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Bunny Punia plays judge as Honda’s new Dazzler proves its point in front of the TVS Apache RTR RD and the Yamaha FZ16Photography Sawan S Hembram
After years of criticizing the Japanese giant for its ignorance towards churning out an upgrade for the 150cc Unicorn, it seems Honda heard us, finally! The Unicorn was always a great product. In fact, it surpassed the expectations of the folks at Honda by doing great numbers on a continuous basis every month. But at the same time, it seemed to lack in a few essential areas, which kept most youngsters away from their showrooms. Better late than never as Honda seems to have taken feedback from prospective buyers as well as the automotive media in a positive manner in the form of the new CB Unicorn Dazzler. It’s sleeker, punchier, loaded with more features and seems all set to snip a major chunk of the market share in the premium 150cc segment. We decided to pit it against the TVS Apache RTR RD (rear disc) and the Yamaha FZ16, two of its direct rivals to see if this new Honda is dazzling enough to challenge and probably beat its competition. Let the sparks fly then...
DESIGN AND LOOKS
I hate to start a segmented review by picking out a winner instantly, but the FZ is so far ahead of its peers here that there is simply no doubt about the Yamaha’s fashionable good looks. Its naked street bike design inspired from its international 1000cc sibling, the FZ1, makes it one of most attractive deals on two wheels in India currently. The minimal front along with a beefy tank spells aggression while the 140mm section rear tyre along with the short and stubby exhaust add heavy doses of sportiness to the FZ’s design. Speak to any owner on the road and eight out of ten will acknowledge its looks as the main factor behind their purchase decision.
The RTR 160, on the other hand, is a pure track inspired tool in the way it looks. Running racing stripes, dual petal discs and rear set footpegs are some of the highlights of the bike’s design angles. We also particularly love the red stripe on the circumference of the alloy wheel, the sharp tank scoops and the small engine fairing. The RTR looks smashing in a quite a few colours including yellow.
The Dazzler doesn’t really set your heart racing when you see it for the first time. However, typical to lot of international Hondas like the Fireblade and the VFR1200, this one too takes time getting used to. Spend a few days with the bike and you will start loving the way it looks. No doubt it is aesthetically better than the Unicorn with changes like wider tyres, a rear disc, a semi digital console, huge floating tank scoops, et al. Worthy of a mention here is the rear half portion of the bike. It looks elevated and adds a touch of sportiness.
COMFORT AND ERGONOMICS
The Unicorn has already won many hearts with its superior monoshock rear suspension. There is simply no denying the fact that even the Dazzler scores supremely high here when it comes to comfort level. Though we would have preferred slightly rear set footpegs, the bike’s riding posture is spot on for the city. This combined with a perfectly well set-up suspension means that the bike soaks up undulations unlike the other two bikes. Honda is known for its smooth engines and this one too goes about performing its duties ably and without any vibrations or harshness. That said, above 5000rpm, there is a pronounced vibration from the knee recesses of the tank. While coming back from our shoot location, a good 65km from Pune, Ramnath and I also felt the Dazzler to be slightly uncomfortable for long stints.
We found ourselves fighting to get hold of the FZ’s keys. The Yamaha might have an upright seating posture, but the soft seat and a wide almost flat handlebar give you a comfortable riding stance even during long stints. The FZ also feels at home in city traffic, being super nimble and easy to manoeuvre through traffic. In fact, the riding posture pesters you into riding the bike in a spirited manner. However, the FZ’s monoshock rear cannot match up to the Dazzler’s, especially when the roads are anything less than smooth. The engine surprisingly remains quite smooth even at high revs while the vibrations are well damped and are hardly noticeable through the bars or the pegs.
This gets us to the third bike, the RTR. Sadly, its racetrack genes mean it is the least comfortable of the lot. In the city, the sporty riding posture puts a lot of weight onto your arms which can be a bother on a daily basis. Further, with a pillion, the RTR becomes quite a handful in congested start-stop traffic conditions. The suspension too is a huge departure from the monos of the other two bikes. Take the bike for a highway ride and the moment you cross 8000 revs, the presence of vibrations from the pegs is alarming.
