First of all I must tell all of my review readers that I am 46 yrs. young & my opinion about the bikes will be from the angle of a familyman which may be contrary to “youngsters”.
I bought this bike in March 2005 because it was then recently launched bike by Honda itself. I wanted to have mono-suspension experince. Seat of this bike was lengthier & slightly flatter than Pulsar & CBZ. In the first 5000 kms.I have run it 60000 kms.till now. Initially didn’t face any problem as I was running it at low speed of 40-50 kmph & without pillion riderduring running in period.
Later I came to realise that much hyped & advertised mono -suspension was a false & cheating story.Whenever I ride with someone behind me and cross the speed breakers, sound of THUK comes from the suspension & jurk felt by the pillion rider in his/her spine. I made complaint to the engineers of Honda they adjusted the tension of shocker’s spring hardest but in vain. I am still facing the same problem. This is the story of MONO-SUSPENSION.
Now I come to chasis/frame of the bike. Unicorn’s engine is not mounted on frame like Pulsar’s or Apache’s instead it is tightened between front downtube & rear frame leaving the engine unsafe at bottom. In case we cross some high speed breaker engine directly gets hit against the breaker.
I got skid twice on slippery road due to sudden front braking since rear brake becomes poorer with the time. All was well till then. After 42400 kms. my self start motor went out of order, I started using kick lever to start the bike. Sometime later I noticed oil seeping out from engine ‘s bottom where rider foot pegs are tighten.
My machenic told me that engine’s right side chember (not cluch cover) has cracked right from the place where foot pegs are directly mounted on the engine because when I skid the entire load of the bike fell on the foot-rest. Techometer Failed at 59000 kms.
I changed chain & sprockets at 43000 kms. rear tyre at 42000 kms. & front tyre at 55000 kms. Front suspension oil seals at 35000 kms., front disc pads at 22000 kms. & 43000 kms., rear brake shoes at 18000 kms & 35000 kms. Spark plug at 52000 kms. I use to change air filter at every 4000 kms. & engine oil at every 3000 kms.
Honda designers have concentrated on style of head lights not on the focuses. One can’t drive at night with lights on. If you drive with upper beam on you fail to judge the pot holes on the road & if driving on dipped beam you can’t see cycle or rickshaw pullers as they don’t have reflectors & back lights.
So far I have discussed the problems of the bike might be giving the imprssion that this is the worst bike but it is not so.
Now I come to engine for which Honda is famous. It is cool & butter smooth machine. If you are driving at 45-50 kmph passersby can’t notice the sound of the engine. At idling speed even rider sometimes gets confused whether engine is running or not because there are no vibrations in the handlebar.
I have set idling speed at 1000 rpm. So far I have not spent a single penny on the engine except replacement of spark plug & right side chember which got cracked due to Honda engineer’s folly who didn’t mount engine on dual cradle chasis. They are still making bikes with so called diamond frame.
I hope that my readers will able to take right decision & if some Honda engineer happens to read the review he might try to make necessary changes in the frame to protect the engine’s bottom & install driver foot rests on chasis like in Pulsars, Apache or at least like CBZ.
In the end thanks to Deepak for giving me a platform & opportunity to express my views.
- Manish
{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
ur bike model..was 1st model..it looked great..next versions had 2 many stickers…honda engine is gr8…good review from long term point of view
Nice to see a review from a grown up.
Unbiased review as Manish shared his experiance he had with his warhorse,
Till this time i believed this is the best in class 150cc commuter bike and i do didn’t believed on mono suspension because it came from race track bikes where riding on smooth race track, and their is no place for the pillion rider.
during my test drive even my wife felt bit discomfort.
After reading your review i would say Honda engine is smoother and good but hero honda is still the king in build quality.
still using my splendor it clocked close to 85000 kms and its 10 yrs old. still going strong, dieting at 55 kmpl (city)
Your review was truely impressive it is crisp genuine not like others saying that they had the most outstanding moment in their life with their bike bla bla bla and also sir but i feel sorry about ur painful experience u had with ur bike anyway now a days u r havin loads of new bikes that are of great value for money installed with great features , comfort and mileage like hunk, gs150r, apache , cbz y dont u go for that by selling ur old unicorn so that u wont be having any problem
good and very honest review….
didnt knew abt the mono-suspension problem as i didnt find it in my friend’s Unicorn(same model).
the engine of Unicorn rocks….i liked this bike very much….
the engine is butter smooth….havent ever heard of any engine problem in any unicorn till date…..
if u have serious problems with the mono-shocks then replace them wid those of FZ or R15…they are really good…do it only after having a word with ur mechanic…
i wud suggest u dont sell ur bike for any other bike….just rectify the problems u hv in ur bike…..it is the best model of unicorn….seriously….if at all u sell it…trade it only for a new unicorn….not the dazzler….but i guess OLD IS GOLD…..
i really appreciate it that a man like u actually wrote this review…..u rock sir….
thanks & regards….
keep riding….& ride safe…
i think ajinkya (AJi) u wrote bot my bike u knw im using unicorn frm last 6 yrs n till date i have not faced any problem in my bike.only d problem is the back cowl it broked coz of d bad road conditions n i appreatiate ur comments on my bike il wait for my more comments n more tips from u……. have a nice day
and
Ride Hard…..& ride Safe!!!!!!!!!!!
Honest Review in perspect to Manish i appreciate that,i have 2006 march model,i feel mono -suspension is honestly reliable & expensive technology which you find only premium and expensive sports version bikes,universally 90 % bikes sport this technology.it give good handling and Readability too.Not only honda even yamaha,ducati,suzuki,kawasaki,BMW except cruiser bikes sold in abroad are with mono suspension.Maybe a defective one might have creeped into production line.I do understand there are certain drawback with headlight ie light intensity,diamond frame chassis which makes engine stressed unit,provide broader rear wheel like 120/90,Manish change air filter at every 12000 kms. & engine oil at every 2000 kms to keep engine life longer.Rest of the problems are faced by all bikes in 150 segment,I am really sad that manish to undergo this mess,i would suggest Manish to meet Honda engineer and take his help so that all his problems will get sorted out.
Wat about Mileage ?
I believe in honda, but by your review i got upset with thwm. . .
nice review. monosuspension should be coupled with saddle adjustment instead its directly mounted on bike frame in case of unicron. yamaha FZs and R15 have the perfect monoshock.
I would say about all the problems you faced that when you purchased the bike honda was new but now unicorn doesnt have so much problem. And you drive much more than usual.
You’ve well maintained ur machine, can’t see any deep scratches or faded colour or atleast sand & dirt deposits!
Great review though, many of my friends are in Delhi, they jst dnt even water wash their bikes because it’ll soon become covered with dirts coz of the traffic & their busy schedule, but u are one exceptional.
Thanks…sir your 46 year of experience can help me a lot in todays world. I am a new blogger and you have written kick-ass review of honda Unicorn.
gud review
Sir you are 46 yrs old….with all due respect y not fix a good leg gaurd….would hav done a hell lot better job than the foot pegs….your leg gaurd looks small for some reason in pic…..using activa for past 9 yrs….engine butter smooth….but starting problem….switching to FZ-S…..one more day to go….
monoshock suspensions are inherited from race track bikes. they do not necessarily focus on comfort but do on stability at higher speeds. two springs cannot be tuned at same compressibility hence pose a problem at higher speeds. if comfort is the main aspect, one should prefer dual suspensions with gas assisted dampers in them.
good long term review of a long term bike!
Nice review sir..
I own the same 2005 – January model Honda Unicorn(without self start).
Done 50000 Kms.
I never faced any suspension problems/sound with/without pillion rider.
It is a very good machine. Till date I changed break pads(twice), clutch wire, odo wire and oil gasket thats it.
I never faced any issues mentioned by Manish above.
I use to get 45-50 kmpl. I guess i am having a good honda service center.
I love my HONDA very much!!!!
Frankly speaking i never expected such a review by a Unicorn user.
i purchase 2010 in February only unicorn my always skip one the road back tire and mileage is 36 per 1 litter in local and no local 40 and after 50 to 100 speed my bike shaking(vibration) what can i do in AP the Honda center not given good strives
First of all u shud change d way u driving style im using the old unicorn n it gives me a mileage of 54-58kmpl n i also have the new unicorn-CB its mileage is also 50-55kmpl it depends on Ur driving skill how do u use in traffic areas clutch shud b realised properly to avoid more fuel consumption the problem with Honda bikes is tat they dsnt provide more advanced technology my all friends say this only but Honda is Honda its good at it class. U have visited this site den how can u face such silly problems.
Go in Knowledge Base n read some tips ur problems will get sort out.
Any queries do ask ok have anice day buddy
Ride Hard..& Ride Safe!!!!!!!!!!!!
total km is now 90000
great review. even i am owning the old unicorn and facing the same problems. another problem that i am facing is constant oil leakage from the cylinder head even after replacing the oil seal so many times.
shw to a good mechanic or directly go to shwroom n get it replaced coz dnt think bot money i also do same thng if im not satified with the other mechanics i directly go n replace it frm showroom so dnt take risk if poss il upload my UNicorn pics its an smooth machine n i have also faced many problems like oil leakage but it does’t means tat ur bike is having problem its cozz of ur mistake u wud have given ur bike to a local mechanic tats y i also did d same mistake but nw its fine n one more thing i faced problem with disk pads so i changed my DISK At 38,000kms n recently my bikes gives me a mileage of 54-58kmpl its an awesum after 6 yrs…… so dnt drive rashly its may affect ur bikes performance… & it was nice spkng to u hope u will agrre wid my tips will wait for more comments n one more thng have u taken ur bike for long drives like more than 500kms if yes den do reply…..
Thnaks & Regards
Rohan Gaikwad
Ride Hard….& Ride Safe!!!!!
the bike looks ugly.
Sorry for the stress its giving you
gr8 review…u hav mentioned very very clearly all the facts of ur bike …its a real review..
Thanks Sanat n Will help u in any problems regarding bikes do reply n have a nice day
thanks & Regards
Ride Hard……& ride Safe
iam a 25 year old man dear sir looks like u have actually didnt maintained your bike very well,i mean u replaced the sparl plug in a whooping 52000km,i mean hello!u have to change spark plugs in every 5000km not after half a lakh of kilometers,and who the heell in the world told u to change engine oil in every 3000 km its actually 5000-6000km. and looks like u dont apply both the brakes while braking thats why u skid ,my dear sir looks like u still have long way to go to be a good rider with knowledge,
i have 4 year old honda unicorn and it simply rocks because i took good care of her,and hearing about oil leakage shows a bike that was used harshly aND CARELESSLY. i have 70000km on odo and drive it harsh but it works just fine, even in 15 lakh cars the electric start motor breaks down and u had problem after driving it for 50000km something ,do u think this bike is immortal, it kept working for the long half a lakh and u want it to work to eternity! please wake up to the facts of owning a bike like unicorn. the hunk and cbz extreme are exactly like unicorn except the rear suspension, y would hh took unicorn platform to make their own bike? be a very proud owner of unicorn that is the best handling and safe bike to own. try taking a new pulsar then u will know how good the bike is
I agree with ssiddharthh charran…. well said….
Honda unicorn is now available at a waiting period of 8 to 10 months i dont know who will wait for that apart from it if u buy from a subdealer in mumbai u can get the bike at Rs 85000/- . so now u take the decission is it worth it.
where can i get the engine cowl for my honda unicorn 2010 model??? & also wht will be the cost for dat?
This is the Best review I have ever seen, I have this bike too, same model. only 11900kms so far, engine is smooth.
I have felt same as Manish.
e.g. Headlight issue, Badly balanced/designed front cowl (mine broke thrice), Mono-suspension, Rear Brakes, Slips/skids occasionally
Requires 3-5 minutes starting warm-up time (too bad) or run with choke at least 2-3kms (i.e. not good either)
And problem is, Unicorn’s only body look is changed with time, no real issues sorted out.
No Gear/transmission display on the screen, No side stand indicator, No change in balance of Front Cowl which breaks easily in speed breaker or potholes, No Headlight focus Adjustment so far
How can they expect to compete with others with smooth engine only???
Very Very nice review. I’m getting a second hand Unicorn Sporty of 2005. For 25000. Should I buy? I want a Unicorn because I have a back problem. There is always a pain in my lower back. Currently I dont own any bike.
I have purchased CB Unicorn in the month of November 2010. Pla suggest me whether I can change the SWITCH BROADS with PULSAR switch board or not…PULSAR switch board is amazing with tiny white night bulbs…plz suggest!!! If yes, then how??
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