Easy on the eye but a touch under-whelming.

The first time I saw pictures of the Unicorn I was distinctly under-whelmed. Here was yet another motorcycle in the CBZ mould with bits and pieces drawn from all over the place to make for a neat if not striking machine. To say that I was disappointed would be an understatement.
And then I saw her in the flesh and it blew my mind. No, not the styling that is on the conservative side; what took my breath away was the finish of the motorcycle. I honestly haven’t seen these levels of fit and finish and attention to detail on any other Indian bike and on most foreign machines as well. Pictures don’t do her justice for the simple reason that they can’t convey the lustre of the paint nor the incredible finish of the engine castings nor even the hewn-from-solid look of the rear sets, all of which make the Unicorn a jewel of a motorcycle.
The beaky front fairing is in keeping with the current trend already seen in Indian motorcycling but is a touch more substantial and aggressive. However look closely and you’ll find the fairing almost completely obscuring the front number plate!
While the tank draws inspiration from the CBZ, this is a better finished unit incorporating one of the best knee recesses in the business, shaped to accommodate both tall and short legs. What stands out is the simplicity of the design with no dummy air scoops or jarring graphics and she looks all the better for it. The solid cast aluminium rear sets are gorgeous and contrast well with the matte black finish of the exhaust. The rear is again reminiscent of the Karizma with the only distinguishing feature being the lovely tail lamp that looks a bit like aftermarket units you get on the streets in Thailand. Nevertheless this makes it the best arse in the country.
The only sore point of the design is the matte black battery cover that doesn’t gel with the rest of the bike while the cutout for the fuel cock is the only cheap part on the whole bike. The fuel filler cap that isn’t mounted flush with the fuel tank is also a serious oversight. And talking of oversights what are Splendor/Passion mirrors doing on this bike?
Switchgear features similar high quality units from the top-end Hero Honda machines while the three-pod instrumentation is distinctive. A large central speedo (optimistically marked to 160kmph) is flanked by the tachometer on the left and a fuel gauge on the right which also incorporates the telltales (no silly economy and power mode lights here).
Like we said, quality levels are of a very high order indeed and we have yet to come across an Indian bike that’s better put together. And knowing Honda’s legendary reputation for quality we can stick our necks out and claim that this bike will outlast any thing else on our roads today.