The Name: Karizma is not an appropriate name for the Bike. So I have decided to name my Bike Kareena.
There are some peculiar requirements for the Bike Buyer
Minimum Height: 158 cms(My Height)
Minimum Weight: 65 Kgs(My Weight 80 kgs)
Minimum Chest: 38 Inches(My Chest)
Since the handle bars of the Bike are very wide spread you need Big Chest
The Bike: Big Bike Feel, High Level of Refinement but the Kerb Weight is just 150 Kgs.
After using a Royal Enfield that weighs 175 kgs for a decade this bike feels like a lightweight
MACHCHAR that Kareena could use to zip around town for her groceries!
The Looks: Very Good Looks but their latest offering called the Hunk has Excellent Looks.
They should photocopy the looks of the Hunk onto the Kareena.
Engine Response: The engine is very peppy. Since I have only done 80 kms of riding on this
new purchase I cannot exceed 60 kmph for the first 1000 kms. So I cannot comment on top
speed etc. My opposite door neighbour uses it frequently on the highway and has touched
130 kmph on more than one occasion.
Pros: The special rear view mirrors have extra indicators and also extra lights in case your headlight fails. The Remote control Unit is extremely effective from a distance of 40-50 mtrs
with four functions, Immobilizer system as in Maruti Cars with Special Keys, CAR Headlights,
The rear seat is broad.
Cons: Rear Tyres should have been michellin, The Engine Guard is actually a good looking
showpiece that cannot protect the engine, the front seat is narrow should have been two inches
broader, there is no provision for a sidebox, when you place the bike on
centre stand there is no hand grip below the rear seat to assist you.
The Gearbox: EXCELLENT Gear Box except for the Gear Shift Pattern. On a premium sports
bike the gear shift pattern should have been one up and four down.
The FIFTH Gear: You can operate the bike on fifth gear at a speed of 30 kmph without the
engine knocking!
The FOURTH Gear: You can operate the bike on fourth gear at a speed of 25 kmph without
the engine knocking! The fourth gear has a lot of pull in it. From the 5th just step down to
4th gear and the engine response is just great.
The SECOND Gear: You dont need the first gear in crawling traffic. The second gear is enough
as long as the traffic is crawling and does not come to an absolute stand still condition.
The Turning Radius: This is a major negative factor on the Bike. For a premium sports bike
the turning radius is very wide. This can be a problem in crowded parking lots such as multiplex
and shopping malls. This Turning Radius is ideally suited for FREEWAYS and large parking lots
in the united states of America. The overall length of the Bike is slightly longer than my Royal Enfield which can be a problem in crowded parking lots in the city of Bangalore. But fortunately for me I have reserved parking in several places at Bangalore.
The Headlights: On low beam the headlight lights up a distance of 7 meters in front of you and
it also lights up an entire 18 feet road which is more than enough.
Anti-Theft System: Excellent
Remote Start: You can start the bike remotely sitting in a coffee shop as long as one window of the
coffee shop is open and the distance is within 40 meters.
The accessories: They provide a Saree Guard but they should also provide a straight cross bar
so that some kid sitting on the tank can rest his legs on the cross bar in front. There is space on
the chasis below the tank for a cross bar. It will also protect the bike if it falls.
Cost of Spares: Reasonable
Overall On the Road Price of Bike: reasonable considering the Remote Unit. Special Rear View Mirrors, Gear Box, Engine Specs, Immobilizer system as in Maruti Cars, Headlights as in Maruti Cars.
Customer Service at Showroom: The staff at the showroom were friendly and courteous.
But the staff did not have any knowledge about the products they were selling. They were fumbling over the remote functions and could not explain anything. They said the special rear view mirrors
were non-adjustable without extra indicators! They were wrong.
OKay now I have done 8000 kms and it gives me the following status report 1. fuel efficiency of 42.8 kmpl to 43.4 kmpl within town normally from sahakara nagar blore - 92 via r.t nagar, rajmahal extension to queen road and m.g road which is normally very crowded. It also gives me a mileage of 53 kmpl on new airport highway from sahakara nagar to little beyond new airport at a speed of 70 kmph. 2. The spares are cheap but lousy. The plastic knob of the side cover broke since it was flimsy. Also the crash guard is a show piece that fell on railway track just because the bike tilted and crash guard cracked. Also the levers got bent . it was barely a fall just a bike tilt. 3. The free service at Nikhi motors is not very good at water wash and attending to minor problems reported. Also I paid them Rs 350/- for a teflon coating and they dont seem to have done the job although they insist they have done it! Also the checklist for the free service is not followed. On the last free service I paid for spark plug replacement and air filter replacement since it was mentioned on the checklist. But who pays for it is still ambiguous. From the way it is written on the service manual it appears to be a free replacement! 4. Nikhi motors staff pick petrol and I had to push the bike on one occasion and so I measure the petrol using their dip rod and then hand it over for free service. 5. The paint job on the new karizma is not good. It appeared two coats thick as I reported earlier. but but but it is actually one coat of white paint primer and then one thin coat of blue on top. I purchased this bike on dec 21st 2007 one of the first to roll out and it does not appear to be of high quality as you would expect the first lot. 6. Also the bolt for the special rear view mirrors are always a bit flimsy and get loose and then you have to tighten often. 8. The hero honda regional office at bangalore never responds to customer emails and neither do they pick the phone. 9. I tossed a can of Nulon into the bike engine oil and it is smooth now. 10. The bike is very speed sensitive and tuning sensitive and when both are perfect the mileage is very very good as reported above. 10. On the whole the quality of spares at Hero Honda pisses you off but they are affordable. 11. The bike will easily do speeds of 110 kmph without any strain on the engine and it will easily rip at 150 kmph top speed if the running in period is done with absolute care as I did. 12. It is very steady even at 110 kmph without cross winds and road grip is good. 13. The petrol tank can take a good 18.25 ltrs of petrol out of which only 17.25 is utilizable. JUST ONE LAST POINT THE SPARES SECTION IS VERY SLIPSHOD AND THEY OPERATE IT LIKE A SELF SERVICE COUNTER MAKING YOU GO UP AND DOWN . ALSO I HAVE BEEN REQUESTING THEM FOR COLOR BLUE SPECIAL REAR VIEW MIRRORS SINCE THE LAST TEN MONTHS AND THEY STILL DONT HAVE IT IN STOCK AND DONT BOTHER ABOUT CUSTOMER COLOR REQUESTS!