I’ve read some of the reviews of
Unicorn here, but didn’t find any that really highlights the latest generation
of Uni. So, this review is based on my All-New Unicorn, Vibrant Sports, Red Stripes On
Black.
I was in search of a bike after I got
rid of my mother’s Scooty. 125-150 cc was my target. I almost choose Apache
RTR, but before buying, I saw the ad of brand new Unicorn. So, I switched to
Unicorn because of three things. Firstly, low mileage of RTR and increasing
petrol prices. Secondly, heard lot of complaints on handling and its vibration.
Third, some said it is prone to frequent Complaints(Donno if its true.)
Anyway, I booked Unicorn and got it within a month. I
hadn’t known how to ride a bike with gear then. But, had driven scooty and
kinetic for two years. So, consider my review as of a Rookie biker.
Looks
The most dominant criticism I heard about Unicorn was its
looks. All of those who still doubts about that should take a close look on new
gen Unicorn. Mine is black with red graphics. Believe me, the bike is so
stylish, and by miles better than first generation. ( The product picture shown, anyway to change it?) It can be compared to
others, better than cbz, hunk and almost same level as Apache and Pulsar. The
all black coating is Superb and looks so nice. The graphics are moderate.
On closer look, headlights are okay, but it seriously
lack park lights. I really missed it. Especially in low light conditions. Any
way it is bright, So are indicator lights. It may not have LED tail lamb, but
it is very stylish and bright. The instrument console is very good, is neat and
tidy. Although I would like a digital display, I feel no regrets as I am
hearing lots of issues on digital ones in pulsar and xcd. The Engine and parts
are coated with black and is very appealing. There is only toe shift available.
The Silencer is large, and to me it’s the best in any usual bikes I’ve seen.
Fuel lid is of pulsar type. Petrol tank is not huge, but blends well with shape
of bike.
Size
Now, the bike is huge, compared to ordinary 100 cc bikes,
and large enough than 150cc s.Also, it is indeed heavy, only little less than
Zma. I am a rookie and did my bike
learning in hero Honda cd100 which is soo light and small. I being not so tall,
was very worried about its size and weight at first. I feared I may not be able
to control it properly.. But, my drivin with it is indeed an experience, and
lets see what happened.
Riding
If u start the engine in noisy areas, u wont even know
it’s on. The sound is soo smooth and low. Its like a maruthi car among bikes. Electric
start is superb, and it’ll wake up with ease. I am having a little trouble with
kick start, but I am not used to it, as its first time I am using a bike. I
think I can get it right if do it regularly.
The acceleration is very good, although I haven’t tried
0-60 in 5sec(Company claim). Because I don’t know to shift gears that appropriately.
Gear shifts, are very smooth and is with a click. I found a little inconvenience
at first on its 1down rest up pattern as the cd100 I studied had all up patter.
The heal shift is missing; well I don’t know how that makes a bike sporty.
Anyway I am not missing it and get acquainted to toe shift. It can start in any
gear, so I start in 1st, and therefore the gear shift is all up.
I had said earlier that I was worried about the size and
weight. But u wont even notice it while riding the bike, and my worries also
got driven away. The increased weight is causing much stabilization; the bike
doesn’t get caught by air easily. I really understood that when I rode my
friends xcd.
The sound of bike is so soothing, and can be termed as futuristic.
In heavy traffic I 2-3 triggered electric start thinking my bike went off. Under
my usual driving conditions (40-50 in fifth gear), I wont even hear the sound
of bike, only hissing of air. I have tried some rapid acceleration, and it reached 60-65 with very
ease. I haven’t tried to go beyond 70. The breaks are responsive. About
suspension, I’ve heard lot about the advantages of mono suspension, ie improved
handling, cornering, ride comfort etc. To me it provides what I care most, ride
comfort, and I’m happy. The sitting posture is upright and wont cause any back
pain kinda issues. The handle bar now provides weights at both ends, though I
don’t know whether its of any advantage. The horn could have been better, believe
me, u will need to use it regularly to indicate a bike is behind. I am
sometimes troubled by pedestrians who wander through road not hearing the bike.
As I said, the overweight is an advantage when riding,
but not that so in parking conditions, especially when u have to push your bike
along somewhere. Another thing that is not very appreciable is the lack of
storage space. There is absolute zero space available, and the documents of
bike etc should be carried by us. The showroom guys have fitted my bike a petrol
tank pouch, which I think is so ugly hiding its beautiful fuel lid and red
stripes. But I’ve left with no choice than to keep it, as I may need to carry
anything, from shoppes etc. I think pulsar have space in side panel(Correct me if im wrong), at least for documents of bike. Another slight problem is with the toe shifter.
Your left Shoe will be torn and gone soon. But, almost all exec bikes now come with toe shift, well no choice.Its been 1 month since I got the bike, but I couldnt test its mileage yet.. I think it’ll be around 50-55.
Well, I am 100% satisfied with this bike, and now I finds time to hang around with it. I would recommend it to everyone who seeks a stunning and comfortable bike.( not a very good idea for people <45 kilos ;-) )