Will Honda replaced the old Unicorn with the CB Unicorn 160?
We recently gave you all the details about the upcoming (boring looking) Honda CB Unicorn 160. Link.
With absolutely nothing great or new to offer, Honda is going to play it safe by slapping the Unicorn badge on the new motorcycle. Does this mean it is the end of road for the old, and now dated looking CB Unicorn? We hope so. The Unicorn has been in the market for almost a decade now with the only addition in all these years being addition of alloy wheels, absolutely nothing else. Yes, the 150cc motorcycle when launched was a very potent product and even went on to sell well in the market for a couple of years, but Honda has probably milked it a bit too long.
The new CB Unicorn 160 on the other hand is a dated looking product even before the official launch. Looking at what the segment has evolved to, for example with the Suzuki Gixxer & Yamaha FZ V2.0, this new offering from Honda looks rather pale.
What’s new:
If the CB Unicorn 160 is a replacement for the old CB Unicorn, then the conservative styling is justified given that it is more for the masses who want something premium, but not sporty. But if Honda plans to introduce this as a performance motorcycle against the Gixxer and the likes, we don’t think it packs enough punch, at least visually.
Honda needs to wake up and understand that it cannot continue to sell dated looking bikes under a successful brand name. The Indian customer is much more learned now and doesn’t take too much time to connect the dots.
If this continues, it is just a matter of time before Honda is known only as a scooter manufacturer with the Activa.