Page 36 - Australian Motorcycle News (January 2020)

TNT Vs GROM

such decent sales figure it’s no surprise that other
manufacturers might have wanted a piece of
that lucrative micro-bike pie. Kawasaki released
its Z125 Pro the same year, and then Benelli
swaggered onto the scene two years later with
some Italian design flair, adding the TNT 125
to the fray, swiftly followed by the updated 135cc
last year.
We’ve tested all of them individually, but there’s
always been that question about which one is best.
It’s a pointless question – best for whom? And for
what? – but one that gets asked by most people that
are looking at one of these fun little machines.
Unfortunately, Kawasaki didn’t have a Z125
available for the window we needed it, so that
left the Grom and TNT to go head to head in the
hands of a couple of middle age blokes because, 1
as far as I can tell, that’s exactly who doesn’t buy
these things.
Sam and I agreed to meet at 8.30 on a weekday
morning, right in the guts of Sydney so we could
put the commuting capabilities of each bike to
the test in the delights of Sydney’s peak-hour
traffic. I live in the western suburbs, so had the
opportunity to use the M4 motorway to get to
our rendezvous. With an annoying head wind I
struggled to get my spacious surface area up to
100km/h, until I caught the draft of a B-double,
and with its help I managed to get the 124cc, two-
valve, SOHC Grom up to an indicated 104km/h.
The Honda runs a four-speed box and at
104km/h doesn’t feel like it’s got much more to
give. I continually reached for another gear and
the addition of five-speed ’box would be a bonus
for its usability.
The 135cc, four-valve, SOHC Benelli on which
Sam was making his way into town benefits from
a five-speed ’box, and on my return journey on the
Benelli I saw 105km/h on the LCD dash – without
the truck – and even then it feels like it’s got a bit
more up its sleeve. 2

The extra cubes and cog really make a difference
3 when getting off the mark. It’s punchier off the
lights compared to the Honda, which requires
substantial clutch fanning if you want to get away
quick. But when generally tooling around town,
despite its 10-percent capacity disadvantage, the
Honda feels a tad stronger in the low- and mid-
range, and only runs out of puff compared to the
Benelli in the higher end of the rev range.
The Benelli weighs in at 124kg wringing wet,
while the Honda tips the scales at 104kg, so you’re
looking at a significant difference. The weight
disadvantage coupled with similar torque figures
- 10.8Nm for the Benelli compared to 10.7Nm from
the Honda donk - probably explains why the Grom
feels stronger in the usable torque range. Braking
also suffers as a consequence; both bikes run an
identical non-ABS equipped Nissin brake setup,
but both the initial bite and stopping power of the
Honda feels just a little stronger. And the extra
weight is even more stark when you push the bikes
around your garage.
Both bikes run 12-inch wheels, and if you’re
used to riding bikes with larger-diameter wheels,
both machines can feel a bit nervous, especially
through bumpy turns. The Honda employs a 31mm

36 amcn.com.au