the motorcycle’s oil ( My Boom Vader Gen 2 Will Stay Stock, For Now, Except? ).

Ready For My Boom Vader Motorcycle Review?

Have big hopes for this little 125cc motorcycle?

Spoiler alert: riding this little 125cc motorcycle has been enjoyable, and I’m going to keep this motorcycle review real. Please read this review on my Grom Clone as-is, I will tell you what I like and dislike, but overall the Boom Vader has been a great addition to my growing motorcycle family.

BTW: Who Makes The Boom Vader Motorcycle?

Honda Grom motorcycles have very long lifespans, and Grom Clones, like this Boom Vader (BD125-10), are designed to model the Grom’s life expectancy. So this might not be an important review to measure the reliability of my Grom Clone(only 100 miles), but it’s hopefully the first in my many Boom Vader reviews.

First, Motorcycle Review’s Most Important Part!

Photos of my Boom Vader Gen 2 motorcycle actually making 100 miles on the odometer!

Boom Vader Gen 2 Motorcycle Odometer at 99.9 miles.

Boom Vader Gen 2 Motorcycle odometer at 100 miles!!

Now you’ve seen my Boom Vader motorcycle odometer cross 100 miles, let’s get some ground rules for this Grom Clone 125cc motorcycle review.

Grom Clone’s Background. This Is MY Boom Vader 125cc Review Of Own Motorcycle.

Grom clones are known for their ability to be customized. Every owner seems to see themselves as a motorcycle artist trying to make their Grom clone the reflection of their imagination. Well, the Boom Vader motorcycle is the same, however…

My Boom Vader motorcycle isn’t customized. I have done nothing to this motorcycle since its assembly other than repair items that came broken or missing or fixed the problems found during the first ride of the Boom Vader.

The only thing I changed on this motorcycle is the oil ( My Boom Vader Gen 2 Will Stay Stock, For Now, Except? ). Still the same stock carburetor, stock exhaust, and of course stock 125cc engine.

Now I am riding this little Grom Clone motorcycle as stock as possible till I get further into the bike’s break-in period. I heard safe Chonda break-in periods are as low as 100 miles, but many manuals point a few hundred miles(300 miles) is more reasonable. 

Well, motorcycle break-in periods are designed about properly wearing in engine parts by keeping loads and RPMs low; I might have exceeded this going easy period already. Read more about this in the review later.

Boom Vader Ride-ability, Like A Honda Grom’s?

Remember, it’s a Honda Grom clone, not a Honda Grom.

Boom Vader Gen 2 Motorcycle Riding Body Position, The Size:

I can only compare this to my TaoTao TBR7 motorcycle; not a giant bike, but the TBR7 feels much larger than the Boom Vader.

The motorcycle feels small. Like any Grom Clone, they match the Honda Grom, a ‘mini-moto.’ Not a pocket bike, but small. So at 5’8″, almost 200 pounds(yeah, winter weight), this motorcycle feels small.  Remember it behaves small too, with it’s tiny 125cc engine.

This feel is to be expected; it’s a small motorcycle.  But the BD125-10 model’s style makes it look fast. :p 

Boom Vader Gen 2 Motorcycle Riding Body Position, The Stock Seat:

My Boom Vader is modeled after the Honda Grom’s physical dimensions so much that I’m told if it fits on a Honda Grom, it can work (with some tweaking) on the Boom Vader. 

From my experience with Honda Groms at motorcycle dealers, which isn’t much since these little Honda Groms sell so fast, the Boom Vader motorcycle’s shape and size match the Honda Grom.

About the same size, with minor differences. My Boom Vader has a ‘tiered’ seat, and the rider on one level and the passenger on another level. In contrast, many Honda Grom today have one continuous level seat. Like you see on a dirt bike motorcycle. 

So, not apples to apples to compare to the Grom, but I can review the actual seat for the first 100 miles.

The Boom Vader seat is comfortable. I managed to do some longer rides, 40 miles, and my butt was OK. The tiered seat encourages you to ride as far forward towards the fuel tank, but you can slide back with almost no discomfort. You notice the different padding levels of the seat.

So for the first 100 miles, the stock Boom Vader seat is comfortable, and I need to move back and forth to feel more spaced out.

Boom Vader 125cc Motorcycle Engine’s Shifting Feel

First, the shifting radically changes from the first mile of riding to the 100th mile of riding. I was warned that Grom Clones are known for not being very smooth out of the box, shifting getting smoother as you ride the motorcycle. They were right.

Boom Vader Motorcycle Shifting Early In The 100 Mile Review.

It was clunky and often could not shift gears upward unless the motorcycle was in motion and at higher RPMs. Not sure why this was the case, having to have higher engine RPMs, but it was.

Felt as if you were forcing the transmission into the next lower gear, often stomping on the gear shifter to get the shifting to move down a gear. I found I didn’t like downshifting to come to a stop at an intersection. I would use the brakes and shift into first gear after 

First gear would make a clanking noise shifting into it.  

The clutch was smooth, with a larger lever that seemed to help.  

I was not finding neutral. You can try to find neutral early in the miles, but good luck. Even trying to shift down from 2nd into neutral seemed impossible. Occasionally I found neutral when I was shifting up from first gear accelerating. Rev’ed the crud out of the bike’s engine.

Boom Vader Motorcycle Shifting Later In The 100 Mile Review.

What a difference! What a change riding only 100 miles can do for a new motorcycle.

I can now downshift easier.  

I can find neutral now, but mostly mid-shifting down from 2nd gear.

Is The Boom Vader’s Transmission Shifting Buttery Smooth?

By no means. I feel hopeful that this Grom Clone’s shifting will get better with time. The first 100 miles made a world of difference with shifting.

Boom Vader Gen 2 Transmission Gearing.

I had to make a separate entry for this, and it’s something every Grom Clone owner has complained about pre-moding their motorcycle. The motorcycle is gear very low.  

When accelerating from a stop, you have to almost get out of 1st gear immediately, or you will red line the engine.

When you are moving up in gears, you will find yourself quickly in 4th gear. I often went so fast through gears up-shifting that I tried to get into the 5th gear, and the Boom Vader has NO 5th gear.

Benefits To Boom Vader’s Stock 125cc Motorcycle Gearing:

I liked the stock gearing because this motorcycle feels very “torque-y” for a tiny 125cc bike. I can see how people can pop wheelies easily on Grom Clones. The light bike, short wheelbase, and very low geared first gear make the front end want to pop up.

No haven’t done any wheelies on my Boom Vader; I’m still in the break-in period, not the Breaking period. :p

I wish the Boom Vader 125cc had a 5th gear, and here is why:

First, when breaking in your Grom Clone, don’t get yourself onto roads with higher than 25mph speed limits. I found myself on the road with a 45 mph speed limit and cars crawling up my backside. So I did 45-50 mph on the Boom Vader during the break-in period, don’t.

The Boom Vader has stock sprockets, and to do 50 mph, I was like at 7,000 RPMs. This speed is much higher than I wanted to be and doesn’t leave much room before you red line the engine. So the Boom Vader is geared too low for my riding preferences. One of the first upgrades will be to the front sprocket, a larger front sprocket ( Update, installed a larger front sprocket on my Boom Vader).  

Boom Vader 125cc Engine’s Feel.

The motorcycle vibrates; with the extremely low gearing, I found myself too often running the bike at 5,000-7,000 RPMs. These high RPMs translated into a ‘buzzy’ feeling.  

It is expected; this 125cc engine looks the size of a weed whacker engine and has to pump out high RPMs to get give what little horsepower it has. It’s a small motor, and I knew that buying the bike.

Boom Vader Gen 2’s Motorcycle Brakes.

The brakes are smoother than expected. If you ever road a TaoTao TBR7, you will hate that motorcycle’s rear brake ( TBR7 Rear Brake Assembly ). Very little travel and easily locked up.

The Boom Vader’s brakes have lots of travel, not too much, and you feel like you can adjust how much braking power you want while riding.  

I initially had some issues with the Boom Vader’s rear brake ( Boom Vader Motorcycle Brake Fluid Reservoir Replacement ) and was concerned about air in the lines, but this worked out for me. Glad it was an easy fix. 

The front brake works well, but I have to admit I don’t use it much. The motorcycle’s speeds have been kept low, and I feel my braking has been done with the rear brake most of all. I use the front brake but haven’t made many demands on it.  

I’m sure my front brake use will change as I mod the clone to do higher speeds with time.

Boom Vader Gen 2’s Stock OEM Motorcycle Tires.

Other than the 10-speed pedal bikes I owned in the past, I never rode with tires so smooth. This smoothness scared me when going through puddles.

Now it was silly to be scared of these tires. They stick to the road. Hearing OEM motorcycle tire horror stories, I thought the tires would equate to hard plastic toy tires, which is not the case with these tires. 

They are soft/tacky and warm up nicely with riding. I could feel the warmth in my hands at the end of the rides. 

I practiced emergency braking with the Boom Vader to feel out its stopping distance, and the tires held well to the ground.  

I have been trying to lean a little more into turns, even though the motorcycle is still going much slower than expected. The OEM tires are doing well with these turns.

I like these tires for street riding.

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Click For Current 125cc Vader Bikes Prices!

Review Verdict For This Grom Clone, Boom Vader 125cc Yeah or Nay?

This review is only for the motorcycle’s first 100 miles of riding. I plan to do much more riding with the Boom Vader Gen 2, which will affect my upgrade plans.  

This Grom Clone motorcycle is nice! It rides well and looks pretty user-friendly. Each mile-ridden seems to reward me with the motorcycle riding better and better.

The motorcycle rides so well; in a way, I wish it was my first motorcycle( Just Bought My First Motorcycle! ), not my second motorcycle( I Ordered My Second Motorcycle, A Grom Clone! (Finally!) ). However, it rides so well that I might have gotten spoiled as a first-time rider, and larger bikes might scare me when I upgrade.

This Grom Clone 125cc Motorcycle Recommend?

YES!

I really enjoy my Boom Vader 125cc motorcycle.

I am enjoying my rides and find myself making reasons not to turn around and head home when it gets colder later in the day.

This bike is easy to use and allows me to do scenic tours of my local cities and enjoy the ride. It’s stupid-easy to ride. 😀

My Boom Vader Gen 2 (BD125) Future Riding Plans.

I plan to continue riding this motorcycle as stock as possible for as long as possible. There are still problems, like the chain striking the lower guard and the engine rev’s out too high at low speeds, but we want to treat this bike to a more extended break-in period.

So sticking to city riding and easy accelerations, with no stunting.

Am I A True Grom Clone Owner?

After reading how I plan not to do any mods or stunting, I’m sure you wondered if I understood I now own a Grom Clone. Yes, I do.

My Boom Vader will go into modding very slowly, and my plans to mod will revolve around making the motorcycle more rider-friendly. Like more power, more high-end speeds, etc.

So on my to-do list is a new carb, new exhaust, and new front sprocket. Just check back later and see the mods I complete and what I recommend.

Thanks for stopping by; Ride Safe, Ride Fun!

Click To See My Recommended

Boom Vader Gen 2 Upgrades

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Current Vader Motorcycles Prices!

This Boom Vader Gen 2 (BD125-10) 100 Mile FAQs:

1.- What upgrades did you do so far to your Boom Vader?

The only upgrade, and only labeling it as an upgrade since it vastly improves the motorcycle’s life expectancy, was the motor oil ( Boom Vader Gen 2 Will Stay Stock, For Now, Except ). The oil that comes with Boom Vader, like many Chonda’s, is of questionable quality ( TBR7 Shipping Oil Change? Break-In Oil? ).

Because of this, I used a good quality oil, so there was no question about what was inside my Boom Vader. Of course, since first oil changes are frequent, and others recommend this, I use conventional motorcycle oil 15w40 Shell Rotella T4 Oil.

2.- What Boom Vader Upgrade Do You Wish You Had Already?

A larger front sprocket. My TaoTao TBR7 ( TaoTao TBR7 Motorcycle Review ) came with a small front sprocket geared toward climbing, but I wanted the TBR7 to be more of a street motorcycle, so I upgraded its front sprocket ( TBR7 Front Sprocket Upgrade ).

The result of upgrading my TBR7’s front sprocket added more low gear range and increased the top speed on the road. The TBR7 lost some acceleration and hill-climbing abilities, but it was an excellent upgrade for how I ride that motorcycle.

So, this Grom Clone too comes with a small front sprocket. Therefore, my to-do list of upgrades ( Boom Vader Upgrades To-Do List ) is to increase the size of the front sprocket. I am on the fence about doing a 16 tooth or 17 tooth front sprocket, questioning how much hill climbing and acceleration I’m risking to lose, but there are future upgrades.

If I go to the larger front sprocket, the 17 tooth version, I will lose the most in acceleration but, hopefully, increase the top end speed of my Boom Vader at red-line. With more future upgrades: aftermarket carburetor and low resistance exhaust, I could regain some of that lost acceleration and climbing ability while maintaining the top end speed increase of the larger front sprocket.

Follow along with my recommended Boom Vader upgrades page to find out what worked for me.

3.- Would You Recommend This Boom Vader Gen 2 Motorcycle To Others?

It’s still early. Just got my Boom Vader Gen 2 (BD125-10).

This Boom Vader Gen 2 motor bike review is very early in my life expectancy of this motorcycle. There are some ‘weirdness’ to the bike that I am not focusing on since it’s early, and many of my future upgrades might eliminate. But as always I am Looking For Motorcycles For Sale.

4.- Best Thing So Far About The Boom Vader (Boom Vader vs. Grom)

The nice thing about buying a Grom Clone is that the price is so low compared to purchasing the real Grom. You might not have the Honda reliability out of the box, but you have lots of money left over to do upgrades to improve the Boom Vader’s reliability and customize the bike to your own.

I am not stressed about doing motorcycle upgrades. Also, Grom Clone upgrades are relatively cheap with the large Grom Clone aftermarket parts suppliers. Doing Boom Vader upgrades should be fun.

5.- One Thing You Want To Upgrade/Fix On The Boom Vader Motorcycle First?

I wanted to upgrade the front sprocket ASAP, but slowly I think I’m hearing a clicking noise from the front sprocket area. I’m not sure what this is, if it’s broken, or if I need a new chain immediately, but the clicking noise makes me want to fix it first.

Clicking Noise Update: Typical Grom Clone Chain Clicking Noise, Fixed!

Stock Chain Info: Stock Boom Vader Chain Good or Bad?

Thank you, send more questions about my 100 mile review of my new Boom Vader Gen 2 motorcycle. 😀

Click To See My Recommended

Boom Vader Gen 2 Upgrades