Honda CB Dazzler Review
Bike tested: 2010 Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 73,312/-
There was a time when people thought and bought only 100 and 110 cc commuter bikes. Bike riding was for those who couldn’t afford a four wheeler. But times have changed now and owning a bike has changed from being a mere means of commuting to a style statement to flaunt and brag about. This is where the 150cc and above displacement bikes come in as weapons. The 150cc segment buyers are spoilt for choice with products from Bajaj and Hero Honda and international biggies like Honda and Yamaha. One of the latest entrants to this fiercely competitive zone is the Honda CB Dazzler.
Honda already has a good foothold in this segment with their product: Honda Unicorn. But the folks just decided to heat it up a bit with the Honda CB Dazzler and I must say; they have indeed done the exact thing!!!
Ok, now first things first, let’s talk about its styling. The bike has been well styled with many design cues derived straight from the Honda CB litre class bikes like the CB 1000 RR (that is also the reason it is called the “CB” Dazzler). One of the eye candies are the small side fairings provided which hug the fuel tank. The head lights look more menacing also. The big tail lights are also quite impressive!!
On the performance front, the motor is quite similar to the one used in the Unicorn though it has been slightly tweaked to provide 14 bhp of power at 8500 RPM while the torque figures remain the same at 1.3 kgm @ 6500 RPM. On paper though you may think that there is not much of a change but you can certainly feel the difference while riding. The power delivery is more responsive and thanks to the weight reduction, it is very quick off the line. It does a 0 to 60 kmph sprint in just about 5 seconds and goes all the way to 120 km/hr.
The riding position and the handling are also improved. The bike sports a lower center of gravity thus making it more agile than the Unicorn in corners. It is quite a good feature considering the excellent traffic situations especially in the metros. The seating though is not quite the type for long rides. You are sure to get your feet and the back numb if you try that!! The thigh support is nicely carved out in the fuel tank giving you a good feeling of being firmly planted to the road. This is also complemented with the new 80/100 17-M/C 46P (front) and 110/80 17-M/C57P (rear) tires. The suspension has been stiffened a bit giving you a very precise handling. It is a six step adjustable one though, in case you feel the ride too hard.
The braking is vastly improved with the addition of 220 mm rear discs.
The instrument cluster has been changed to digital from the analog one in the Unicorn. It is a no frills, just what is required kind of display with speed, RPM (this remains analog though) and fuel level. In broad day light, it becomes somewhat difficult to clearly see what it is showing. It does not feature an ignition kill switch also, which was a let down again.
A tiny but really cool feature that we liked was the shape of the rear view mirrors. It’s a polygonal shaped one and appealed really funky to us. All in all, it is quite a good choice with a fuel economy of 60 km/l (claimed) and at a price of Rs. 67,502/- (ex showroom, Mumbai) if you want something more than just a Unicorn.
