[FireBlade]

Originally Posted by RD410

The 160 Uni is not the same as 150 Uni when it comes to being reliable and trouble free.

And yet Unicorn 160(classic design) is the hottest selling Unicorn ever? Can you explain why? And talking about reliability, the first gen Unicorn had head-leakage issue which they rectified in the later models but that resulted in slightly choked feel. The first-gen Unicorn also had rear-body parts cracking issue. How do I know? Since I lived with it for almost 14 years.

Auto choke issue (3k rpm idling for over 2 mins during cold start), super sluggish throttle response, engine stalling issue, gear shifting issue.... these are some of the many issues reported by bs6 Unicorn customers. Add to that, the 160cc mill originally from Hornet, is just not the same as the OG 150cc mill in terms of refinement and character. It's still the most comfy bike under ₹1.5 lakhs, but it's not worth spending that much on it. Better buy a used bs4 Uni 150.

All Unicorns take proper time to warm-up early in the morning. My CBR, Hornet and CB350 also have this auto-ckoke feature and early morning starts do take some time.

Yes, the first gen Unicorn was a gem in-terms of engine performance. But I was sheerly disappointed when I sold my gen 1 Unicorn to buy BS4 Unicorn in Oct 2018. The bike felt choked between 60-80kmph. That's why I sold it in 2021 and bought BS6 one with 162.7 cc mill from Hornet. The 150cc mill, as great it was, had ran its course IMO and Honda did the right thing. The sales figure prove them right too. We should stop moaning about their decision too. The BS6 Unicorn doesn't feel as tractable or racy as the 150cc ones, but it's a far better cruiser than all of them. It feels relaxed at 80kmph. Yes, it's not great but it does its job in a frugal way and has that wonderful riding position. I ride my bike 100kms per day and still feel comfortable. That's the charm of Unicorn.

PS: Even my BS4 Unicorn 150 had gear-shifting issues but then I put OG Unicorn's heel-toe shifter on it and voila the issue got solved. Did the same with my BS6 and so far no issues

[asininite]

Originally Posted by FireBlade

And yet Unicorn 160(classic design) is the hottest selling Unicorn ever? Can you explain why?

I wouldn't cite sales figures as a measure of quality, case in point the Ola lineup. This forum represents 1% if not less of the motorcycling population in india and many consumers aren't as informed as us. Many simply buy the Unicorn for the brand name, and the Olas for the specs, without knowing the pitfalls of each.

Fun anecdote, when I went to the Honda SC to service my BS4 Unicorn, I was talking with the sales rep there and found that they themselves don't recommend the new Unicorns, and rather tell people to buy the SP160 which costs 3-4k more. This was also a statement echoed by my mechanic, who said that these new Unicorns aren't reliable bikes either.

[b16h22]

Originally Posted by FireBlade

And yet Unicorn 160(classic design) is the hottest selling Unicorn ever? Can you explain why? And talking about reliability, the first gen Unicorn had head-leakage issue which they rectified in the later models but that resulted in slightly choked feel. The first-gen Unicorn also had rear-body parts cracking issue. How do I know? Since I lived with it for almost 14 years.

Unicorn sells in big numbers because of the past reputation the 150 built. And it looks identical to the untrained eye. It's a household name like the Splendor, Activa, Innova, Bullet etc It is the quintessential premium commuter. Not saying the current Uni is terrible but it's not what the old bike used to be. Honda brought back the old Uni styling because the new shape Uni 160 was a sales dud by their standards. And in general Honda and Yamaha India have gone downhill in quality over the years. My friend's all new Shine SP125 was really hard to shift through the gearbox and leaked from the crankcase seam after 20K.

[RD410]

Originally Posted by FireBlade

And yet Unicorn 160(classic design) is the hottest selling Unicorn ever? Can you explain why?

Simple - because it's a sofa on wheels! There's no other bike in 150-160cc segment that offers that much comfort. And it's neutral styling, which is now 20 years old, has been cemented in the minds of people. And about that high rpm idling, it's a widely reported issue. If it happened only during cold starts, then it would not have been a problem. But the auto choke activates and keeps the rpm high even during hot starts in the middle of the noon, that's why it's considered as an issue. I do like that 160cc mill, but for me it felt the best in Hornet 160. Simply put, the 160cc mill did not pull my heart strings like the 150 did. I've used all variations of it - Unicorn, CBZ, Hunk, Impulse.. and I've loved each one of them. It's not like Honda has moved on from the OG 150cc mill, they still make the Uni 150 for exports. They even have fuel injected version of the 150cc engine. It's because in India, they've sold the rights for the 97.2cc slopper, 125cc slopper ( Glamour), 150cc and 223cc engines to Hero Motocorp. All of Hero's bs6 113cc, 125cc, 160cc and 200 4v engines are derived from Unicorn 150 engine.

Originally Posted by asininite

Actually no, the honor of comfiest bike under 1.5L goes to the RTR 160 4v with a single front disc.

RTR160 4v is a lovely motorcycle, an all rounder to be honest. But as with all TVS motorcycles, it's not suited for tall people. It's upper body ergo's are nice and relaxed, but lower body ergo's are cramped. I am 5'7" and I find my lower body to be a tight fit on 160 4v. This is where the Unicorn with it's commuter ergo's and sofa like seat really shines. It's more accomodating to a larger range of body frames. Yes, it's a commuter and you cannot push it hard like the 160 4v. But when it comes to relaxed commute, there's quite nothing like the Unicorn. If TVS launches a commuter styled bike with that lovely 160 4v mill, it would be a game changer. A Fiero 160 4v I wish

[asininite]

Originally Posted by RD410

Simple - because it's a sofa on wheels! There's no other bike in 150-160cc segment that offers that much comfort. And it's neutral styling, which is now 20 years old, has been cemented in the minds of people.

As someone who has extensively toured on one, its no sofa in its stock avatar. Its simply a commuter, a 20 year old one at that.

Footpegs, yes they are neutral-set and decent. No qualms with that, plus the rather conventional tank shape means my knees do have space.

Handlebar is not great for anything other than commuting to the office. It's a handlebar with a deep U-shape in the middle, and isn't wide enough. Sure the ergonomics are alright, but I found touring much more comfortable and safer after I swapped the handlebar out for a wider one. Weirdly I'm still not sure which bike the handlebar was from, since the mechanic guy went into his shop and came back with a wider bar and said its a Pulsar handlebar, which I don't think it was since it didn't have those 'pseudo-clipons'.

Seat is average at best, decent for commuting but if you tour on it your body will voice its complaints. As I've said above, its not particularly thick or padded enough. It is a cheap, commuter seat.. and nothing more. I recall on one stretch I folded my t-shirts over the seat to create some extra padding. It somewhat helped.

I believe if we were to take off our rosy-tinted lenses of this bike and view it objectively given the price that competes directly with other superior motorcycles and the engine troubles it also has, we wouldn't be talking so fondly about it.

Originally Posted by RD410

RTR160 4v is a lovely motorcycle, an all rounder to be honest. But as with all TVS motorcycles, it's not suited for tall people. It's upper body ergo's are nice and relaxed, but lower body ergo's are cramped. I am 5'7" and I find my lower body to be a tight fit on 160 4v. This is where the Unicorn with it's commuter ergo's and sofa like seat really shines. It's more accomodating to a larger range of body frames. Yes, it's a commuter and you cannot push it hard like the 160 4v. But when it comes to relaxed commute, there's quite nothing like the Unicorn.

How weird. I am 5'10 and I found the RTR way better than the Unicorn. The slightly rear-set footpegs didn't trouble me, as I placed the balls of my feet on the footpegs and hugged the tank. The contours were easy to hug. This wasn't something that the Unicorn encouraged however with those footpegs and lack of a proper heel plate, and I found myself reverting back to resting the sole of my foot.

What I appreciated was the wider handlebars and better seat. The handlebars were naturally wide, and I felt much comfortable and better touring on the RTR. The seat was thicker and had better foam, but it was also soft foam and it too compressed after some time but it was much more supportive than the Unicorn. The pillion seat is miles ahead. Unicorns seat tapers off near the rear end, which is where most pillions would be placing the most pressure on unless you're tightly hugging the rider. RTR is wider here, and has an almost equal distribution of foam, and is thus superior.

Ultimately apart from the slightly rear-set footpegs RTR was more comfortable in every way.

[FireBlade]

Ever since Honda discontinued the 150cc version and put 162.7cc engine/chassis in the classic design, people have formed a habit of crapping over it, calling it not a worthy replacement of the OG version. Here is my opinion after owning the OG version for almost 14 years, then BS4 version for 3 years and now currently using BS6 162.7cc version as my daily-rider/work-horse.

Is the BS6 version as good as OG Unicorn?
Well the answer is both yes and no. While the engine is no where as smooth, punchy and fun as the OG Unicorn, it does the job of a commuter as it cruises effortlessly at 80kmph all-day long without feeling strained like the later BS4 versions. It's also very fuel efficient and gives anywhere near 55-60kmpl if driven sanely, credit to Honda PGMF-I. Also thanks to its all-day comfortable riding position, don't think any bike still can match it.

My bike has done near 70k in just 3 years without a single breakdown or any major issue. Honda selling 30k+ BS6 Unicorns month after month prove that some people's or even mechanic's criticism are totally unfounded. If you like Unicorn, just go for it. Still nothing like it.

In the end, here is the customery picture of my red beauty