Update: We are taking down the leaked pics of the new Unicorn 160 upon company’s request. Instead, pics of current Unicorn have been inserted.
Honda’s best kept secret is out in the open and you would curse us for these sneaking bits. One of our avid reader Suyash Kaul dropped these images of Honda’s new Unicorn 160 at our Facebook messagebox few minutes back and we have only one question – Why Honda Why!!!
Often called as ‘Uncle’s Bike’ Original Honda Unicorn was a gem of a bike but it is old and preferred only by the hardcore commuter-mindset junta! It looked fairly decent during its times but it was the refined engine and fuss-free nature that was a major reason of its success in India.
However, Honda has not been able to replicate the same success with any of its other offerings. The now-defunct Dazzler bombed and the new Trigger is also not doing any good. Amidst all this, Honda officially announced the launch of a 160cc in their stables and everyone was expecting something striking, something fresh, a bike which would rival the modern bikes like Gixxer and FZs.
What you see here is what Honda feels will win them customers in the 150cc space and even before this gets launched, we know you will pass by without giving it a second look!
These pictures, clicked at Honda’s Noida workshop kills all the excitement we ever had on the new Honda’s 160cc, at least on the design front. Here’s what we make out of it:
- The overall bike looks like a mild refresh given to Trigger, but since Unicorn is a more successful brand, it is named so!
- The front bikini fairing looks like a mix between the Pulsar 135 and the old RTR 160 (of whatever is visible).
- The rear seems to be a stretched up Unicorn, placed higher and flattened a bit. But that long sleek tail doesn’t gel with the small wheelbase.
- The handle bar is not a clip on and appears to have been borrowed from a smaller capacity commuter.
- The seats form a single unit, no split seats. Even the grab rail looks to be the regular stuff.
- The instrumentation console is all-digital.
- Those ‘160’ decals look like an overkill and your local number-plate wala can do a similarly bad job!
- They seem to have done a lot of hard work to make the saree guard look aesthetically attractive, but that’s the only part, it appears, designers have put in all their efforts.
- The foot-peg-handlebar position screams a through commuter.
- Switchgear is typical Honda – age-old and boring!
The bike clearly, far from being a challenger to the FZ and the Gixxer, just appears to be a plain Jane commuter. Oh wait do notice the gear lever which also gets ankle shift – typical Unicorn trait!
Now that the bike looks ready, like it or not, it would be launched in India possibly by December. But with this latest outburst of spy pics, we have ensured that you buy your Gixxer/FZ with peace 😀 .
Related: Rumour: 4-Cylinder 650cc Honda CBF650F to be Launched Within 4 Months
