Nov 30, 2006 02:10 PM
4839 Views
(Updated Jan 10, 2007 04:11 PM)
Right from its inception as the Wing riders' bike, the Honda Unicorn has been termed as a steady performer by the Indian biking enthusiasts... The first of the bikes introduced by Honda in India, the Unicorn has come a long way over the years...
And now to the review...
The Engine of the Unicorn is a robust 150cc unit which runs smoothly with almost zero chance of problems over the years... Having supplied engines to its cousin HH in the Indian market for many years before its entry, Honda has done extensive market research before its foray into the scenario and come up trumps as it is and has been known for... The power delivery is very good and though people call it a sedate bike, this bike can really be a monster if driven properly.... By monster I mean 150cc bike killer.... Smooth and reliable are the keywords of the Uni's engine....
The gearbox is the standard 1 down 4 up pattern... It has been tuned to perfection and has absolutely no problems even on the vehicles which were bought on its inception... There is the very rare problem of false neutrals though oone can largely attribute this to very poor driving skills of the person involved...
The ride quality is where the Uni scores over all the 150s... The mono shock suspension unique to it is highly comfortable and far better than that of the highly popular(but terrible) Pulsar or the Apache... The grip provided by the tires is very good and the disc brakes provided up front are perfectly tuned for the performance of the Uni
Control is refined and the CG of the bike is placed perfectly to provide for easy handling... The leg insets on the fuel tank provide for a good seating position and ease of control....
The electricals..This is one of the few points on which the Uni I weak... The electricals produce unwanted rattles because of Honda's cost cutting necessities... The headlamp is clear but marginally weak in power and can be a slight problem for long night rides... The tail lamp is clear and succinct....
Mileage is not much of an issue with the revamped Uni unlike in the older version... It is steady around 45-50 in standard city conditions....
One point in which the Uni comes up trumps is in its noise levels... Barely heard, this vehicle meets more than Euro 3 emission standards... The silent whisper of the engine even at high speeds can be termed as "Whispering Death" as the Unicorn swoops down upon unsuspecting prey(150s) in the pitch darkness of the night....
All in all, the Unicorn is a pretty good bike... The only major problem can be the Honda service which at times can be a bit suspect... That varies from dealer to dealer though the variance is minimal when compared to the terrible Bajaj service....
To those who are looking seriously at buying the Unicorn, I'd suggest you take a good look at the CBZ Xtreme also... The best choices of the 150cc segment can be made between these bikes and NOT by the Pulsar as Bajaj's advertising promotes....
Having read thus far, do save a precious moment and leave a rating for my satisfaction....
Update :
The mileage of the Unicorn has been pretty regularly in the 55 kmpl mark... Most users say they have no issues with the bike after even 35k kms(as one of my old friends says)... There were no reported problems with the mono shock absorbers like a few MS members have said.... Happy wing riding...
Adi..
