3 Years and 17,000 Kms

For travelling from home to Office or travelling anywhere else, I don’t know the route numbers of the MTC buses; I don’t know what the Auto walas will be charging, I don’t know how much time it will take if I prefer to walk (or run). WHY? It’s because of the Unicorn which became a part of my life 3 years back..! That’s why!!

I have been enjoying my ride for the past 3 years. And it has been a fantastic journey through out. Take it from Office to home at late nights alone in the road or zipzapping the Chennai heavy traffic on mornings. Not once my ride has let me down. So here goes a well-deserved report on my Unicorn.

The Goods:

Engine: Yes, The talking point and the sole reason for zeroing in on the Unicorn. The 4 stroke 149 CC engine has the ability to produce 13.3 bhp of power that is more than enough on a city like Chennai.

Looks: Not very good looking not very dull. It is how a bike in general should be. And I really like that. And I have not done any mods to the bike and I like to keep it stock. No no even to the Stickers.

Suspension: Monoshock rear suspension is first in its class in India. I had not much idea on it until I happened to drive my bike back to back with an Apache. Unicorn is class apart than the bikes with the competition in terms of Suspension.

Honda: Owning a Honda has always been a piece of mind. The service centers are in accessible range and the cost of servicing has never been a headache. Maansarovar Honda in Velachery is where I usually service the bike and I very much recommend them. They are just good in getting the job done. Not extraordinary though.

Weight: No one would say this is an advantage, but I do. There are lots of times my bike have saved me from sliding/falling down due to its heaviness. And I really like that and it also helps the bike's ride quality. 

The Bads:

Headlight: It’s not very bad to complain but I really feel it’s not adequate during night journeys in roads with no street lights and vehicles coming in the opposite direction.  I am looking for replacement in near future.

Gizmos: Unlike all other bikes in this class there are lots of things missing. To add few, the digital speedometers, Power kill switch, etc,. Though I am really in love with the plain speedometer and I feel the digital speedometer would have been really helpful.

Neutral gear: Even after three years I fail to engage the Neutral gear at first attempt while parking. Could be a problem only with my bike?

Old appeal: It’s been 9 years since Honda launched Unicorn and ever since they are yet to make any updates to the Chassis. Well, I seriously don’t complain as this is the best chassis in its class but the old bike look still irritates when someone asks “You have a Unicorn? When did you buy? 2007?”

So its clear, the Bads section in this post has no major concerns. These are just things that have would have made the bike more appealing than it is now.

Well, it’s just the first 3 years and I wish to have this bike throughout my life time and I really mean it.

As they say, Honda lasts longer than your best friend!