Hmm.... Good question.... Ok just got free.. So lets start....
1st thing I am not too sure how much of a bike freak u r.. So if u think
like a normal bike rider wanting a bike only for decent looks (inc mags),
power and just value for money go in for pulsar 150 without reading further.
Not that all unicorn owners have bought their bike bcos they are bike
freaks. Its just that most of them have bought it bcos it has got the Honda
tag name. Lets get down to business.
I ll start with the good points and move to the neutral and bad points abt
unicorn over pulsar. Bcos I have ridden both the bikes after their 3rd
service for a stretch of 100 kms. Unicorn had done 3500+ kms and Pulsar
3200+.
Unicorn was the one I liked the most...
- Performance
Talking abt performance. Both fare the same in terms of bhp on paper. But
what matters is on road. Pulsar has the power but it is delivered after an rpm of around 4.5 k. Unicorn has very smooth power delivery. Right from the
1st gear till the 5th the power delivered is so smooth and quick.. Get the
best of a pulsar 150 rider for a 400m drag with me on a well maintained
unicorn I ll beat him... Acceleration wise I would rate unicorn slightly
better than pulsar because of its uniformity in power delivery. When u ride
an Unicorn the first time u ll think its pick up is not all that great. Ride
it for atleast 5 kms u ll know what the bike can do for u....
- Breaking
Talking abt breaking... Unicorn has very balanced weight uniformity at
the front. Example u apply real sudden front brakes on a pulsar at 50 u can
feel the bike responding hard on u. U can feel urself moving with the bike
front ways. Try it on a Unicorn. U ll move forward but then its smooth. That
jerk kind of feeling is not there as in pulsar. On paper the time taken for
both to break from 60-0 is almost the same. But the feel of smooth breaking
is better on an unicorn. U dont want to be moving around on ur seat a lot in
the front esp in blore. But thats only during hard breaking...
- Handling
Handling is the main thing I look for in a bike. Unicorn beats the pulsar
inside out. The pulsar handling is good. U can bend it. U can swing in it.
It responds well. They have changed the front suspension compared to the
previous version and it is lighter at the front with an improved turn in
ration. But take the unicorn the weight balance is perfect. Amazing weight
balance. The entire bike has a maintained weight balance. After all its a
Honda.
Pulsar has maintained good balance bcos of their rectangular swing
box but the overwall weight balance is not that good. Example: Take a pulsar
on Agumbe ghats. Then take an Unicorn. U ll know best what I am talking abt.
Unicorn gives u that stability. U feel comfortable breaking at speeds of 60
on turns. On a pulsar u can feel it giving way at the back if ur going
single rider. To add to the misery I dont recommend zapper tyres. They look
good but dont deliver what a true bike rider would want. If u want real neat
tyres go in for pirelli tyres for bikes. The 100/90 17’’ should do good.
Zapper tyres are good but u need to maintain the right air pressure. For the
front tyre 25 psi (Single and pillion) and for the back tyre 29 psi (Single
rider), 32 (Pillion Rider).
- Seating comfort and rider’s position is 1 more imp criteria. Pulsar have
pathetic seats. Me being thin find it horrible. But then u can modify the
seat for a pulsar with neat leather cushioning. My friend has done it in
mlore. Its cool. But spent around 1.5k. If ur a bit plump u ll hate it on
long rides say around distances over 80 - 100 kms. Unicorn has an amazing
seat. Riding comfort and position (traditional) is better in an unicorn.
Maybe the rider’s position looks good in a pulsar for a passerby. But
ultimately u r riding the bike. For short distances pulsar might have a
better onlooking rider’s position. On long rides above 100 kms or heavy
traffic areas u would be wanting for an unicorn. U can trust me on that.
- In terms of flickability I would rate pulsar over the unicorn bcos of the
shorter handle bar and improved front suspension. Thats bcos I am 6’1 and i
prefer the pulsar handle bar. Shorter people would find better flickability
with unicorn because of the slightly longer handle bar (the traditional
one).
- In terms of mileage both give u the same economy almost 55 for city
riding in mlore. In blore should be 50. But pulsar 150 might give u a km or
2 more.. Not a major difference though.
- Looks I must admit pulsar beats unicorn hands down with the 17’’ mag
wheels and the sporty looks, dome shaped fairing for the headlight, sportier
handle bar and stuff.
- Mono shocks in an unicorn are good. They improve the handling but dont
quite know how good it is over a long period of time. The gas shocks of
pulsar are better and would be cheaper than the mono shocks on a longer run.
- I can go on and on with different parameters. Let me know if u need
further clarification and need more input on what ur looking out for in a
bike.. I havnt riden an apache. So dont quite know how good a bike it is..
Dont feel there is any other 150cc bike worth looking at, as of now.. CBZ is
good but outdated and poor mileage. Achiever is good according to reviews
but didnt test ride yet.. So no comments based on other reviews.
Lastly, u ride both the bikes if possible for atleast 50 kms. Make sure they
are well maintained. Go in for what u feel is the best and what u like the
most. For a bit of humour. If u have a girl she ll hate the pulsar if ur
going on a long ride of above 80-100 kms. She ll like it for short cozy
rides though. But the Unicorn too is good for short cozy rides and really
good for long rides...The high seat position is not comfy in a pulsar... Its
looks great for a passerby though. The pillion on an Unicorn is more
comfortable than the pulsar.. There is 1 more topic I didnt mention abt
gearbox. Let me know if u need details on that too...
Unicorn is what I still prefer.