I upgraded to Karizma in Dec 2006 and since then Its been 6 years and I have covered more than a Lac kilometers. Hence I feel I am enough experienced to pin down something about this bike.
Looks:- Although Looks are subjective but hardly anyone would argue that Karizma doesnt look good. Its one of the most desired bike even today after almost a decade. I have a black color before the R version and personally I feel the classic CBZ and Karizma were treat to watch.
Performance:- Karizma hails its engine from a dirt bike CRF230F in slightly detuned form. Producing 17ps of power from 223cc engine seems a little less but its makes a good 18. 35 NM of torque and one can cruise on this bike forever. The engine is smooth, powerful, reliable. Typical honda I would say, I have touched speedo indicated Max speed of 130km/hr. However this bike is rev limited to 125-126km and anything above could be speedometer error. The pickup, rollon speeds everything is commendable. I rate it 5 on 5.
Gearbox:- The bike has a 5 speed gearbox in one down 4 up pattern. Initially I found the gear box very hard and finding neutral was one big task. I even visited the service centre to report this problem however the mechanics assured me that once first service is done the gearbox will improve and they were spot on.
Handling and Braking:- One of the forte of the bike is the way it handles and holds on to the road. Its just amazing. Braking is again excellent and the bike stops nicely even in wet conditions however I had doubts on the zappers so upgraded to Michelin M45 at the rears. The Handling isnt as sweet as it was on stock tires but I was ready to compromise a little for better tires.
Finally Fuel efficiency:- If ridden till 60 the bike easily return somewhere between 35-40 km/lt but this bike honestly is not meant for that. The worse I got while ripping is 28km/lt. On an average I would say the bike has a mileage of 32-34. Not bad I guess.
After sales service:- I only gave my bike twice or thrice if I remember correctly to Hero Honda service centre. I have my own trusted mechanic for more than 10 years now and bike has been in his hands doing great. As for parts I would rate a 1 on 5 for HH as it took them 2 and half month to provide me a chain sprocket set. in addition parts like Disc brake pads are heavenly priced. Even the plastic fairing, Too expensive if broken, Battery died once after 3.5 or 4 years of purchase so bought a new.
The self start still brings engine to life in one single crank. I always use choke for morning starts.
Verdict:- Thanks if u actually read all the stuff. This bike has a different enigma attached to it and it really feels special to own a Karizma(Probably only Karizma owners will understand it). One can imagine from the fact that this is the only bike(same category) currently selling in the same technical avatar since its launch and its selling well. Sad HH did not give this bike worthy upgrades like Fuel injection, Rear disc, digital speedo, power increase etc which they apparently did in their 100-150cc bikes.
All an All Karizma is and will remain one of the best bike money can buy in indian biking industry.