Commuter bike under Rs 2 lakh: Is Honda Unicorn still worth buying

I am also contemplating motorcycles like the Royal Enfield Classic 350 and Honda H'ness CB350 but they will exceed my budget.

BHPian sreejithkk recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hope you all are doing great.

I am a 40-year-old and 6'2" tall person and currently looking for a commuter bike for my daily commute. I recently moved to a new job and the location is 16 KM away and the travel includes narrow roads, so commuting by car will take 50 minutes where a 2-wheeler can reach there in 25 to 30 minutes.

I am looking for a bike with the following qualities:

• Refined engine (Vibe free at least till 75 to 80 Kmph).
• Should have a great/plush ride quality.
• Should have neutral/forward set footpegs. (The rear set footpegs always cause pain in my ankles/knees after 20+ minutes of riding. So had to eliminate the great bikes like Gixxer and FZ except for the FZ-X).
• Neutral handling is sufficient and pickup is not at all a priority for my use case.

Note: I stopped regular use of motorcycles in 2012 and am using a car for commuting and an Activa for grocery runs. I had a Honda Shine from 2006 to 2009. It was a wrong bike for me mainly because of the harsh engine vibration post 60 KMPH and extremely hard ride quality, even after setting the rear shocks to the softest pre-load. I even felt the bikes like old HH Glamour and Passion were way better than the Shine, in terms of ride quality and refinement.

Currently, I have shortlisted Unicorn 160 BS6, and FZ-X. Also still contemplating on Classic 350/Bullet 350 (If they launch with J series platform) and Highness 350, though these cost about 2.3 L on-road, which is slightly above my budget (1.5 to 2L) and for my use case, these 350s would be an overkill.

I am yet to test ride these. Have ridden the BS4 Unicorn 150 extensively and found the refinement and the plush ride quality is great for my requirement. Also, have ridden the UCE Bullet and Classic and felt the ride quality is stiffer.

Yet to test ride the FZ-X.

My mind is almost set on Unicorn but confusion is, is it still worth buying it in 2022, or will FZ-X provide superior ride quality/refinement? (The best bike that fit my requirement, out of all the bikes that I have extensively ridden is Suzuki GS 150R. It has better refinement and ride quality than Unicorn, but sadly it is no longer in production).

Here's what BHPian aargee had to say about the matter:

If you're thinking in terms of Unicorn, Shine or basically in the 150cc segment & do not want to exceed 80 Kmph while having comfort as the top priority, then I cannot help thinking about CB 200X or Hero XPulse. Both of them are good vehicles, can maintain 80 Kmph, offers a comfortable ride (better than a 150cc commuter) & also fits your budget. Main benefit of these 2 is great suspensions to withstand abuse.

Here's what BHPian shancz had to say about the matter:

IMO it doesn't make sense to buy the Unicorn in 2022 and like the GS150R this too should either have been updated or retired. Tragically both were exemplary machines for what they offered and I agree with your views on the GS150R.

Haven't ridden the FZ-X so can't comment on it, just TD and find out if it works for you.

The new Classic 350 does have the J series engine.

I would suggest to TD the following:

• Xpulse 200 4V
• Xtreme 160R
• RTR 160 4V
• CB 200X
• Pulsar N/F 250

Here's what BHPian Sebring had to say about the matter:

The Unicorn is an evergreen bike with the smoothest engine and gearbox combo, to date, for the segment. My sibling has had one for 15 years now and I'm yet to test ride another wonder like this one. I'd choose one even today.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.