I had compiled this Review a while back and had intention to share at eTI.  However, it took a while to give it finishing touch and now I am here to share the this Road Test / Review result with you.

To start, I would like to mention about the original Karizma bike in India which was first Premium bike in India and remained owner's pride for a long time.  Its segment was unclaimed for a good period of time and then later on bikes like Bajaj Pulsar and now Yamaha R15 came with more power and performance. Still it is one of the costliest bike on India road. Yet, this bike had seen almost no upgrades since its launch and an upgrade was due for this bike from long.


Recently Hero Honda gave it a new avatar with addition of Fuel Injection along with some cosmetic changes.  The new Hero Honda Karizma ZMR looks pretty mature and stylish now. Its full fairing bike will make you turn around once again and new Karizma ZMR is refreshing in its looks. In short, from front it looks cool and can stand up with even some very costly bike.


Actually, rather doing only full fairing, you see completely new headlight and its seamlessly integrated in full fairing design. However, whenever you will look it from side, it remind you of Suzuki Hayabusa because of its big logo ZMR. Its similarly used as of Hayabusa bike.  On thing you will notice is its collapsible wiser mounted rear view mirrors.


By giving full fairing, it does what mostly people like to do in their Karizma, ie. covering it up, the side indicators are also integrated in this fairing.

The instrument cluster on Karizma ZMR gets a overhaul and it looks modern yet with classical look with chrome finish tachometer. This time its Karizma's instrument cluster is all digital and it takes inspiration from Honda's high bikes.  In terms of usability, its clean and practical. Its cast aluminum split handlebar is just another common feature like other bikes of this segment.

 
From the side you will notice gold finish engine cover, its large part is not really visible yet Honda's style of gold finish makes it distinctive. Moving to tail of the bike you will see styling taken from CBZ xtreme bike. The LED tail lamp looks good actually. And in my personal view, such tail styling suits Karizma ZMR far better than CBZ xtreme.  The finish and styling is nicely executed and gives bike a nice overall looks.

Don't forget its rear new gas charged rear shock absorber and also its new dual disc brakes ie. front and rear disc breaks. The front disc breaks measure 276mm and rear 240 mm, note that these are around 20mm bigger than Pulsar 220 cc which comes in same segment.

 
That was the talk about its cosmetic changes. Now comes to the major change in Karizma which makes it Karizma ZMR PGM-Fi.  As the name reveals everything, its the addition of Fuel Injection technology in the bike. Unlike Bajaj, they actually removed the FI and made bike cheaper, the new Karizma ZMR boasts Honda's advanced PGM fuel injection technology and makes it more efficient and smoother bike to ride.

While fuel injection is added in the bike, the engine cubic capacity remains unchanged. The displacement is still 223 cc as of that of old Karizma. Now there is also oil cooling system incorporated.  New fuel injection system actually makes bike responsive and gives a better riding experience. But, don't be mistaken if you feel that new Karizma ZMR PGM Fi packs some new power punches, no its almost same as old Karizma with slight improvements over 17.6PS at 7000RPM and maximum torque remains unchanged with 18.35Nm at 6000RPM.

But do you feel this small difference while you ride, well you will actually feel smoother Karizma which is responses better to your action on bike.  It gives 0-60 kmph in 4.6 seconds, almost equal to previous Karizma. With claimed top speed of 126kmph it is very good to ride at speed range of 90kmph to 100kmph on highways. However, as with most of the bikes in India, at higher speed ie. while you reach 110kmph, you will already feel engine getting noisier and vibes will be increased and to push it to claimed 126kmph speed, you will have to try hard. You may reach past 126kmph as there is slight reading difference in its speedometer and actual speed.

The seating position of bike still makes it delight for long riding. Not very aggressive seating position makes it useful for day to day use. Infact its extra large fairing makes it harder for cornering and steep turning.

The engine gives you a powerful feeling at low riding speeds and as you go higher, you will its loosing it. So as mentioned already, cruising around 90-100kmph is fun and after that you easily know that the bike is now being pushed to its limits.

On fuel efficiency front, being a 223cc engine, you can't really expect impressive figures here but fuel injection made little improvements and on highways with moderate cruising speeds, you can expect mileage around 51 kmpl with new Karizma FI.

Overall this bike is a noticeable upgrade from Hero Honda to their much desired bike. A good package for those who emphasis on looks along with performance. But its pricing may hinder as it is priced at around Rs. 92,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi). But worthy upgrade and gives new lease of life to aging Karizma as well a smile (not so wide) to the Karizma fans.


Hero Honda Karizma ZMR Technical Details and Specifications

Engine

Engine type     4 Stroke Single Cylinder OHC, Oil Cooled, PGM-Fi
Displacement    223 cc
Bore & Stroke    65.5 × 66.2mm
Compression ratio    9.0:1
Maximum Power     13.15 KW (17.6BHP) / 7000 rpm
Maximum torque    18.35 N.m / 6000 rpm
Starting method    Self start
Engine Oil Grad    SAE 10 W 30 SJ Grade
Fuel Metering     PGM-FI, Programmed Feul Injection
Clutch type    Multiple Wet
Ignition type    DC-FTIS (Full Transisotrized Ignition System)
Transmission type    5 speed Constant Mesh


Chassis

Frame type    Tubular Single Cradle, Diamond Type
Suspension (front/rear)    Telescopic Hydrolic / 5 step ajustable iGRS system
Brake type(front/rear)    276mm Disc / 240mm Disc
Tire size (front/rear)    80/100x18 tubeless / 100/90x18 tubless

Dimensions

Overall Length × Width × Height    2110mm × 805mm × 1175mm
Seat height    790mm
Wheelbase    1,350mm
Minimum ground clearance    159mm
Minimum turning radius   2.50 mtrs
Curb weight     159kg
Fuel tank volume    15.3 liters
Reserve      2 liters
Engine oil volume    1.35 liters

Lastly :
I would like to see your feedbacks and comments. If there is any suggestion to improve above article then you are welcome. Also, if it helped you in any manner then as said, leave your comment. Those comments are actually an encouragement factor for me.

Thank you!
~Ricky

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Images Courtesy Hero Honda Motors Ltd.