Bought new Honda Unicorn

zoom2_ash · 14th June 2007, 14:59

Hi guys,

I have bought new unicorn sports model. Its black with grey stickers. i have done about 700Kms on it and will send it for its 1st service next week.
The bike is butter smooth even before its 1st service and I am njoying every bit of it.
The only problem I felt is the stiff suspension. I am not satisfied with its suspension as its not able to filter out the jerks from potholes or broken roads. I went back to the dealer but he is saying that this is bcoz of the new bike and it will improve with running. So, I am hoping that it will improve. Can you guys please share your views on this. Do you think the suspension improves after running it for several time or it is a problem with my bike and I should ask the dealer to change the suspension.

Apart from this, the bike is very good in terms of refinement, pick-up, handling and sitting position. Gear box was bit stiff initially but it has now improved a lot infact has become very smooth now.

SohailPistawala · 15th June 2007, 10:46

Hey Congrats zoom2ash, why dont you write a good review for the first 700 kms and the review after the service too.. Do put up some pics on your garage section.

Have a Safe Ride

zoom2_ash · 15th June 2007, 12:16

This is the detailed review of my new Honda Unicorn. To start with let me tell you that it was a toss up between Pulsar150 and Honda unicorn. I did consider CBZ X also but I didn't like the overall package. When I took the test drive of CBZ, i felt way too much vibrations at a very moderate speed of 70KMPH. the entire instrument panel had already became very loose and was vibrating like anything. When I checked with the showroom people they said that its a test drive vehicle and not properly maintained, this is why this problem is there. But I told them see it should not have become so loose in the first place when the bike had just run 1000 odd KMS. Anyways, I also didn't like the bike suspension, front fairing etc.

I also waited for apache160 RTR but the wait never ended and I decide to go with pulsar or unicron.

Now between pulsar and unicorn, unicorn was always known for its refinement, mono suspension and trouble free ride whereas pulsar is famous for it raw power and sporty looks. Frankly speaking, had the new unicron was not launched, i would have bought pulsar 150. But, I really liked the looks of the new unicorn especially black color with grey stickers. It goes very well with those chrome finishes on both sides as well as the front fairing.
Anyways, looks apart, when I test drove both pulsar and unicorn, I felt unicorn much more comfortable to ride, sitting position was very good, very refined engine and infact I find it faster then pulsar in 0-80 KMPH run. its only the higher end performance where I think pulsar will dominate. My main usage was going to be in the city so higher speeds in excess of 80 is a rarity. So, i finally decided to go with unicorn.

The bike has done abt 750 Kms now and I must say that I am very happy with the bike performance so far. Acceleration is very smooth in any gear which is very helpful in city traffic like pune. Bike goes from 0-60 effortlessly. For 1st 500 Kms, I mainly ride at abt 50-60KMPH but as soon as I completed the runin period of 500kms, I couldn't control myself and deecided to check high end performance of the bike. The max speed I had touched so far is 100 KMPH and bike was running very smooth even at that speed without any vibrations. It was willing to go beyond but I had to slow down due to the traffic. Will try further after the first service is done.
The bike has excellent riding position and handling. Its very comfortable.
The only problems I faced so far are with the gear box and its suspension. while the gear box has improved significantly abd has become very good now but suspension is still a problem. I am going to ask the service dealer to replace the supension in the bike. I feel its a faulty one.
The fuel efficiency is also pretty ok and at par with industry standard. I m getting abt 53KMPL and hope it will improve further after the 1st service.

Overall I am satisfied with the bike so far.
here are the pros and cons of the bike:

Pros:
1. Refined engine
2. riding position
3. Handling
4. Fuel efficiency
5. torque
6. No vibrations.

Cons:
1. Suspension - Pulsar suspension is much better then this. But I should tell you that I find the suspension of the test drive unicorn very good so it may be one off case with my bike.
2. Head light - just ok. could have been better.

I will post the snaps of my bike soon and will update you after the 1st service is done.

sunilbakshi · 19th June 2007, 18:53

How do you accept that the test drive Unicorn had a much better suspension than your bike, and that your bike is a "one-off" case of bad suspension? I mean after all you should care about your suspension, not the test ride bike's. Anyway the monoshock suspension of the Unicorn has been criticized generally

ravi@64bhp · 19th June 2007, 21:26

Very good review zoom2_ash. Unicorn is a proven work horse that is famous for its smoothness. Why do not you check up with the service guys about the suspension? After all you spent 60k on it. Of course, many unicorn owners feel the suspension should have been better.
Good luck and enjoy the ride

.

zoom2_ash · 20th June 2007, 11:28

@Sunil, I had taken a test drive before buying my bike and I found the suspension on the test drive bike way better then the mine. I am difinitely going to discuss this with service guys and will force them to fix this problem.

san2 · 15th October 2009, 18:48

heard that they have stopped production
and the dealer I spoke to was telling me he was also facing a shortage of spares
any news?

dennie · 15th October 2009, 19:35

Hey... i own a unicorn too.. the suspension feels hard when compared to a pulsar but it makes up for it by better handling and agility. On really bad roads, you will appreciate the unicorns suspension more than the pulsars which would probably bottom out on such roads.

btw, unicorn's monoshock is adjustable to a small extent. it has 3 preload settings (soft, normal and hard). make sure yours is set to the soft. the unicorn manual has instructions and i think the tool for this (a metal rod

) is provided in the toolkit.

airwolf9211 · 15th October 2009, 19:53

congrats for your new bike dear
keep it neat and clean

idea1979 · 15th October 2009, 20:23

Hey Congrats zoom2ash. How about some photos !?

airwolf9211 · 15th October 2009, 20:30

yes very true, please post some pictures of your new bike
let us all se how it looks

rr_zen · 15th October 2009, 21:30

His bike is two more than two years old now

! Check the date on the original thread .

Since we are discussing about suspension, my unicorn bottoms out when I have a pillion on bad roads and I feel the suspension is too soft. I tried moving it one notch towards the 'hard' side but it has not helped much. Should I try moving a few more notches or is this the maximum I can push it?

tj123 · 16th October 2009, 10:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by rr_zen

His bike is two more than two years old now

! Check the date on the original thread .

Since we are discussing about suspension, my unicorn bottoms out when I have a pillion on bad roads and I feel the suspension is too soft. I tried moving it one notch towards the 'hard' side but it has not helped much. Should I try moving a few more notches or is this the maximum I can push it?

Uni’s Suspension bottoming out at normal /hard setting means 2 things
The bike is being overloaded beyond its designed carrying capacity

The other possibility is that your bike suspensions are worn out and needs replacement.
Usually the rear suspensions are quite sturdy & tough it cantake reasonable amount of abuse. However suspension life depends on usage, road condition load cycles etc.

motionfreak · 16th October 2009, 14:12

unicorn's suspension is known for early wear out esp, if ridden on bumpy roads regularly
check for any oil leakage.

Gansan · 16th October 2009, 14:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by rr_zen

His bike is two more than two years old now

! Check the date on the original thread .

Since we are discussing about suspension, my unicorn bottoms out when I have a pillion on bad roads and I feel the suspension is too soft. I tried moving it one notch towards the 'hard' side but it has not helped much. Should I try moving a few more notches or is this the maximum I can push it?

I ride pillion on my brother's 3 year old Unicorn sometimes. I have never noticed any bottoming out. Neither of us are exactly light, each weighing around 78 KG!

14th June 2007, 14:59	#1
zoom2_ash BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 74 Thanked: 5 Times	Bought new Honda Unicorn Hi guys, I have bought new unicorn sports model. Its black with grey stickers. i have done about 700Kms on it and will send it for its 1st service next week. The bike is butter smooth even before its 1st service and I am njoying every bit of it. The only problem I felt is the stiff suspension. I am not satisfied with its suspension as its not able to filter out the jerks from potholes or broken roads. I went back to the dealer but he is saying that this is bcoz of the new bike and it will improve with running. So, I am hoping that it will improve. Can you guys please share your views on this. Do you think the suspension improves after running it for several time or it is a problem with my bike and I should ask the dealer to change the suspension. Apart from this, the bike is very good in terms of refinement, pick-up, handling and sitting position. Gear box was bit stiff initially but it has now improved a lot infact has become very smooth now.
	() Thanks

15th June 2007, 10:46	#2
SohailPistawala BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 434 Thanked: 25 Times	Hey Congrats zoom2ash, why dont you write a good review for the first 700 kms and the review after the service too.. Do put up some pics on your garage section. Have a Safe Ride
	() Thanks

15th June 2007, 12:16	#3
zoom2_ash BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 74 Thanked: 5 Times	This is the detailed review of my new Honda Unicorn. To start with let me tell you that it was a toss up between Pulsar150 and Honda unicorn. I did consider CBZ X also but I didn't like the overall package. When I took the test drive of CBZ, i felt way too much vibrations at a very moderate speed of 70KMPH. the entire instrument panel had already became very loose and was vibrating like anything. When I checked with the showroom people they said that its a test drive vehicle and not properly maintained, this is why this problem is there. But I told them see it should not have become so loose in the first place when the bike had just run 1000 odd KMS. Anyways, I also didn't like the bike suspension, front fairing etc. I also waited for apache160 RTR but the wait never ended and I decide to go with pulsar or unicron. Now between pulsar and unicorn, unicorn was always known for its refinement, mono suspension and trouble free ride whereas pulsar is famous for it raw power and sporty looks. Frankly speaking, had the new unicron was not launched, i would have bought pulsar 150. But, I really liked the looks of the new unicorn especially black color with grey stickers. It goes very well with those chrome finishes on both sides as well as the front fairing. Anyways, looks apart, when I test drove both pulsar and unicorn, I felt unicorn much more comfortable to ride, sitting position was very good, very refined engine and infact I find it faster then pulsar in 0-80 KMPH run. its only the higher end performance where I think pulsar will dominate. My main usage was going to be in the city so higher speeds in excess of 80 is a rarity. So, i finally decided to go with unicorn. The bike has done abt 750 Kms now and I must say that I am very happy with the bike performance so far. Acceleration is very smooth in any gear which is very helpful in city traffic like pune. Bike goes from 0-60 effortlessly. For 1st 500 Kms, I mainly ride at abt 50-60KMPH but as soon as I completed the runin period of 500kms, I couldn't control myself and deecided to check high end performance of the bike. The max speed I had touched so far is 100 KMPH and bike was running very smooth even at that speed without any vibrations. It was willing to go beyond but I had to slow down due to the traffic. Will try further after the first service is done. The bike has excellent riding position and handling. Its very comfortable. The only problems I faced so far are with the gear box and its suspension. while the gear box has improved significantly abd has become very good now but suspension is still a problem. I am going to ask the service dealer to replace the supension in the bike. I feel its a faulty one. The fuel efficiency is also pretty ok and at par with industry standard. I m getting abt 53KMPL and hope it will improve further after the 1st service. Overall I am satisfied with the bike so far. here are the pros and cons of the bike: Pros: 1. Refined engine 2. riding position 3. Handling 4. Fuel efficiency 5. torque 6. No vibrations. Cons: 1. Suspension - Pulsar suspension is much better then this. But I should tell you that I find the suspension of the test drive unicorn very good so it may be one off case with my bike. 2. Head light - just ok. could have been better. I will post the snaps of my bike soon and will update you after the 1st service is done.
	() Thanks

19th June 2007, 18:53	#4
sunilbakshi BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 109 Thanked: 0 Times	How do you accept that the test drive Unicorn had a much better suspension than your bike, and that your bike is a "one-off" case of bad suspension? I mean after all you should care about your suspension, not the test ride bike's. Anyway the monoshock suspension of the Unicorn has been criticized generally
	() Thanks

19th June 2007, 21:26	#5
ravi@64bhp BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 602 Thanked: 10 Times	Very good review zoom2_ash. Unicorn is a proven work horse that is famous for its smoothness. Why do not you check up with the service guys about the suspension? After all you spent 60k on it. Of course, many unicorn owners feel the suspension should have been better. Good luck and enjoy the ride .
	() Thanks

20th June 2007, 11:28	#6
zoom2_ash BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 74 Thanked: 5 Times	@Sunil, I had taken a test drive before buying my bike and I found the suspension on the test drive bike way better then the mine. I am difinitely going to discuss this with service guys and will force them to fix this problem.
	() Thanks

15th October 2009, 18:48	#7
san2 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bharuch Posts: 145 Thanked: 33 Times	heard that they have stopped production and the dealer I spoke to was telling me he was also facing a shortage of spares any news?
	() Thanks

15th October 2009, 19:35	#8
dennie Newbie Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Chennai Posts: 8 Thanked: 8 Times	Hey... i own a unicorn too.. the suspension feels hard when compared to a pulsar but it makes up for it by better handling and agility. On really bad roads, you will appreciate the unicorns suspension more than the pulsars which would probably bottom out on such roads. btw, unicorn's monoshock is adjustable to a small extent. it has 3 preload settings (soft, normal and hard). make sure yours is set to the soft. the unicorn manual has instructions and i think the tool for this (a metal rod) is provided in the toolkit.
	() Thanks

15th October 2009, 19:53	#9
airwolf9211 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Manali (H.P.) Posts: 64 Thanked: 8 Times View My Garage	congrats for your new bike dear keep it neat and clean
	() Thanks

15th October 2009, 20:23	#10
idea1979 BANNED Join Date: May 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 234 Thanked: 0 Times	Hey Congrats zoom2ash. How about some photos !?
	() Thanks

15th October 2009, 20:30	#11
airwolf9211 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Manali (H.P.) Posts: 64 Thanked: 8 Times View My Garage	yes very true, please post some pictures of your new bike let us all se how it looks
	() Thanks

15th October 2009, 21:30	#12
rr_zen Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 1,799 Thanked: 400 Times View My Garage	His bike is two more than two years old now ! Check the date on the original thread . Since we are discussing about suspension, my unicorn bottoms out when I have a pillion on bad roads and I feel the suspension is too soft. I tried moving it one notch towards the 'hard' side but it has not helped much. Should I try moving a few more notches or is this the maximum I can push it?
	() Thanks

16th October 2009, 14:12	#14
motionfreak BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Thane Posts: 193 Thanked: 64 Times	unicorn's suspension is known for early wear out esp, if ridden on bumpy roads regularly check for any oil leakage. Last edited by motionfreak : 16th October 2009 at 14:22.
	() Thanks