The Honda Unicorn is a commuter motorcycle from Honda. It was launched in 2004 and is still on sale. Commuter bikes are built for everyday riding: economical, easy to handle and inexpensive to run and maintain. With a 162.7 cc engine it sits in the 150–250 cc class.
Power comes from a 162.7 cc single-cylinder air-cooled fuel-injected engine that makes 9.7 kW at 7,500 rpm and 14.8 Nm of torque at 5,250 rpm. Divide power by kerb weight and it has about 95 PS per tonne; by that measure, there is enough go for confident city riding and relaxed highway cruising. The claimed top speed is 106 km/h. It has both electric and kick start.
It has a 5-speed manual gearbox with a 1-down, 4-up shift pattern, and a chain carries drive to the rear wheel. It uses a wet multi-plate clutch.
It is built around a diamond type frame. Suspension is by telescopic forks at the front and monoshock at the rear. Braking is by a 240 mm disc at the front and a 130 mm drum at the rear, with single-channel ABS. Single-channel ABS works on the front wheel, which does most of the stopping. It rides on 18-inch alloy wheels with tubeless tyres — 80/100-18 M/C 47P at the front and 100/90-18 M/C 56P at the rear.
The seat is 798 mm off the ground, which is about average and suits most riders. It weighs 139 kg ready to ride. Ground clearance is 187 mm — enough for most speed breakers. It is 2,081 mm long, with 1,335 mm between the axles. Its 13 L fuel tank and claimed mileage of 50 kmpl work out to roughly 650 km per tankful on paper; real-world range is usually lower.
Equipment includes a digital instrument console, an LED headlamp and new 15W USB-C Port. Safety equipment includes side stand engine cut-off.
The manufacturer's warranty is 3 years or 42,000 km. It comes with 3 free services, the first due at 750-1000 km or 15-30 days. It comes in 3 colours. For the Honda Unicorn, Mechiee offers a fixed ₹999 doorstep service.
It is best suited to daily commuting and riders who put running costs first.
Recommended tyre pressures are 25 psi front and 29 psi rear riding alone, and 25 psi front and 33 psi rear with a pillion. The published service intervals are 1st service at 750-1000 km or 15-30 days, 2nd service at 5500-6000 km or 165-180 days and 3rd service at 11500-12000 km or 350-365 days. Its chain drive needs regular cleaning, lubrication and slack adjustment.
