Dear BikeAdvice readers, I said in my previous post that I will be writing a review once I am done with the run-in period. Here I am with a comprehensive road test of May 2010 Honda CB Unicorn. Everybody knows how silent the engine is compared to others, there is no denying the fact that this engine is a great piece of engineering if I am not wrong the engine has already achieved a cult status. I use the bike for office commute and weekend long roads. My office is 26kms from house and I normally ride hard.
Till first service I had to do a thorough run-in of the engine and I followed these steps:
- Did not cross 4200 rpm and 60 kmph barrier
- Was never in one particular gear for not more than 30sec for the first 100 kms
- Used to do sudden increase in speed from 20-60 once in a while keeping a eye on rpm meter
I faced few issues during my run-in like the hard suspension, hard gear shift (sometimes), vibrations during braking etc. I never took my bike to SVC, gave the bike sometime and as the mileage meter (Distance covered) progressed everything started falling into right places.
Once the bike was done with the first service I was ready to explore it. I stay in Bengaluru and there are lot of city developments happening like the metro-rail and flyovers which has contributed to many potholes, bumpy service roads, and to add enters rain god (Monsoon) which all the more makes things bad so I had all the tough conditions to check/test my bike.
A week passes by and I had enough reasons to smile, my bike just sails through such roads thanks to a great ground clearance of 179mm and a fantastic mono-shock. This bike weighs around 146 kgs which gives great stability to withstand crosswinds which play a major part to the performance. I could ride beyond 70kmph when it was raining heavily and could see RTR’s and Pulsars slowing down, thats when I felt good about my bike it was not rock solid as a Royal Enfield but I could travel quite positively(GS150R too is quite good).
Things are not always easy when you are riding at high speeds in city limits, I learned my lesson my rear tyre slips for the first time and does a zig-zag but somehow managed to balance it call it luck or give browny points to the stability I don’t know, the choice is left to the readers.
So overall I have had good 3months of city ride till now and speaking of adreline rush yes I hit the long roads. I want to ask this to every rider what has been your cruising speed? I mean to say, the speed which doesnot stress your engine yet u are travelling fast.
To my surprise the cruising speed has been 80-85kmph without any vibrations and you can go on and on. I have ridden 2hrs non stop and have never felt any problem with my back or the freshness on my face hence I can easily say that it’s also a tourer because I think every long ride will have a pit stop after 2hrs but if you ride with your arms outstreched like a pulsar or RTR who’ll experience sore arms.
And when I take the bike for second service the mechanic tells me “Apke bike ka nut bolt dhila ho gaya hai” (The bikes nuts/bolts have become loose they need to be tightened), smiling I knew I had tested it on quite rough conditions.
The top speed achieved after second service is 110kmph i.e the speedometer (analog) is divided into 5 intervals for every 20kmph and I covered 2-3 intervals beyond 100kmph, considering some speedo error I would say I have touched 105kmph at 8200RPM, some bikers claim to have even touched 120kmph but I don’t want to overstress my engine and distribution of power was quite good I touched 85kmph on 4th gear and rest was covered by the top gear hence you won’t feel the engine stressed be it climbing a hill or a flyover.
So the test report goes like this, ratings are with respect to the current 135cc+ bikes in the market.
Performance:
The engine produces 13.3bhp of power and 12.8N-m of torque but in city limits with sigmals all around we hardly use such power. The bike has enough pickup to keep you upfront, being the first depends upon your biking style. On my way to office I have a strech of some 5-6kms which doesnot have any cross roads and this is where I touch 90 without much stress and as for the vibrations I haven’t experienced them to shake my mind, though the bike has noticeable vibrations at 1300-1600 rpms.
But How much vibration is a vibration for a person? I feel GS150R vibrations at speeds of 75+ so you guys can figure out my senses.
Rating: 7.5/10
Engine Refinement & Eco Friendliness:
The bike is known for its refinement so I won’t write much on it. The engine sound reduces as you shift to higher gears and at top gear you will feel like the engine has gone to sleep mode. The engine sound is far less compared to any of the bikes in the market.
Bengaluru is a happening city, full of noise pollution but my bike plays a small role to reduce some noise with its silent engine sometimes I cannot hear the engine sound in signals and honks at a permissible limits not like a Pulsar which doesnot alert but irritates fellow riders. The engine used to heat up quickly during run-in but as it settled down the heating subsided so nothing to worry fellow new owners.
Rating: Perfect 10/10
Braking, Suspension & Tyres:
The bike has a front disc brake and drum at the rear. The disc brake is not as effective as a Pulsar or a RTR, but the brakes are just fine for cruising and if you can judge the braking distance even better. I make it a point to keep the disc dry and clean.
It has a telescopic front and a advanced Mono-shock rear suspension with two modes of setting HARD and SOFT, I haven’t changed the factory settings yet. Initially they were hard I used to feel the bump quite hard on my back and abdomen but now they are into there charismatic character. I would say don’t adjust the settings just give it some time.
The bike comes with MRF zapper tyres which are quiet efficient, till now I have filled the tube twice and the tuff up tube can handle a nail for atleast 2 months experienced by one of my collegue.
Rating: (7.5+8.0+8.5)/30 = 8/10
Style:
Well this section is very subjective but overall the bike is nicely designed though not very aerodynamic. The design is more sophisticated/elegant looking than sporty or funky.
Rating: 7.5/10 (very subjective)
Mileage (Fuel efficiency) & Comfort:
I have got the efficiency figures of 51 and 50 before and after the first service respectively which according to many would be a tad less.The only reason is the way I ride it, I touch 85kmph almost everytime I take my bike out to office but you get good mileage only if you ride between 40-60kmph.
I havn’t faced serious problems with comfort of riding but sometimes I have to re-adjust my seating area due to potholes or bummy roads but never faced that issue with a Hunk or RTR. As for the pillion comfort my friend tells me that he loves sitting on my bike and I agree to him because I too experienced the same during my bike research days.
Rating: (8.75+9)/20 ~ 9/10 (If driven between 40-60 can fetch you >55kmpl)
So to sum up things following are the positives apart from the above mentioned:
- Has a great gearbox which makes a sweet sound of “Click” everytime I change the gear.
- Once you get used to the bike you can cut through the road with ease like a FZ or a splendor.
- No back pain experienced so far.
- No major rusting issues a bolt initially got rust but I have taken care of it.
And on the flip side
- Brakes are not that great.
- Cold start issue : I kick start the engine with choke fully on once the engine starts turn off the choke run the engine at lower rpms for 3-4 kms. Bike doesnot show its refinement during this period.
- You will feel the lack of power at Signal GREEN but the beauty of this bike is not extreame power.
- The fuel indicator is not properly calibrated even if the tank is 3/4 full the fuel meter shows Tank full.
In all I have enjoyed every single ride on my bike be it a 2km ride to get medicines or a 100+km jolly trip just to get out of the city crowd and enjoy the nature. This bike on most occasions will not let you down if you can compromise on digital goodies and great racing pickup. If you like the bike its worth the wait to get hands on it.
Thanks for reading enjoy biking and be… A Wing rider. 
- Raghavendra
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{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
You should have wait for Unicorn’s upgrade Dazzler. Each and every lack in CB Unicorn is fulfilled in CB Unicorn Dazzler. Full Eff. is 55 at 50-60 KMPH. Pickup is awesome. Max. speed 108 kmph (i tried it once only co’z of running-in period). Breaks very good. Tubeless tyres really helps. I have drive my for two weeks with an nail in rear tyre.
Anyways. Good luck. Keep Biking and writing.
One of the most practical machines around, the Unicorn has been a nerds favourite
Is there an ignition cut-off switch in CB Unicorn????
Nice review.
But dont compare ur unicorn with suzuki gs150r.
Coz Unicorn is far behind in terms of technology.unicorn is really outdated bike a money.
Gs150r power 14bhp.
Torque-13.6nm
Digi console.
And more.
Sry unicorn.
hey man unicorn is d best…..
I have reached 133 kmpl on my gs.
Cheak out my review gs150r by pritam
what are u saying???? 133kmpl???? i think it should have been 133kmph…and sry but i think unicorn is better than the GS 150R..
open ur eyes beta!!!!!!! R u in dream??????? as per my knledge no bike will give more than 100 for 150cc bike
Inder, thanks for reading you will know the reason if you could read my previous post.
Dazzler is a good bike but my next bike planned is 200cc+ which will have a fantastic engine. Will wait for 4years for Indian OEM’s to come up with a dream bike which will Be-Dazzle the Hondas/yamahas or the Suzuki’s
That’s why honda didn’t discontinued unicorn after the dazzler.
Dazzler is no match for unicorn
GS150R won’t vibrate even at 100 it has engine balancer
nice review man… i bought my hunk lost month still not done with the run in.. well in a 150cc you can cruise around in 60-80kmph….. enjoy biking have a safe ride.
Dear Ragavendra sir i have to tell u that gs150r bike doesn’t have vibrations even after crossing 105kmph because of the engine balancer technology moreover this bike is great in terms of performance when comparing to cb unicorn , i am not saying that unicorn is a bad choice unicorn is a great reliable bike but gs 150r has got superior features than unicorn .
Guys can someone please post a comparision between dazzler and gs 150r i am dying to read it
@Arun:
I have been requesting the same for ages..!!!! Hope Deepak is litening..
Hey good review man!!! Unicorn has outsmarted other bikes..!!! Honda has really got a grip on Indian mkt now! Thanks to dazzler n CB Unicorn.
Hey Guys, I never took a dig at GS so lets not start a brand war here.
I don’t know but every GS owners takes things very personally if somebody talks about there bike.
GS is a good bike.
As for the nerd I don’t mind but u have no idea bro
and what kind of biker you are just fyi…I have covered 100 in mph and not kmph, though not in India.
I just wanted a bike which will have very less or no trips to service center except for servicing.
Great review! I am also an owner of a Unicorn CB Dazzler and love it!
One question though. Is it that important to run in the engine with such care because there are no such instructions in the user manual and the SVC guy also tole me just to be a little cautions for the first 500 KM or so (like not to go beyond 8000 RPM and rash sprinting)
Apart from that I was told that everything is fine as 4s bikes these days do not need such care.
@pritam dhamde
we knw tat u r a proud owner of ur gs but while writing abt ur bike plz don get so much exited.. its 133 kmph(speedo error) n not 133kmpl.. guys wit heart problem ll surely die if they see ur comment
If you don’t trust refer you tube for GS150R top speed video’s not one their are many video’s their.
nice review. Why no royal enfield review.
RAGAVENDRA
how is the HONDA service centre @ UR PLACE care ur bike.. cos in chennai few service centres sucks…. really sucks….
unicorn is a great family oriented yet a solid bike… i jus wanted to know how old are u?
if u r a guy in somewhere around 24 to 27… why havent u taken a chance towards pulsar or a RTR or on best side “R15″.
@Laxmikanth,
Saffire Honda in Bangalore is relatively good compared to others but I am with the mechanic when he is working on my bike.
I will complete 28 in couple of months and planning to settle down on personnel front..I have ridden almost every bike in the market plus I have experienced extreme speed. I just wanted a bike which will not bother me even for a very small reason. I hope this bike does not let me down.
R15 is a grt8 bike but as I said my priorities at this point of time were different.
As for performance bike will wait for 3-4 yrs, I think by that time Pulsar or TVS 200cc+ bikes will get its engine refined due to direct competition from Honda,Yamaha and Suzuki.
But I will still have this wonderful engine.
is there any chance to get back the cb unicorn again in market
@velmurugan, its thr in the market.
Hi Deepak, thanks a lot….. i feel not spotiveness in unicorn compare with pulsar and RTR…. unicorn has given only riding comfirt because of engine smoothness….whether you agree?
Hey guys, you are really confusing! i’m 24yrs old & i’m planning to take a new bike which i have options of 180 pulsor or 180RTR tvs or yamaha FZ or cb unicorn not dazzler can you please let me know which bike has the great comfort and superior mileage and less maintenance cost and very good service centre in chennai.
“great comfort and superior mileage and less maintenance cost and very good service centre in chennai”
I dont know abt the last but the rest will only point u to CB Unicorn.
But the list itself is very confusing..
180 pulsor or 180RTR tvs are performers don’t expect them to be efficient with fuel
FZ is a good bike but the mileage is 40-45kmpl.
List down ur priorities and decide.
@ rahavendra
My friend own a FZ 1 year old. he getting 54+ kmpl.
he drove with in 50kmph in the first 9000kms. now he rides 80-100kmph and getting 54kmpl+
The CB Unicorn has serious disk brake problems..
Me and my friend have purchased the same bike and both of our disk brakes have to be services 4 alignment within 2 months..
Also the mileage i get is approx 42 whereas he gets 45 in city conditions of Mumbai… But my bike has a gr8er pick up than his so i guess there is where the mileage difference is
but i want 2 know y so we get so less mileage and if any1 gets mileage this low from a unicorn pleas post ..
Practical review with all positives and negatives… Thanks for the review mate.
Great review mate!
Indeed the CB Unicorn is a class apart with its engine refinement, smooth riding and styling(my opinion). I have booked the CB Unicorn and was blown away with its test ride after riding Pulsar (which was my earlier choice). Not to offend GS owners but i find GS style is not upto the mark with Pulsar or Unicorn, i think its outdated like design.
Gs150r style is not up to mark? Please note that gs150r has been designed targeting working executives and family men. Like unicorn, the gs150r is for more mature and calm riders, and not targeted at college crowd, and hence design is not too aggressive like pulsar or apache. Gs150r has its own uniqueness. It looks far better than unicorn or CBZ. Only thing is that it is a bit too bulky for a 150cc.
Pulsar sells 5 times more than unicorn and Apache comes second in sales. Third is unicorn. The only reason unicorn is popular is because many people dont want very stylish, aggressive-looking bike. It is the only 150cc family bike with flat pillion seat. It also has decent non-aggressive looks, which a family person wants. That is the USP of unicorn. Pulsar, Gs150r, Hunk and CBZ look too stylish for many people.
Regarding unicorn engine, yes it is smooth, but have you noticed that except for cylinder head, unicorn engine casing is same as 125cc shine engine casing. Unicorn engine is physically much smaller than gs150r engine, maybe due to engine balancer and 6th gear.
planning to a dazler….had a lot of choices and finally decided to go for dazzler….unicorn and dazzler both are good allrounders. mileage, performnce, refinement, decent looks..it offers something for everyone.
Hi friends,
I have bought a new unicorn last week and riding at speed range of 30 – 40 kmph. In idling the sound of the engine is similar to pulsar and a small rattling sound is heard from the engine. Tremendous sound is heard from the engine when riding in first gear in 10kmph.Tell me whether any one has the similar problems like this faced by me. What is speed limit for each gear????????//
Hi,
I owned unicorn, it is 1 year old. I had the believe that honda will provide a quality product, but it si 100% wrong atleast in case of indian customers. this bike is having vibration issue. it will start after 4000 rpm after 55kmph. i can feel it on the foot rest, back break pedal and tank. I approached the service people three times. they were not able to fix the issue and they are saying it is common…. it is design flaw honda really cheating indian customers. my friend also faced the same issue. and he is planning to go to consumer court. So please dont go for unicorn. suzuki gs150r is far far better than unicorn
@Sreeju I also own CB Unicorn. I wanna just tell that in range 45-60 kmph bikes is very very smooth.I felt no vibrations at all, pls get it checked again.I have one worry that I get low mileage around 45 most of the times.Speed @ 55-70 most of the times.
I won a honda cb unicorn 2011 model. It is a great machine in terms of economy,ridingcomfort,handling and many compared to others.