The Honda Unicorn still sells and in good numbers. Precisely why Honda reintroduced the bike in a BS6 avatar and added a bit more features to make it relevant in this age. Now, while the starting price earlier last year was closer to Rs 92,000, it is now at the Rs 97,399 mark, ex-Mumbai. While there are no additional features that warrant this price hike, we can safely assume it to be a part of the rising input costs. At the same time, the arch-rival of the Honda Unicorn, the Bajaj Pulsar 150 has got a price tag of Rs 1.01 lakh, ex-showroom. The Pulsar though has a few things going for it that justify the price difference including backlit switches, semi-digital instrument console, and higher power output. The Honda Unicorn in the meanwhile got a change of heart last year and retails in three colours.
Honda has used the erstwhile Unicorn 160’s engine in this motorcycle. The engine makes 12.7hp power and 14Nm of torque. This engine is paired to a 5-speed transmission. The headlight as well as other telltale lights are halogen bulbs. The front suspension is telescopic whereas the rear is a monoshock. A front disc brake and a rear drum unit are standard whereas ABS is linked only with the front wheel. There is an engine kill switch added to the equation while the wheelbase as well as the seat length have been increased too in the BS6 transition.
The Honda Unicorn BS6 is one of the few motorcycles that the company didn’t revamp completely. In the BS6 era, a majority of the Honda bikes and scooters received big updates as well as higher price tags. That the Unicorn still is a hot favorite amongst middle-aged customers is a testimony that taking a radical approach to this bike or its design wasn’t needed.
