I purchased Unicorn 160 2 weeks ago, and I hail from Kerala where it rains 1/3 of the year.
I rode a Suzuki Fiero for 15 years and now that spare parts are not available, I decided to switch to a new bike.
To start with, I did a detailed review of Gixxer, Unicorn 160 and FZ(latest) in the internet. Got to test drive Gixxer and FZ. However, there was no test ride bike for Unicorn 160 as explained to me by the dealer. Hence the decision to purchase, I would say, was not a very well informed one.
The riding posture for Gixxer was slightly new to me and I could feel a bit of pressure on my palms, which I didn’t like. Moreover, the pillion position was not comfortable for my wife, hence thought Unicorn would be a better choice.
After a week of purchase, I noticed oil smudges on the concrete floor. This was quite unexpected and the immediate comparison was against Fiero, which in the last 15 years never had any such issues. I am yet to get this checked from the service center. Nevertheless, the dealer was quite responsive to the complaint and booked a service appointment.
Now that the monsoons started and I would say, the 160 design is not best suited for wet conditions. While you ride, mud from the front tyres are slung right on your feet. The pillion rider is not left alone, as the mud reaches his/her thighs, calves and back. This is not something you would expect from Honda.
On the positive side, mileage is good and the engine is quite responsive. I took the bike out on plains and mountains. Though the bike makes you feel confident on straight roads, it would challenge you while you are negotiating sharper curves. For this performance and responsiveness, thats a bummer. So the 2 week impression is so-so. Not quite impressed. not very let down either.
So, I feel this is what happened, when it came to the design-
Honda discovered that the 150cc engine could be improved to deliver better performance without compromising on the mileage. And it feels like the 160 was built around this new engine.
While Gixxer feels more like a solution, and you can see some’design thinking’ when you look through. The bike seem to have been built around the’rider’ than engine.(Based on my test drive experience)