So, if we have to list the number of motorcycles discontinued by Bajaj in the recent years we probably will have to buy a new server! And we just would’t want to do that! But what comes after Bajaj..? Its not Hero as they very rarely discontinue motorcycles (Splendor NXG was the last as we remember), nor TVS or Yamaha. That leaves us with Honda which has been on a rampage and is trying its level best to uproot erstwhile partner Hero from the top slot! While its scooter sales have been growing exponentially, motorcycles are a key concern.
Honda is now trying to resurrect its lineup of motorcycles and is weeding out the ones which are not performing as per expectations. One after the other, Honda has discontinued as many as five motorcycles in the last months.
Here’s a quick list of all of them….
Honda Unicorn Dazzler:
Launched back in 2010, Dazzler was essentially a more premium version of the Unicorn 150. While the engine remained the same, the output was slightly tuned up. The bike was also 8 kilos lighter than the Uni 150 and got rear disc brake as an option. However, it was a sad looker and could not catch on the frenzy of the original Uni despite the limited editions (which remained on sale for like years..), one of which is pictured above. It was discontinued in October 2013 due to ailing sales and for good!
Honda Trigger:
Trigger was the replacement of Dazzler and aimed to boil up the fight against the rising might of the FZ, Pulsars and others. The cut throat competition of the premium 150 cc segment however did not allow the bike to settle down and as a result, it could also not find many takers. The Trigger was essentially the Dazzler with a cosmetic update. However it did introduce Combined Braking System (CBS) to smaller Honda motorcycles in India. It was also the first small Honda bike in India to sport a fully digital instrumentation console (which did not look good!). Trigger has been discontinued from the market and has been replaced by the more exciting Hornet 160R which is doing pretty decent numbers for Honda.
Honda Unicorn 150: (now relaunched)
Their best-selling and the most consistent 150 cc product so far is the Unicorn 150. Launched in 2005, the bike kept Honda’s sales afloat in the 150 cc territory almost single handedly for nearly a decade. Popular among its customers for its reliability and smoothness, Unicorn was still a popular choice when it was discontinued in February to be replaced by the more powerful nicorn 160!
Update: Due to falling sales of Unicorn 160, Honda has re-launched Unicorn 150 in India.
Honda Stunner:
The Stunner wanted to do exactly what its name suggests, stun the customer with its looks and we liked the motorcycle as well! However, for some strange reason it could not click in the longer run, despite the PGMFI (fuel injected) variant. They have recently discontinued the 125cc semi-faired motorcycle and have introduced Shine SP which is just a regular commuter with 5 gears. It is sold alongside the utilitarian Shine (which is doing some great numbers). It must be noted that Hero continues to sell the re-badged Ignitor in India still.
Honda Twister:
Launched back in 2009, the Twister was aimed to be a premium 110 cc motorcycle and we loved the pint sized sporty commuter to the core! It trundled along only to be ignored by Honda in the recent few years. As a result, Twister stopped gaining volumes and was discontinued completely and was replaced by the new more utilitarian Livo.
And if sales are something to go by, Unicorn 160 may soon join this list. (More details)
Also Read: List of Five Most Affordable ABS Equipped Motorcycles in India Under 2 Lakhs
So, in this list of bygoners.. do you miss any motorcycle?
