Oct 27, 2011 09:13 PM
55801 Views
(Updated Oct 29, 2011 01:39 PM)
I was extremely passionate about bikes since I was 8. I have driven Pulsar 150 Dtsi for the past 5 years and it was a great experience. Trust me, pulsar is meant for nuts and lunatics and runs clothing off(bike) with extra pickup edging above all 150 cc bikes, which some times tinkles the danger line and cannot be controlled. It can be maintained for longer than 5 years(excluding clutch plate cost because it’s of very poor quality which has to be changed regularly) if driven within speed limits, in simple words no harsh driving.
After 5 years of great experience and reading lots of reviews and test riding this bike, I have decided to switch on to HONDA Unicorn. Trust me it was a wise decision, the first thought that struck my mind when I drove this bike for the first time that I am sailing on a boat in an ocean, so smooth, no vibes nothing even when you cross 70 kmph. The only thing it’s lacking behind compare to pulsar is the pickup and I miss the lion roar of the pulsar. Best quality of parts used in Unicorn, expensive but you hardly need to change it even if you drive it harshly.
Comfort for the Rider and Pillion
Comfort for the rider is amazing especially for a tall person like me. I’ve never had any problem as such though I get back pains usually only when I ride after playing or a tiring day. Mono suspension is excellent maneuvering unicorn, but to drive smoothly carrying heavy pillion than the driver is where you notice the difference and when you cross 60 kmph speed along with the pillion neglecting potholes there’s a higher risk that your mono suspension might impair.
*Service and Maintenance
Honda service people are famous for their evil reputation. They complete servicing of one bike in less than 15 minutes, to deal with more than 200 bikes in a day is not easy, in a hurry sometimes miss changing engine oil. This is not only the case with Honda service station but also cases are similar with all the service stations. After completing free services switching on to local mechanic is a better option. Unicorn is undoubtedly the best 150 cc bike around but Honda people are worst.
Performance
By performance I mean everything related to the engine. Mileage is the 1st and most important criteria for me and I guess many people riding bikes. Initially the bike used to give a mileage of 45-47 during the 1st 6 months and later it used to give about 50-55 after completing 3 services and 2000 kmph, Mileage also depends on ones riding techniques.
Gearbox
For me the gear box is awesome. I hardly have any problems switching gears while riding actually I don’t have problems while riding. Only few problems when I have to switch to neutral when I stop the bike. The bike kind off gets stuck on the 1st gear and doesn’t move up to neutral easily. But that’s ok because I’m not moving anyways and it isn’t affecting me much.
Braking
The braking of this bike is amazing and apt for its power. So you’ll never find yourself banging into anyone if you apply the brakes properly. But you might get someone banged into you because others might not have as strong brakes as a Unicorn. A problem with the Unicorn on city roads is that the disk brake loses its alignment and the servicing of that is around Rs 275 which is not included in the free service part of the servicing. So disk alignment is a general problem with the Unicorn in city roads.
Durability
Well actually I can’t much on this part of a bike but I guess the Unicorn is the most durable bike. Yes more than the 100 cc bikes also according to me because the maintenance issues are negligible. And I really don’t like the Honda service people. But frankly speaking I didn’t need them also too much because there haven’t been any problems as such except my disk alignment.
Conclusion
I hope this review will help you take decision to select better bike, most importantly which suits your need.
Guys please post your valuable comments .& I will update my observation at regular intervals.
