Based on the near-bulletproof 125cc, two-valve engine, the Mini Street X-treme (MSX) only spits out 9.6 bhp, but when it weighs in at only 222lb (100kg), that makes for a fun ride.
Despite looking like a ‘twist-and-go’ scooter, the MSX125 is actually a four-speed machine with a standard gearbox and a lot of attitude. Actually called the "Grom" in the United States, it’s full of beach and surfer posture but its natural habitat surely has to be the city. With its diminutive size you can pretty much park - or ride - it anywhere and the engine is quick enough to take care of most of those pesky red lights. Oh and the fuel economy is claimed by Honda to be way up in the 180 mpg range.
But it’s the size of the thing that really sells, and in the city it really does have the edge over any ‘normal’ sized machine - it’s so light and so easy to negotiate around traffic that you’ll never want to go large again! Thanks to its small size you can zip through gaps and the low gearing means you can win most traffic light duals, while the seating position puts you at the same height as car drivers making you feel more at ease and safe.
Mind you, this also makes it pretty easy to pick up and load into a van so if you’re tempted enough to pick one of the earlier models up second hand for the current price of around £2,000, we would recommend spending some money on a decent lock and chain. You’ll need that to tame this little simian screamer down!
Model year reviewed: 2019
