Hero Honda Karizma test ride

When the original Karizma was introduced in India, it immediately caught the fancy of every motorcycle enthusiast in the country.  That was in 2003.  At that point, it was the most powerful modern motorcycle available.

Photo: Hero Honda Karizma ZMR

Things started changing when Bajaj Auto introduced the extremely popular Pulsar 200 and 220 cc.  Initially, Bajaj introduced a few refreshes to the motorcycle to hold its own.  They did not help much, but the Karizma was still recognized as a comfortable touring motorcycle. The came along the Yamaha YZF R15, and things got tougher.

The biggest change in the new Karizma ZMR is the addition of a full fairing. This serves to make the motorcycle look quite substantial.  The rearview mirrors have been moved to the full fairing, and they look good there.  Now, remember that all fairings, even on very expensive motorcycles, start vibrating and rattling after a few thousand kilometers on the road. The engine, painted gold now, looks better in the black Karizma ZMR.  We are not so sure about how it looks in the other colors though.  The shock absorber springs are very visible on either side, and why I personally do not like it, not many seem to mind.  The exhaust of the Karizma ZMR does the job, but it’s nothing great to look at.

Put the key into the slot, and you are depleted by the welcome message display which you can change as you wish.  Instrument console includes a rev counter, speedometer, odometer, fuel gauge, clock and a Real Time Mileage Indicator.

The five spoke alloy wheels are attractive but not very distinctive, and the drive chain is fully enclosed – that is not very sporty, eh? But it is more convenient in Indian weather conditions for sure. Stepped seat is reasonably comfortable for both the rider and the pillion. Many expected the Karizma ZMR to have split seats for a more sporty look, but they will be disappointed.

The electric start fires up the engine smoothly- nothing to complain about there.  If you are of average height, the riding position is supremely comfortable.  The clip on handlebars too go some way in ensuring that the touring capabilities of the Karizma are as good as before.  The 223 CC engine is vibration free even at high RPMs.  Throttle response is pretty much instantaneous.  Stopping power comes from a 276 MM disc in front and a 240 mm disc at the back, and they do a pretty good job.

The engine offers 0.6 bhp more in the new Karizma – power is now 17.6 bhp at 7000 rpm and maximum torque is 1.87 kgm, same as before.  OK, nothing that we did not expect but it still is a disappointment to see that the first major revision of the motorcycle does not call for anything more by way of power.

On the move, if you lean forward and tuck in behind the visor, it is easy to escape the wind.

As far as your performance go, the Karizma is not going to beat the Pulsar 220 or the Yamaha YZF R15.  We really do not understand why Hero Honda not increase the horsepower rating of the bike by something more substantial and become the unquestioned king of the road.  Sure, the fuel injection has been a major benefit but there is only so far that it can take a motorcycle.  Oil cooling, fuel injection and six sensors and overall better sophistication have ensured that the response of the motorcycle is much better than the version it replaces.

The claimed top speed is 126 kmph, and even though we did not hit that, we came close to that.  While Hero Honda claims that 0-60 kmph acceleration figures of 3.7 seconds, we would not do better than 4.5 – blame that on our skills rather than the Karizma.

We wish we could do a more detailed test ride of the Karizma, but as you know, mostly we have focused on news and commentary on this web site so far.  Test rides and test drives were not our specialty.  That is only going to change over the next few months as we lay our hands on more cars and motorcycles.