Apart from a continuous streak of road tests and new launches, it is the season of price hikes as well. The automotive industry in India had a pretty rough phase during the lockdown and now manufacturers are trying to make up for the additional input costs by hiking prices across their portfolio.
TVS recently hiked prices across its portfolio and it seems like it is Honda’s turn now to do the same. Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) has increased the prices of two of its premium commuters: The Unicorn and the X-Blade.
Updated pricing
Both the motorcycles have received their first price hike after their BS6 iterations were launched earlier before. The BS6 Honda Unicorn was launched in February 2020 while the updated X-Blade was launched last month only.
The Honda Unicorn BS6 gets a price hike of INR 955 and the motorcycle is now priced at INR 94,548 (ex-showroom, Delhi. While on the other hand, X-Blade was launched in India last month only at a starting price of INR 1,05,325. After the latest price revision, the bike can now be yours for INR 1,06,027. That said, the company has raised the prices of the bike by INR 702. On the other hand, the dual disc variant of the Honda X-Blade BS6 can now be yours for a price of INR 1,10,308 (all prices, ex-showroom). Apart from the price revisions, both the motorcycles remain exactly the same as before.
BS6 Honda Unicorn Specs
The BS6 Honda Unicorn is powered by a BS6 compliant 162.7 cc single-cylinder engine with fuel-injection and Honda Eco Technology (HET). The engine makes 12.73 bhp at 7,500 rpm and the peak torque output stands at 14 Nm at 5,000 rpm, up from 12.8 Nm on the older model. Honda says that the new engine has been optimised for better efficiency and offers better low-end torque, while the needle bearing rocker arm helps in reducing friction losses. The new engine also comes with a counter weight-balancer that reduces vibrations and helps in smooth acceleration. Another addition is the inclusion of new tubeless tyres which will definitely going to prove a boon in case you find your motorcycle punctured. The braking department is upgraded too and now comes equipped with the safety net of ABS.
BS6 Honda X-Blade Specs
The X-Blade is the more powerful of the two. It draws power from a 162.7cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine mated to a five-speed transmission. The engine is good for developing respective power and torque outputs of 13.5 hp and 14.7 Nm. In the process of meeting the stricter emission norms, the engine gets a fuel injection system against a carburettor that used to come on the BS4 model.
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The Honda X-Blade BS6 rides on 17-inch alloy wheels and gets conventional telescopic forks at the front along with a rear monoshock. Braking duties are taken care of with the help of a disc brake up front along with rear drum unit with an optional disc. The Honda X-Blade BS6 rivals against the likes of the Suzuki Gixxer, Bajaj Pulsar NS 160, TVS Apache RTR 160 4V, and the Yamaha FZ-F in the segment. It also goes up against the recently launched Hero Xtreme 160R.