WING RIDING

First report Honda’s Wings of Change have entered our long-term stables and the Unicorn’s charm is on all right. There's no two ways about it. Few brands draw half as much attention as Honda. No matter how hard we try to blend in with traffic, it stands out like a sore thumb and questions keep raining down on us.
Though glances of naked admiration are aplenty, the majority of people reiterate that the Unicorn is relatively ordinary-looking. Plain Jane it may be, but our deep-blue example has quality oozing from most corners of its structure. A vibrant halogen-outfitted headlight is standard and its instrumentation wins our vote as the best in the country.

On the flip side, it lacks a self-starter, has tacky switches and the indicator and pass-light switches already get stuck on their own accord. Around the instrument bay,a pair of chrome screws that fasten the front bikini have developed dabs of rust, early in their life — this in spite of the fact that the bike is running in moisture-free Pune. The rear flexible mounted tail-light unit can get a little vocal on bad roads and last but not the least, the steering column has needed frequent adjustment, prompting us to have it lubricated at its routine first free-service.

Let's not run down the Uni-corn any further because, honestly speaking, it deserves more praise than criticism. A prime asset is its 149.1cc, four-stroke engine. A single, smooth kick is all it takes to make it spring to life every morning and the flawless motor is a bike-tester's nightmare. There's zilch to report as faulty. Smoother than soapy bathroom tiles and with a classy gearshift, the engine makes short work of each and every situation, feeling just as sturdy as a locomotive. Power is adequate to zip you through tight situations and in spite of this, it has been delivering an average mileage of 52kpl.

The Unicorn is comfortable and strikes a fine balance between ride quality and handling, its rear monoshock suspension making short work of demanding Indian roads.
No complaints with braking either and there you have it in a nutshell. Though Honda has been a bit miserly in not offering too many goodies on its first Indian motorcycle, the Unicorn makes a reliable comrade. Our experience suggests rumours of it facing mysterious problems in some parts of the country are just that — rumours. l
Rishad Cooper

Captions:
Unicorn’s conventional, yet handsome looks draw plenty of eyeballs.

Super-smooth 149.1cc motor.

Tacky switches often foul.

Comfortable seating is a forte.