Bike review: Honda Unicorn 160

The Honda Unicorn 160 is a perfect replacement for the iconic 150 which has been a favourite of middle-aged men for almost a decade and it comes with more power, better handling, fresh design and modern features, says Indian automobile website MotorBeam.

The new Honda CB Unicorn has a more conservative design as it is aimed at impressing mature buyers who prefer understated looks. It appears to be weak and slow when one looks at the competitors but is that the case?

No, the Unicorn 160 produces the best-in-class torque of 14.61 Nm along with a tall redline at 11,300 RPM and to answer the most frequently asked question, it delivered a fuel efficiency of 44 km/l in city traffic and 50 km/l was the best it could do.

There have been talks about the Unicorn 160 not being as smooth as the predecessor and we are happy to tell you that it is just a myth, the 162.7cc engine is perfectly refined with no vibrations whatsoever.

The one thing that the commuter does not like in heavy traffic is that the engine starts to heat up and the heat gets your attention after a while. Once you come across a speed breaker, you have to get down to the first gear for enough power.

The riding position is more upright with the footpegs being placed more towards the front which also provides a lot of comfort and is appropriate for city riding conditions. However, it becomes a matter of concern on highways.

Though the Unicorn 160 misses out on a rear disc brake, we are pretty impressed with the combi-braking system (CBS) that comes handy in a number of tricky situations.

The suspension set-up is designed to take on endless potholes and glide through rough roads, however, the rear monoshock unit is more on the stiffer side for better handling at high speeds.

The MRF tyres provide sufficient grip to handle the best-in-class power, however, a wider set of tyres would have been a better deal but then that comes at the cost of fuel efficiency.

We did 4748 kms on the Unicorn 160 and the commuter got one service which cost Rs 300 and engine oil was replaced for Rs 280 while other consumables asked for Rs 50. The fuel cost went up to Rs 6730.

All in all, the Honda Unicorn 160 is the end of your search if you are looking for a practical commuter which gets a smile on your face every time you twist your right wrist.