The Hero Honda Karizma is a

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

manufactured in India by a partnership of

Hero Honda Hero MotoCorp Limited (formerly Hero Honda) is an Indian multinational motorcycle and scooter manufacturer headquartered in New Delhi. The company is one of the largest two-wheeler manufacturers in the world, as well as in India, where it has ...

. It was first launched in 2003 and was given a cosmetic upgrade Karizma R in 2007. In September 2009, it was supplemented by another variant Karizma ZMR. Karizma got a refresh on 2014 with cosmetic and performance changes. The last models under the ZMR brand were manufactured until 2017 and sales were extended especially in the international markets through 2019. There are plans to relaunch an improved version with 250cc to act as Hero's flagship brand.

Design and styling

Karizma was designed specifically for the Indian market but the joint partnership with Honda, a leading Japanese automobile maker ensured that the brand was well designed and that local and international customers bought and enjoyed quality brands. There are suggestions that actually due to its high quality, the brand was sold in most countries at a bargain and affordable price than it should have been. Honda seems to have contributed a lot in the 'blending' starting with the styling being inspired by

Honda VFR800 The Honda VFR800 (Interceptor) is a sport touring motorcycle made by Honda since 1998. The model was the successor to the VFR750F and shares the V4 engine configuration with the Honda VF and VFR series. Fifth Generation: 1998–2001 VFR800Fi (RC ...

. The instrument panel and the tank recesses were also designed keeping their functionality in mind. The horn came under criticism for not being loud enough. In the initial models, the rear tyre was smaller, resulting in critical reviews which were addressed in the upgrade of 2014.

Comfort and handling

The sporty seating position is similar to

Honda CBZ 125 F The Honda CG125 or Honda CG is a commuter motorcycle made by Honda of Japan. It was in production from 1976 to 2008 in Japan and has been in production since 1992 in Pakistan. The CG was originally manufactured in Japan, but the source for the E ...

and

BMW F650 The BMW F650 is a family of motorcycles developed by BMW Motorrad beginning in 1993.Motorcycle News, February 2009, p29 Models included the F650St Strada and from 1994, the F650 (dubbed the 'Funduro') which, due to some subtle differences, was c ...

. Reviews have praised the handling of Karizma as "being easy for novice", "impeccable on straights and cornering" and as an "accomplished bike" in ride and handling. However the rear tyre, the handle bar and the foot pegs have been blamed in affecting the handling in the first models.

Performance and fuel economy

Karizma has the tried and tested, but slightly detuned version of 223 cc SOHC air-cooled engine from the CRF230 series of enduro/MX/supermoto bikes that are sold in the US and South American markets. It has a five-speed gearbox in place of the CRF's six-speed. The engine is an all-aluminium,

undersquare In a reciprocating piston engine, the stroke ratio, defined by either bore/stroke ratio or stroke/bore ratio, is a term to describe the ratio between cylinder bore diameter and piston stroke length. This can be used for either an internal comb ...

engine ( bore and

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

) running a

compression ratio The compression ratio is the ratio between the volume of the cylinder and combustion chamber in an internal combustion engine at their maximum and minimum values. A fundamental specification for such engines, it is measured two ways: the stati ...

of 9:1. It features a Kehlin CV

carburettor A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meterin ...

with a CCVI switch. The top speed is around 130 km/h and the 0–60 km/h is achieved around 3.8 seconds. The Karizma is reported to have an overall fuel economy of 40 km/L (90 mpg or 2.4 L/100 km), with a best of 50 km/L (120 mpg) and a worst of 28 km/L (66 mpg). Since the relaunch of Karizma R and ZMR (Fuel injection variant) in 2014, the ZMR's engine has been tuned to deliver 20ps of power with compression ratio of 9.6 and company claimed to 0 to 60 in 3.6 seconds and the same top speed as its predecessor. Both variants have an EBR inspired design. The mileage has been increased to 51 km/L. The 2014 upgrade saw the introduction of an oil cooler. The bike has been praised by many due to its affordable maintenance costs and its ability to endure long trips despite the lack of water-cooling system. Due to its joint partnership with Honda, many of its parts such as fuel pump, rear brake pads, spark plug are compatible with prominent Honda models and can be sourced by international owners on online marketing sites such as Amazon and Ebay. Due to its revered history, there has been reporting to indicate that Hero plans to relaunch the model with higher engine size to compete with other established brands.

References

External links

Karizma ZMR official website
{{two wheelers in India Karizma R Motorcycles introduced in 2003 Standard motorcycles