Hot Debate : Unicorn or Pulsar?

[Udit]

Well i have a CBZ....and i'd prefer the CBZ to any of the current 150cc bikes...

CBZ has the best riding posturen a very comfy seat...its the best handling bike(even Karizma is based on the same chassis)...the front disc brake is just awesome (only bettered by the monster on the Karizma)...i mean u can effortless throw the bike around corners and she'll be rock steady...and even at 110kmph the bike is damm stable.
A well maintained CBZ still looks damm sexy even today...also it has the only toe shifter like the big sports bikes
The only grouch is the mileage...i get abt 40-45km/l when i am riding sanely

Since the CBZ is no longer available is guess the best handling bikes today are the Karizma , Unicorn n Achiever.

Well since the CBZ is no longer available...The available options are Unicorn...Achiever...P150...LML Beamer(never seen one on the road yet!!)
TVS Fiero is a big no no...it has 4 gears!!

P150 its good in certain areas but as a whole package its kind of a let down coz of the things i mentioned earlier...one more thing the previous Pulsars didnt have a very good front disc brake!! I know know abt the latest P150 with the 17" wheels...

Also the Unicorn n Achiever have the same engine....all the switchgear is the same...So its better to go for the Unicorn since it looks better n has a monoshock at the rear.
You can get aftermarket alloys...but usually they arent that good coz most of them are of poor quality and tend to crack.
As for the rear tyre being skinny...u can get it changed @ the showroom itself..get the Dunlop 100/90(much better than the damm zappers!!!) its costs only 800/-
If u are more adventurous get a 120/80 Pirelli or Michelin....they wont degrade peformance in anyway and u wont require any modifications

PS: I am a big HH n Honda fan boy

CBZ is still available -
http://www.herohonda.com/site/products/index.asp?Sec=CBZ

 

[Nikhil]

@Wraith --- The disc brake on the Karizma is not upto the mark of the Pulsars, Uni, etc... It is quite spongy and does not have goo feedback.

PS: I am a Bajaj fanboy

 

[SunnyBoi]

@Wraith --- The disc brake on the Karizma is not upto the mark of the Pulsars, Uni, etc... It is quite spongy and does not have goo feedback.

yea, i really felt it doesnt work when i applied it at 100KMPH

i'm a yamaha fanboi...so dont expect any comments from me on this

 

[Nikhil]

I will be a Yam fanboy if they get some good performance bikes into India. Ditch stooopid Cruxx and Liberos. We need some R6s and MT-01s

 

[SunnyBoi]

OT : Nik..dont u have exams tomorrow???

 

[Smith]

the karizma does have a very good disk :O
the pulsars have been known to have worn out callipers

 

[Wraith]

c'mon guys....Karizma has the best disc brake!!!

 

[chic_magnet]

the pulsar`s i hear do come fitted with endurance ka discs.. which are supposed to be better. but you gotta ask for them seperately when buying the bike...

one of my friend`s has it. .and its soo much better i think then my discs..

atleast i can doo stoppies on his bike. and mines doesnt even go 1 cm up .. :lol

 

[CaaYoTee]

@Cayotee: How will the slloy wheels affect Mileage and other things in the bike??

DC, while a good quality alloy wheel will improve ride quality and since it is supposedly lighter than your normal spoked rim, it should not affect mileage but unfortunately, the genuine alloys are not always available and people end up buying fancy units from aftermarkets which though look good , are heavier and hence affect mileage as there is more strain on the engine to move the wheels. Couple this with a thicker rubber and you shud absolutely forget to see 50-55 kmpl... Also alloys need to be treated with care as a high speed roll over a pot hole(common sights on our roads ) can bend the rim or worse even crack it which will eventually need to be replaced...

Okay guys, this is for the modders...

have you seen those karizmas with sporty aftermarket engine area covers in mumbai? I've seen a few absolutely stunning looking examples in mumbai roads with brilliant decals to match the sporty looks...

Now from my observation, the unicorn's and karizma's tanks are quiet similar..

so it it possible to fit the front fairing from the karizma along wid the aftermarket engine cover into the unicorn?? any guess..

 

[Nikhil]

OT : Nik..dont u have exams tomorrow???

I do.... That is why I am on TE so often

@Cayotee --- :huh: :huh: :huh:

Be careful while riding over potholes?? OMG!!!! Thyat is why alloys are so popular(at least the original ones). The Alloy wheels are sooooo much stronger and lighter than steel rims. At least the original ones of good quality. If you buy a Pulsar, they come with good quality Alloys. And if you buy alloys for the Unicorn, make sure you buy a reputed brand.

 

[Smith]

maybe u can...but u wont get the total fairing look like that of the karizma.
i have yet to see a modded Uni..but yeah..the karizma after market fittings are awesome.
Throw in a fatter rear section, smaller handles and u have a proper sport look-alike

 

[Wraith]

aftermarket engine cover into the unicorn??

using engine covers is inviting trouble....coz all these engies are air-cooled and not liquid cooled!!!
So covering the engine with metal will usualy cause undue overheating!!!

So be carfeul!!!

 

[BIKeINSTEIN]

Guys, i am sorry for not being able to post properly .
I can only turn to my side on the bed and thats how i use my pc. so typing is a real pain in the neck, back and @$$!!!!!
But Caayotee and Wraith and Argus are spot on!!:hap2:
In fact if i would have been posting, it would have appeared as if i cut-pasted Caayotee's and Wraith's posts!!:rofl:
Are you two mechanics, I am one, with a B.E in electronics!!:rofl: :rofl:

@Darthcoder- If you can hold your horses then its advisable to wait a few months before you finalise a bike!! The markets gonna hot up with a lot of competition and we don't mind either better rides or cheaper prices, eh!!

@Nikhil- i didn't mean to offend you but please recheck your comments in posts numbered- 14, 18, 21, 32, 42, 50!!:cool2:
You are not totally incorrect but i expect better from a Bangalore boy!!
How long have you been riding and how new is your P180??
And what auto mags do you read??
I will try to clarify my point tomorrow!!:cool2:

Till then guys- RiDe fast, RiDe safe!!

 

[soulweaver]

Well... as far as the Apache and all Goes.. It is all very good. The Apache as Argus smith Pointed out is a 13.5Bhp babe.. So no doubt, it will be good and TVS 's gearboxes are not so bad either...

As for the tussle between the Unicorn and the Pulsar 150 - I would go in for the Pulsar anyday. There is no point going into technical detail, coz everything that needs to be pointed out has been pointed out already...

But if you do intended to buy a bike, please do wait, The first quarter of 2006 could see some serious action in the two-wheeler segment..

 

[Darthcoder]

Alright, so am holding my horses as of now...but can wait only till June/July.

TVS Apache doesnt look good and havent even spotted it on the streets till now..

DC.

 

[zhopudey]

Even I'm planning to buy a bike in a few months. Glad to hear that new models will be coming in.
But then, my needs are different from you guys. Basically, I just need something to get my ass from A to B, as comfortably as possible. Of the current lot, I'd finalised the Unicorn ( the new graphics are disgusting ).

Would really like an awesome 125cc from honda. That'll be really cool.

 

[Nikhil]

Post no 50..... All I said was that Alloys are stronger, lighter than steel rims. I am talking abt the original ones. Any problems with that?? I should know coz my dad is a distro for Aura Alloy wheels.

Posy no 42 ---- I said the Karizma's brakes are not the best. Nothing wrong with that. It is true. I have ridden a Karizma and hated the brakes. And it seems that mypoint of view is shared by many many others(including a Karizma owner) and the reviewers of Overdrive Mag and BS Motoring mag. I would also add AutoCar India to this list but I do not actually remember reading abt it.

Post no 32 --- I just said what I felt. That we all(me included) expected something better than the Unicorn. And as I have made clear before, I am not saying that the Uni is a bad bike(faaaar from it). It is just that when we heard that Honda is coming to India, we all had very high expectations(dont know abt you, but most of the people I knew did).

And what abt the other posts?? I dont think I said anything wrong. I have posted from my personal experience and from friends' experience.

And I have been riding my P180 for 1 yr now. Actually EXACTLY one year 30th Sept to 3rd October(when I met with my accident)

 

[soulweaver]

I guess I will go with Nikhil...

Alloy wheels are definitely stronger than Steel Rims. My dad is not a distributor for any alloy wheels, but, Any biker worth his/her salt will swear by alloy wheels. They are both stronger and lighter.

The only problem is that, Unlike steel rims, alloy wheels cannot be repaired if they are bent or cracked, the only way to go is to replace them. But It does not mean that they are in anyway weaker than steel rims.

As far as the Karizma brakes are concerned.. They are not bad, but the problem is that there is no feedback. They feel soft and spongy.. Unlike the Pulsar Discs they do not inspire you to do stoppies.

They are effective, they stop the bike, but then, they are like an over assisted power steering.

@Darthcoder - Apache is not fully out yet. But the Engine is pretty refined (a slightly tinkered version of the Fiero Mill) and If you can plug in a bit of moolah, wait till the first quarter of 2006 passes, you never know what might be in store.

 

[Nikhil]

@soulweaver ---- Alloys very rarely get damaged such that they need to be repaired. The only way to actually damage it would be to crash it at a really high speed into a pothole. And in that case, you would be more damaged to worry abt the alloy wheel

Steel rims get bent if you hit them hard in a pothole. But alloys can take more such hits and of more intensity. but they also have a limit.

 

[CaaYoTee]

@BIKeINSTEIN:
Are you two mechanics, I am one, with a B.E in electronics!!

Yeah..i've been one wid a BE Comp...but unfortunately the only bike that keeps coming back to me for servicing..is my own... hyeah:

@Wraith
using engine covers is inviting trouble....coz all these engies are air-cooled and not liquid cooled!!!
So covering the engine with metal will usualy cause undue overheating!!!

That is the only concern tht keeps me from getting my hands dirty..
BTW the aftermarket engine covers u see on karizmas are fibers.. but yeah..still it does block a lot of air flow to the engine..

@Nikhil

I fully agree that a good alloy rim wud be stronger and less susceptible to damage but as it is wid all other stuffs sold in aftermarkets, finding genuine units need a lot of experience and knowledge... people can easily be fooled to believe that a particular example is genuine...plus they are cheaper than the genuine units...so usually people go for the looks and compromise on quality...
Usually these units are made of impure alloys which are heavier (thus affecting mileage) and tend to fracture easily if played around with..eventually they have to be replaced..
I'm sure not many people know of good brands of alloy wheels for bikes here in india...unless someone is related to the industry..like in ur case..
Ok, since we are on the topic, cud u pls tell me how much wud a good branded pair of 18" alloy wheels cost? Think, i may try 'em on my uni if they are good!!