Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler heats up the 150cc bike segment

It has taken Honda a painfully long time to come up with a performance-oriented motorcycle for India. Its super-popular and ultra-refined Unicorn has lost some luster due to its dated and boring looks in today's times of the FZ16, the RTRs and of course the mighty kings of the performance hill, the Pulsars. The 150cc segment has witnessed enormous growth for the past year and a half and Honda surely did not want Bajaj or Yamaha to reap all the benefits of this rapidly developing segment. So the Japanese giant is back with the new CB Unicorn Dazzler that was first seen at the 2010 Auto Expo.

First look and many will dismiss the Dazzler as just another Unicorn with a jazzier name and clothes borrowed from the CB Twister. Although this is not entirely false, there is more to the Dazzler than meets the eye.

The 149.1cc motor borrowed from the Unicorn has been completely retuned and configured for sportier feeling and freer power delivery. To create a higher revving engine for sporty performance and spirited riding, Honda engineers have incorporated a high-lift cam shaft, which permits the valves to remain open for a longer duration allowing additional air-fuel mixture to enter the combustion chamber per engine cycle.

The CB Unicorn Dazzler makes 14PS of power at 8,500rpm and 12.7Nm of torque peaking at 6,500rpm. On the CB Unicorn the same amount of torque is produced at 5,500rpm and the power is available right from low revs. Keeping in mind the psyche of a sport-rider looking for jollies, Honda has altered the mapping to suit the new valve-timing and it requires the rider to keep the bike revving above 6,000rpm to experience some real fun.

Handling wise too there are noticeable changes in the CB Unicorn Dazzler. It sports a shorter wheelbase, a wider 110/80/R17 rear tyre and an extremely well-tuned twin-spring mono suspension at the rear. The bike also boasts of a 220mm rear disc brake. The handling is definitely sprightlier and it changes direction quicker than one would anticipate. Stylish floating panels, tubeless tyres and a funky digital console means that this Honda is going head-on against the likes of the Pulsars and FZ16s. But who's complaining?