Installing the dingerbuilt grom intake was probably the best decision I've made since picking up my Honda Grom last year. If you've spent any time at all in the Grom community, you know that the stock airbox is basically a giant, heavy plastic lung that's doing its absolute best to keep your bike from actually breathing. It's quiet, sure, but it's also restrictive as heck. Switching over to a Dingerbuilt setup isn't just about making the bike faster—though it definitely helps—it's about waking the little machine up and giving it some actual personality.
I remember the first time I saw one of these intakes in person at a local meet. It wasn't just another piece of bent aluminum or a cheap silicone hose. It looked like something that belonged on a high-end race bike. The welds were perfect, the finish was clean, and the way it tucked into the frame just made sense. I knew right then I had to ditch my stock setup.
Why Ditch the Stock Airbox?
Let's be real for a second: the factory airbox on the Honda Grom is a bit of a nightmare. It takes up a ton of space under the fairings, it's a pain to get to when you want to change a filter, and it's designed to meet strict noise and emissions regulations rather than performance goals. When you swap it out for a dingerbuilt grom intake, you're instantly shedding a few pounds of useless plastic.
Beyond the weight, the airflow improvement is massive. The stock system has all these twists and turns that create turbulence and slow down the air heading into your throttle body. The Dingerbuilt design is all about a direct, smooth path. When the engine can pull in air more efficiently, everything else just works better. You get a crisper feel at the grip, and the bike doesn't feel like it's struggling quite as much when you're pinned at wide-open throttle trying to keep up with traffic.
The Craftsmanship Behind Dingerbuilt
What really sets this particular intake apart from the dozens of others on the market is the person behind it. Cody Dinger has built a massive reputation in the mini-moto world for a reason. These aren't mass-produced in a factory overseas; they are handmade right here by someone who actually rides and knows these bikes inside and out.
The most popular version is the titanium one, and man, is it a work of art. If you've ever seen titanium heat-cycle, you know it turns those beautiful shades of blue, purple, and gold. It's basically "engine bay jewelry." But even if you aren't a total nerd for aesthetics, the build quality is undeniable. The pie-cuts are precise, the welds are "dime-stacking" quality, and the fitment is spot-on. You aren't going to be fighting with it for hours trying to get it to line up with your throttle body.
Real World Performance Gains
I'm not going to sit here and tell you that a dingerbuilt grom intake is going to turn your Grom into a 450cc dirt bike. It's still a 125cc (or 149cc if you've got a big bore kit) single-cylinder engine. However, the "butt-dyno" doesn't lie.
The first thing I noticed was the throttle response. Before, there was this tiny bit of hesitation when I'd flick the wrist. With the new intake, it's instantaneous. It feels like the bike is finally getting the oxygen it's been craving. On the top end, I noticed I could hold my speed a little better against a headwind. Instead of the bike slowly losing steam at 55 mph, it feels like it has just enough extra grunt to stay in the powerband.
If you pair this intake with a solid exhaust and a proper ECU flash—like something from DH Motoring or CJR—that's when the magic really happens. You're looking at a genuine increase in horsepower that you can actually feel through the seat of your pants.
Is the Sound Too Much?
This is a common question. When you remove the stock airbox and put on an open intake like the dingerbuilt grom intake, the "induction noise" gets a lot louder. Personally, I love it. It gives the bike a deep, throaty growl that you only hear when you're really on the gas.
When you're just cruising at low RPMs, it's not obnoxious. But when you crack that throttle open, you can hear the engine sucking in air, and it sounds way more aggressive than a bike this size has any right to sound. It adds to the whole "hooligan bike" vibe that makes the Grom so much fun to ride in the first place.
Installation Tips and Tricks
If you're worried about the install, don't be. It's pretty straightforward, though you do have to take off most of the fairings, which is always the most annoying part of working on a Grom. Honda loves those little plastic clips that seem to want to break if you look at them wrong, so just take your time.
Once the fairings are off and the old airbox is out, the dingerbuilt grom intake just slides right into place. You'll want to make sure you have a clean workspace and maybe some microfiber towels to lay things out. One little tip: make sure your intake boot is seated perfectly on the throttle body before you tighten down the clamp. If you have an air leak there, the bike is going to run like garbage and you'll be scratching your head trying to figure out why.
Also, since this is an open-filter design, you'll be using a high-quality filter (usually a K&N or something similar). It's worth getting a "dry bag" or a pre-filter cover if you live in a place where it rains a lot. It doesn't hurt performance much, and it gives you some peace of mind if you get caught in a downpour.
How It Compares to Other Options
There are a lot of intakes out there, from the Chimera to the MNNTHBX ones. They all do a decent job, but Dingerbuilt hits that sweet spot of performance and "cool factor."
The Chimera is the old-school standard, and it works fine, but it's a bit more common. If you want your bike to stand out at the local bike night, the Dingerbuilt is the way to go. It feels more like a custom part than an off-the-shelf accessory. Plus, supporting a small builder who is active in the community is always a win in my book. You know that if you have an issue or a question, you can usually get a hold of someone who actually knows how the part was made.
Maintenance and Longevity
One of the best things about a high-quality metal intake is that it's basically a "buy it once" kind of deal. Unlike the plastic stock components that can crack or warp over years of heat cycles, the dingerbuilt grom intake is built to last longer than the bike itself.
The only real maintenance you have to worry about is cleaning the air filter. Every few thousand miles, or after a particularly dusty ride, just pop the filter off, give it a wash, re-oil it if it's that type, and you're back in business. It's way cheaper than buying those paper filters from the dealership every time they get dirty.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, we ride Groms because they're fun, right? We love tinkering with them and making them our own. Adding a dingerbuilt grom intake is one of those mods that checks all the boxes. It looks incredible, it sounds great, and it actually makes the bike perform better.
It's one of the few parts I've put on my bike where I didn't have even a second of buyer's remorse. Every time I look down and see that titanium pipe peeking through the fairings, it makes me glad I spent the extra few bucks for something handmade. Whether you're building a show bike or just a daily commuter that you want to have a little more "oomph," you really can't go wrong with this setup. It's a solid investment in your bike's performance and one of the easiest ways to start your journey into the world of Grom tuning.