a lap of Norway on a Honda MSX125 Grom!

hi all,

I am currently considering where to take the little MSX Grom on an adventure for my upcoming 40th B-day next year and one idea keeps on coming back to me.

I always have this magical draw towards the Nordkapp, Top of Norway and I think the litte bike is the perfect tool to do this trip on.

here is the little red devil:



I know that there are a few modification required, but I guess this could be a winner!

things to sort out are:

- seat - needs to be more comfy
- luggage - I consider a rack and maybe even solme touratech style like alu panniers
- extra fuel to increase range - although this could just be a 2 little can
- sat nav and camera holders
- hand guards

I will probably be camping or using the wooden log cabins which there are plenty of in Norway

here is a first draft of the route - its about 6.000km and I would take my bike on a trailer from the UK to Oslo...



three main reason for the little MSX over they other bikes I have:
1. its an adventure
2. speed limits in Norway are so low - suit the MSx perfect and saves me from fines and prison!
3. I dont think this has been done before!

anyway, i will keep this thread open and update it regulary as this idea takes shape!

Thx Lars

Yes guys, its got to happen!

Current plan is for next July!

3 options I sort of have:

- go it alone
- do it with the missus - she does have a full bike license and a CB1000R although if she comes along i will buy her her own MSX125 although currently she is not yet sold on the bike!
- go with a friend - again I have toured with him also, but he would also need a suitable MSX as his big 1000cc Varadero would mot be the best match....

As for routing, the first post i just a rough draft, so of course I wont miss out on the Lofoten etc...

Maybe i can see if the soft luggage of the CB1000R fits the wee bike!

Good luck. The Grom looks like a fun bike and an excellent choice.

Take plenty of pics. Lots of aftermarket stuff available for the Grom out east. Panniers OK on the exhaust heatshield?

while that is certainly true you should keep in mind that in part is a rather mountainous area and some of those climbs are pretty steep(geiranger and lysebottn for example)

I´ve been riding small 125 scoots in Norway and also travell with fully loaded restricted swedish moped among others North Cape, Geiranger, Lysebotn and did not found theme too steep. Comparing to Grosglockner, Dolomits, Stelvio etc(where I have to get of the moped and push) the climbs in Norway is built less steep.

I think the MSX will do the work well and if not....it has a gearbox.

@guyfakes: As you mentioned it, speedlimits are low but, if they where not that, the most roads are made so you will anyway keep the speedlimits. Booth CB1000 and Varadero(yes I´ve been ride booth bikes a lot) will like your speed on MSX in Norway.

This is a really really stupid idea. Can I come along too?

3. Perhaps not with this particular bike, but many times with smaller ones.
4. Fuel is expensive in Norway. The little bike saves money.

I hope you plan to take the D17 north of Trondheim along the coast.

As for your steed, here's a pic I took when I stopped at the Circle, which should give you some encouragement. Two guys who had done a remarkable trip on old scoots from Germany to the Kapp and were returning. One of them said their average speed was 30 kph! That might have been because they were carrying multiple litres of oil.

Hope you have better weather than i did, nearly 3 dry days on our 21 day trip. In my option we should have just stayed in the south of Norway, way better, nordkapp is a tourist trap, and when the weather makes you not see 50 meters on either side of the road its a waste of scenery.

Take some time for the 17, especially when you are island hopping it will take quite a bit of time.

http://goo.gl/maps/VMi8M < stay here, lovely bay filled with dolphins that come out to hunt at midnight :).

And don't forget to bring a eye mask, i swear to god no one in Norway can make proper blinds.

I wish you the best on your trip. Recently sat on a GROM at a local Honda dealership and just didn't want to get off it. My buddy asked me, why would you want something like that? I'm not really sure, but I do want one. May pick up one this Spring. We'll just have to wait and see. I like little bikes. Rode a 2002 Yamaha Zuma 49cc scooter for a couple of years. Of course, I had other bikes but I commuted on the Zuma. Great fun! I recently sold my 2009 Kawasaki KLX250SF and need something to ride around the house. The GROM looks perfect.

When are you going?

I might be up for it if it is next year.

That just HAS GOT TO BE DONE!!

In answer to your things to sort out, try this:-
Seat - http://www.motorbike-seats.co.uk/ Give Melvin a ring about doing your seat and making it more comfortable. Dunno if he's ever done a seat for an MSX, but what he did for my VFR1200 was wondrous - but it did cost £260....
Rack - I'd be very careful about what/how much rear luggage you want to carry. It might overwhelm a little 125 and make it want to wheelie everywhere!
The problem with that is if you want to carry a tent and camping paraphenalia, what room does that leave for clothes? So maybe you plan to stay in accomodation, simply because there isn't room for camping gear?
Extra Fuel range? - Easy, as you can get a 2L fuel flask/canister/jerrycan from the likes of Touratech
Sat Nav/Camera holders - www.buybits.com Try the Ram ball mount. Replace one handlebar bolt with a Ram 1" ball mount, then clamp a suitable waterproof Sat/Nav/Camera/Smartphone holder. Not forgetting if you have a camera on your smartphone, you can record video on it (and stills, of course) while still on the bike.
Handguards - Anywhere from M and P to Touratech again!
Right, now to sit back and watch developments....

I´m sure the Grom is okay with lot of luggage behind. Bike is done for two persons and luggage is not that heavy.
(I have much much more luggage on even smaller bikes when travelling)
It might feel a little bit snake when start the ride, but you get used after a while....

2 litre can is enough, but I would consider of 5 litre, otherwise lot of riding will end up in filling up at gasstations and thinking of where the next station is....especially at North.

I also Think the seat is good for that ride. Rodes are mostly curvy and makes you think of that and work a little bit more on the bike. You don´t need to do long rides without a stop either

Few pics of heavy loaded things:

Great plan, great bike! I live in Bergen, have holiday in June if my calculations are correct. Would be fun to ride with you up to Molde/Kristiansund or so, if I have time and you have room for company :)

My wife and I are planing a similar trip in July and I am wondering about the 30 kph speed. We have planed on one 700 km day from Baltic Sea to Lakselv. The speed limit seems to be 110 kph a good bit of the time. I hoped to do it in 10 hrs.

Bert

Here's the deal about Norway:

We have two general speed limits, 50kph in residential areas and 80kph in other areas. There are also other speed limits, in the east there are 100 and 110 on some roads, while in the west (where the good roads are) the highest limit is 80. Often you'll find the speed is reduced to 70 or 60, just because there is a school in planning on the other side of the fjord, or increased chance of rocks falling down from the mountainside (yes, lets reduce speed to go as slow as possible past the section where rocks are falling from the sky!). I'm not kidding though, this is how it is. Lots of 80, 70 and 60kph limits.

One other thing to remember is the rather expensive tickets you get for speeding. I was fined 4 900nok (580 euro) for going 105 where the limit was 80, and got 3 points on my record. 8 points in 3yrs and the license is revoked for 6 months. So the strict rules and harsh consequenses leads to most people actually following the speedlimit, and often going well below it just to be sure it seems.

In short: don't expect to go 120-140kph through Norway. I generally go around 20 above on the speedometer, which is more like 10-15 above, and feel safe at those speeds.

Thank you.
Bert

We have 110kph limits?

To be honest i would not worry about speeding one bit :), speedcamera's make a picture from the front. Two laser traps i hammered through without getting the officer riled up enough to go after me :).

It's really a good idea to go there with a 125.
I did it with a scooter Piaggio x9 125 in 2006.

2 months, 15.500 km