Having spent one full blissful year with my Unicorn, I felt i’ve done injustice to it by not having written a review about it. So here it is - a homage to my bike.
I’m just back from a short trip of 50km on my year-old Unicorn that has run about 10k km till now. And the hangover is still there! Which is why I decided to type this down before the emotion fades away.
First, two aspects that could have been better -
One, the tyres. The rear tyre is weedy, and grip while panic breaking is panic-inspiring. It locks up easily, and limits confidence even though the engine is a jewel capable of propelling you at over 100 kmph without working up any sweat.
Two, the brakes. The auto mags say that the brakes are excellent, but just maybe it’s a bit different on my bike. I have never liked exceeding 80kmph partly because of the rear tyre’s response to braking, and partly because it takes a strong yanking at the front brake lever to bring this beast to rapidly shed speed. It stops at short notice and very impressively, but the overall effort isn’t impressively light.
And now, about what makes this awesome bike awesome -
One, it has to be the engine. Just effortless. No matter which gear you are in, and no matter what the conditions are, the engine delivers. Very very flexible. It can lug the bike at 20kmph in 5th gear and take it all the way to 115kmph. It barrels along at 100 with the same elan as doing only 60.
But don’t go to 6-lane roads where 100kmph seems too slow. 150cc bikes impress only on ordinary roads and not on high-speed tracks. But on moderately hilly terrain, the Uni will force your cheeks apart to accommodate a wide wide grin.
The torque is just incredible. Pulls hard in any gear. You will find yourself trundling along slowly up a lengthy incline in 4th gear! And the refinement is just as incredible. It doesn’t seem to mind doing hard work at all - effortless. The gears are butter smooth, and you will fall in love with the Unicorn on a short trip on involving roads (roads with varying conditions). The gear shift is so beautiful that I don’t look around at the scenery, but instead engage all my senses with the bike.
Like Honda says, it’s me, my machine and the road...
Summary -
Excellent torque. Inclines are dismissed with contempt.
Excellent refinement. Never seems strained. And never fails to deliver either.
Excellent gear shift - you stop liking the bike and start loving it.
Excellent power. (for a 150cc that is...)