Honda Unicorn 160 Review, First Ride

With chiseled looks and a bigger engine, the latest avatar of the Honda CB Unicorn 160 offers a lot on paper, but what does it boil down to on the tarmac? We find out with our Honda Unicorn 160.

If someone asks you about the first motorcycle to arrive with a disc brake in the front, most of us won’t think twice before saying, “Hero Honda CBZ.” Same thing with Suzuki Shaolin, which was hailed to be India’s first motorcycle with a 5-speed gearbox. Honda Unicorn got famous when it came into existence as India’s first monoshock motorcycle. Unfortunately, the bike’s conservative looks didn’t do any favours to its image as it lacked the WOW factor. This probably is the reason why it didn’t have a cult following unlike many other bikes in its category.

So, when we heard about the Honda CB Unicorn 160, we got really excited as the new bike looked like a much improved version of the older generation Unicorn 150. The new graphics, sculpted tank, new lamps and the new 163cc engine got us thinking if this was Honda’s answer to the Suzuki Gixxers and FZs of the world. And when we got to do our Honda Unicorn 160, we had our expectations set very high.

The Unicorn is more of a commuter bike, therefore the riding stance is up straight, foot pedals are positioned to provide a comfortable posture and the seat is longer than the 150 Unicorn, as a result the pillion gets more room. The monoshock continues to be Honda’s USP as it is easily carpets most bumps and thuds. The suspension set up is on the softer side and this makes the ride quality for suited for everyday rides.

The handle cluster of the CB Unicorn 160 is bare basic and lacks an engine kill switch. Apart from that, it has a fuel meter, an odometer, twin trip meters, clock, speedometer and tachometer. The quality of the plastic is nothing to rave about.

The bike comes to a stop with the help of a disc brake at the front and a drum at the rear, which have enough bite. The top of line model has a Combined Braking System (CBS), which automatically engages the front brake when the rider applies the rear brake.

At the end of our Honda CB Unicorn 160 we would like to say that the bike won’t make people jealous of you in any way, but wait a minute, it’s not supposed to do any of such things anyhow. It is supposed to make your daily life a little easier by taking you from point A to B without breaking a sweat and in the most efficient manner. It is a refined piece of machinery that doesn’t come cheap. With price starting from Rs. 71,924 (ex-showroom, Delhi), it is also not the cheapest in its segment. And if you are willing to spend this much of money on a 150cc motorcycle, you might as well have some fun with it.