We Indians are all quite smitten by the prowess of the Honda Activa. The simple yet practical scooter from Honda has become the de-facto choice of Indians when it comes to owning a no-nonsense family scooter. With the 150cc Unicorn as its first ever motorcycle in the Indian market, Honda tried too hard to make an impact in the segment as deep as it did in the scooter segment with the Activa. But while the Activa went on writing new stories of success and sales numbers, the Unicorn was overshadowed by the likes of Bajaj Pulsar and Yamaha FZ in the segment.
Though the Unicorn had some really good positives up in its sleeves – it's bullet proof build quality, excellent engine refinement and reliability have been second to none in its category. But then, the buyers of this segment (most of them) wanted more, which resulted in the birth of its new generation model – the CB Unicorn 160.
Besides having the good characteristics of the 150cc CB Unicorn, the CB Unicorn 160 brought some dash of chiselled looks and features on board. However, like the 150cc Unicorn, the CB Unicorn 160 too has turned out to be an average seller, particularly due to the fact that its premium sibling, the CB Hornet 160, has become a more popular player in this space owing to its sportier stance and sharper looks. Now, in a wake to make it an even stronger player, Honda has mildly updated the CB Unicorn 160 with some additional features and slight changes to its powertrain. We take a look at what all changes do the new CB Unicorn 160 gets:-
STYLING
As opposed to the old school (and rather boring) design of the old 150cc CB Unicorn (which recently has been re-introduced in the market owing to public demand), the CB Unicorn 160 adds some style and looks much fresh, thanks to the distinctive styling cues and addition of some features over the CB Unicorn. In the last update, we did see Honda tweaking some of the body panels of the motorcycle, and in this update too, Honda has added a couple of features and cosmetic changes to it to make it look a bit fresher than before.
At the front, the chiselled headlamp with slim front cowl and short visor remains unchanged, but now, the CB Unicorn 160 gets an all new front visor above the headlamp, which looks a bit bigger and sleeker than before. This slight change to the front fascia has made it look larger and more aerodynamic than before. The two tone front fender is also the same unit as it was before. The arrowhead styled fuel tank with sharp tank extensions, with the 3-D chrome logo of Honda on the tank extensions continue to be the main highlight of the side profile, but now, the inverted Y-shaped side body cowls are now matt black colored, unlike the body colored panels of the previous facelift and silver colored panels of the first ever version of the motorcycle. The short and chubby exhaust pipe with the small chrome plated cover over the muffler has been retained in this facelift.
At the rear, the distinctive H-shaped LED tail lamp as well as body coloured single piece pillion grab rail continue to grace the rear profile. There are no changes to the rear side body panels, though, with the branding of the motorcycle stickered on them. However, in a couple of colour options, the sides of the fuel tank, as well as the rear side body panels, come with body graphics, which try to make it look sportier, however, the motorcycle looks better and much sober without them, in our opinion. The fully digital instrument console has been retained from the previous version, with the trapezoidal unit having digital readouts for speedometer, tachometer, odometer, trip meters, fuel gauge and clock.
The build quality is as impressive as before, but the sad point about the upgrade is that it still doesn't get the engine kill switch – a typical negligence from Honda. The low rent switchgear too is something that Honda should now get rid of for its premium 150cc+ motorcycles. Another important feature added to the CB Unicorn 160 with this facelift is the Auto Headlamp On (AHO), which is gradually becoming a part of the motorcycles in this category.
Overall Dimension
Length
2045mm
Width
757mm
Height
1062mm
Wheelbase
1324mm
Fuel Capacity
12 L
Wet weight
136kg
POWERTRAIN
At the heart of the CB Unicorn 160 is the same four stroke, air cooled, single cylinder, 162.7cc engine, which debuted on the previous CB Unicorn 160, but this time, Honda has retuned the engine to make it feel more gusty for city duties. However, rather than making it more powerful like it did for the CB Hornet 160R with the same engine, Honda has taken a back-foot by detuning this engine - the performance numbers are now 14 bhp of maximum power and 13.92 Nm of maximum torque – almost 1 bhp lesser and 0.7 Nm lesser than what the previous engine used to pump out. This is to make the engine compatible with BS IV emission norms.
This is a bit of disappointment, though it still manages to be as powerful and tractable in lower revs and midrange as before. And one thing which thankfully hasn't changed is the engine refinement. Though it is not as refined and butter smooth as the 150cc mill of the CB Unicorn, but still it is one of the most refined and tractable engines of the segment. With most of the chunk of torque in the mid-range, the CB Unicorn 160 is an excellent motorcycle for both short as well as long runs.
Engine Specification
Capacity cc
162.71
Bore/ Stroke mm
57.3/63
Output
14bhp@8000rpm
Torque
14Nm@6000rpm
Type
Air-cooled, 4-stroke, Single-cylinder
Valves per cylinder
4
Clutch type
Wet- Multiplate
Transmission
5-speed
RIDE AND HANDLING
With the engine, Honda has also retained the other cycle parts on the update of the CB Unicorn 160. There are no changes carried out for the basic components of the motorcycle's chassis - the CB Unicorn 160 comes with 37mm telescopic hydraulic forks at the front and a hydraulic mono shock at the rear, but this conventional setup has been tuned at its level best for soaking up bumps and potholes as well as giving an additional stiffness over the 150cc CB Unicorn, thus making it slightly sportier in comparison.
The supple ride quality is complemented with a good braking setup, with a 240mm disc brake at the front and a 130mm drum brake at the rear, which in addition, get the Honda's trademark Combined Braking Setup (CBS) as an optional feature, thus making the overall braking experience the best in the segment. Though, we would have liked to see a rear disc brake even as an option, which has started to become a common norm in this segment.
Chassis Specifications
Suspension / Front
37mm telescopic hydraulic forks
Suspension / Rear
Spring loaded hydraulic monoshock
Brakes / Front
Single 240 mm disc. Calliper: Dual piston
Brakes / Rear
130 mm CBS Drum
Tyres / Front
80/100-17
Tyres / Rear
110/80-17
PRICE
Honda has revamped the paint scheme options as well as prices for the CB Unicorn 160. This time too, the motorcycle is available in two variants – Standard and CBS – which are priced at ₹ 73,481 and ₹ 75,934 respectively. The motorcycle is now available in five different colour options – Pearl Igneous Black, Imperial Red Metallic, Matte Marvel Blue Metallic, Matte Axis Grey and Pearl Amazing White, with the first two colour options being available with sporty body decals as standard.
COMPETITION
Honda has entered into a different league of 160cc commuters, which is an advancement over the regular 150cc category. Though, this segment was initiated by the good old TVS Apache RTR 160. As compared to the sober design of the CB Unicorn 160, the overall design of the Apache RTR 160 is on a sportier side, but unlike the former, the latter's design is now proving to be too long in the tooth, and desperately needs an upgrade now. Though, in terms of equipment, the Apache RTR 160 and CB Unicorn 160 are equally competent, with both of them getting strengths of their own.
Apache RTR 160
The Apache RTR 160 is powered by a single cylinder, air cooled, 159.7cc engine, which produces 15.3 PS of power and 13.1 Nm of torque, making it much more powerful than the CB Unicorn 160. While the Apache RTR 160 is more inclined to performance with its better top end grunt, the CB Unicorn is more of a city commuter with its healthier midrange. The ride quality of the Apache RTR 160 is comparatively stiffer, and the lack of mono shock explains the suppleness which the CB Unicorn 160 has in its ride quality.
VERDICT
The minor cosmetic upgrades which the new CB Unicorn 160 has got may not be substantial enough to give it the tag of an all new motorcycle, but then, they definitely have tweaked the already good motorcycle in an even better way. The motorcycle looks smart and indeed ticks all the boxes for those who are looking for a buffed up commuter, which doesn't go faster beyond their liking. But that doesn't mean it falls short on power – the 163cc engine is one of the best engines right now, which is equally balanced for both calm and sporty riding. Though, Honda has surprised by detuning the engine, rather than giving it added boost as it did for the CB Hornet 160R. Nevertheless, it still is powerful enough to make it desirable. Adding to it, the plush ride quality is like an icing on the cake, and so is the optional CBS on the motorcycle. Overall, the CB Unicorn 160 is one excellent option for all those who want to step up from a 100-125cc commuter, keeping aside the aspect of sporty performance and acceleration numbers and want to be within the city peripherals most of the times.
Love it
Ride quality
Engine
Combined Braking System (CBS)
Leave it
Reduction in power and torque outputs
Lack of rear disc brake
Low rent switchgear