At the time of its launch in 2003, the Hero Honda Karizma was a revelation in the Indian motorcycle market. Finally, there was a motorcycle with enticing engine capacity, good power figures and Honda’s reliability. The karizma has been the bread and butter of the long distance adventure biker since its launch, with hero making minor cosmetic changes here and there.For many years the bike continued to hold its own against its main rival the pulsar 220 but was clearly getting old among its competition and was in desperate need of an upgrade. Finally, after Hero’s split from Honda, they have launched a completely revamped version of the Karizma. Some like it, some don’t, but everyone seems to have an opinion on it. Here is what i found during the day i spent with the new ZMR. We took it on an 80 km round trip to Chimmoni dam in Thrissur, Kerala. It is a good mix of Highway and ghat roads and it was a dry day so we could really push the bike to it’s limits.
1.LOOKS
When i first saw pictures of the ZMR from the auto expo 2014, i thought this was the ugliest bike i had ever seen and that hero had made a huge mistake with the new design.But i admit i was mistaken.The new Hero Karizma ZMR does look better in the flesh than in pictures. Its not exactly a great looking bike but a decent looking one. At first glance you immediately notice that the bike looks more trimmed and tall whereas the old ZMR sort of looked, for lack of a better word, fat. The biggest difference with the old version is the vertically stacked twin-headlamp which is said to have been inspired from Erick Buell Racing’s 1190RX superbike. Along with that, the ZMR also gets Daytime running lights that are very eyecatching. The rear section of the bike looks a lot like the R15 V2, with the extended mudgaurd and tail lamp section. A slight problem is that the rear seat is high and a bit of a hassle to climb upon.
2.FINISH AND BUILD
The finish and build quality is very good although I felt the fairing vibration a bit annoying after 15 to 20 mins of continuos riding. The Tail section is sturdily built and does not end up bouncing a lot when you go through potholes.One major disadvantage is that the chain is open type and will attract dirt and will lose lubrication after a couple of rains.The foot rests are solid and the switches and console are of excellent quality. The printed HERO logo on the fuel tank looks ugly and looks like it was done at a local sticker shop. The font and style hero have used looks a bit cheap and out of place on a bike that costs more than one lakh. The tinted visor is huge and does a good job of deflecting wind away from the rider.The blue backlit digital instrument cluster displays a speedometer, odometer, tachometer, a fuel-gauge, dual trip meters, a clock, real time mileage indicator and also reminds you to put on your helmet, which i think is a first for any indian bike and also a very good safety reminder.
3.PERFORMANCE AND HANDLING
The new Hero Karizma ZMR is powered by a 223cc, fuel injected engine with an oil cooler pushing out 20BHP at 8, 000rpm and a peak torque of 19.7Nm at 6, 500rpm. This is the same engine as on the older ZMR but it now produces 2BHP more. Performance of the new Hero Karizma ZMR is awesome.Acceleration is quick and crisp and 0-60 is under 4 seconds.The fastest i went is 110 and the owner said he has pushed it to 122. Hero have stated a top speed of 130kmph and the bike can reach 100kmph run in under 14 seconds. The mileage is currently fluctuating between 35-40kmpl in mixed riding conditions. Hopefully will increase after the 1st service. Various sources have been stating a mileage anywhere from 35-45 so cant be a 100 percent sure. With its huge 15.5-litre fuel tank, the new ZMR should be able to go close to 600km on a tankful before needing a refuel. The handling is nowhere near R15 standards but still excellent.The bike never feels out of control and feels really balanced and stable even at speeds in excess of 100kmph, thanks to its long wheelbase. Even in heavy traffic and roads blocked with pedestrians, the bike is very easy to maneuver and doesnt feel like a 157kgs.The 5-speed gearbox offers decent gearshifts. There were a few instances of false neutrals particularly between second and third. Also on few occasions the bike wouldn’t shift into first gear from neutral and I had to release and press the clutch again for the bike to fall into 1st gear.This also happens quite a lot on my unicorn for some reason. Seating for the rider is comfartable. Neither too sporty nor commuterish. Just perfect. We did not experience any back pain during the ride but the ride wasnt that long so cant gaurentee anything. The owner did say that it is not as comfortable as the older karizma as the pillion seat is smaller, narrower and not as well padded as the previous version’s. Braking is good with 276mm front and 240 mm rear discs and they can easily bring this machine to a stop quickly.
Pros- Price, powerful engine, Handling, soft suspension, looks(depends)
Cons-Lack of projector lamps or atleast a 55w bulb on a touring bike is shocking, Vibrations from fairing and clip on handle bars, No engine kill switch, underseat storage space beneath the pillion seat is minimal and it is also difficult to refit the rear seat after you are done.
VERDICT
I enjoyed riding the ZMR. I really like the torquey engine that makes riding in heavy, crawling traffic, down the deserted highway and everything in between so easy.It does have some niggles and annoyances but for Rs 1.1 lakh, the ZMR looks like a good deal. Hero MotoCorp has taken effort in updating the new Karizma ZMR with revamped styling and changes to the engine.Though the design is better than its predecessor, it still isn’t the most visually pleasing motorcycle. It’s the same case in terms of performance, because even though the power has gone up, it could have done with better refinement as well. At around Rs 1.15 lakh on road, you get the cheapest full faired motorcycle currently on sale and a decent tourer. There’s also the huge service network and good resale that comes with buying a Hero product. Even though the new Hero Karizma ZMR is a good motorcycle, it isn’t as big an improvement over the bike it replaces. And with the current crop of competition, with the likes of the cbr and dukes, it needed to be.So there it is guys. The all new Karizma ZMR. Ride within your limits and always wear a helmet.