BREAKING: Honda Unicorn 160’s Sporty Version Is Here

After a bunch of teasers, Honda has finally debuted its 160cc stylish commuter called SP160. It is based on the same platform as the Unicorn 160, but it takes a much sportier approach compared to the workhorse.

The Honda SP160 is available in two variants – single disc priced at Rs 1,17,500, and a double disc costing Rs 1,21,900. The Unicorn, on the other hand, is Rs 7,700 more affordable at Rs 1,09,800 (ex-showroom Delhi). Being a stylish 160cc commuter, and not exactly a sporty one, the Honda SP160 will directly go up against the likes of the Bajaj Pulsar P150, Yamaha FZ-S and TVS Apache RTR 160.

It takes a bunch of styling inspiration from the Honda SP125, which too is a sporty version of the Honda Shine 125. It features a more muscular body design as compared to the Unicorn, and even the fuel tank extensions are pretty sharp. It would appeal to customers looking for a slightly sportier-looking bike, with commuter functionality.

In terms of powertrain, the SP160 gets the same counterbalanced BS6.2 162.71cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine as the Unicorn. It even makes the same 13.4PS and 14.58Nm, and comes mated to a five-speed gearbox. 

Suspension duties are handled by a telescopic fork and monoshock suspension setup. For braking, it has a 276mm front petal disc and 220mm rear disc on the double disc variant and a 130mm rear drum brake for the single disc variant with single-channel ABS. For perspective, the Honda Unicorn gets a 240mm disc brake at the front and a 130mm drum brake at the rear. The SP160 boasts a seat height of 796mm and a ground clearance of 177mm. Tyres on the sporty-looking bike are fatter -- 80/100 -17 up front and 130/70 -17 at the rear.

In terms of features, the SP160 gets an LCD instrument console that gives out basic readouts including fuel level, gear indicator, tripmeter, speed, mileage indicator and time. It gets an LED headlight and taillight. While the headlight design is similar to the SP125, the taillight has a cool-looking M-shaped design. 

The Honda SP160 comes with three years standard warranty and gets a seven years extended warranty period.

Summing up, the Honda SP160 makes for a decent sporty-looking commuter, with the reliability of the Unicorn’s platform. And with a price tag of Rs 1.17 lakh, the SP160 is more affordable than its primary rivals. That said, the Rs 7,700 premium over the Unicorn is not entirely justifiable as the differences are not really that substantial.