In true Japanese demeanour did the ‘new’ Unicorn arrive. Packed in a wooden box with generous use of thermocole, this new addition to the OD garage despite just superficial alterations had Vikrant, Sirish and Vikram all eager for first glimpse. I am guessing that this was due to the aura that surrounds a Honda product, or simply the bike brought back fond memories of the previous long-term Unicorn. Either way, all of us at OVERDRIVE reserve a soft corner for this bike.
With the Unicorn commercials on television, Honda is attempting to get mileage out of its 2006 MotoGP victory. Don’t let that fool you because the new Unicorn remains identical to the previous one apart from the sporty alloy wheels, stickers (graphic designers in India are definitely an overworked lot) and chrome on the engine and headlight cluster. I though was determined not to let the lacklustre upgrade spoil my mood and it was only a matter of time before I began to appreciate its hassle free riding experience. Sure, I would have wanted the engine to be a lot more ambitious but the bike nevertheless is not without its merits. Be it the seating position, the feel of the clutch, quality of the plastics, brake bite, refined engine or the fit and finish, it all makes for an extremely user friendly bike and a surprisingly enjoyable bike too.
The only grievances encountered in the first 1500km involved starting the bike as the engine takes time to come up to temperature and the false reading fuel gauge that has caught me off guard on one occasion.
