Honda CB Hornet 160 vs Honda CB Unicorn 160

Honda is already doing well in the 150cc segment with its new CB Unicorn 160, which competes with the offerings like Hero Xtreme Sports, Bajaj Pulsar 150, TVS Apache RTR 160, Yamaha FZ and Suzuki Gixxer. To heat up the battle further, the company came up with a more premium offering in the segment- CB Hornet 160R. So, what makes this new bike stand apart from its sibling? Here are the reasons!



Design and Styling: Both Honda CB Unicorn 160 and Honda CB Hornet 160R have been built on one platform, though, they look completely different.



The CB Unicorn looks like a basic motorcycle made with an elegant feel and can be used for a daily comfort ride. However in comparison to this, the Hornet features a more aggressive styling with a sharp headlamp, masculine plastic cladding on the fuel tank, dual tone panels, fat tyres, split-spoke alloys, raised tail section and most important the ‘X’ shaped tail lamp.

Engine and Performance: The same 162.7cc HET heart beats in both of the motorcycles which is a single-cylinder, air-cooled type motor.

Both of them uses a carburetor type fuel supply system, however, their performance figures are different. The CB Unicorn 160 has a maximum power output of 14.5bhp at 8,000rpm and torque output of up to 14.6Nm at 6,000rpm. While the same motor in the new CB Hornet 160R has been tuned to deliver 15.66bhp of maximum power at 8,500rpm and a peak torque of 14.76Nm at 6,500rpm.

Chassis and Equipment: Honda CB Hornet 160R and Honda CB Unicorn 160 also share some of the equipment like the fully digital console and the suspension set-up that comprises of front telescopic forks and rear mono-shock. However, most of the other parts are a bit more premium in the CB Hornet as compared to the CB Unicorn.



Honda CB Unicorn 160 comes with basic 6-spoke alloys with 80/100 section front and 110/80 section rear tubeless tyres. The front wheel gets a 240mm disc brake while the rear has a drum type braking unit and you can also opt for the CBS (Combi Brake System) as an optional feature.



The new split-5-spoke alloys of the CB Hornet 160R comes with wider 100/80 section front and 140/70 section rear tubeless tyres. In the standard trim, you get a bigger 276mm petal disc brake on the front wheel and a drum type unit at the rear. While the CBS trim also gets a 220mm petal disc on the rear wheel along with the Combi Brake System.



Price and Verdict: Honda CB Unicorn 160 comes with a starting price tag of Rs. 72,412 (ex-showroom, Delhi) while the new CB Hornet 160R has been priced at Rs. 79,900, i.e. around Rs. 7,500 more. However, the extra styling, power and features of the bike worth that extra amount and we would also like to recommend you to opt the CBS trim. The reason behind our suggestion is only safety as the braking system is one of the most essential safety features in a vehicle and the CBS trim has a way better braking performance as compared to the standard variant.

Also Read: Honda CB Hornet 160R vs Yamaha FZ-S FI vs Suzuki Gixxer