Hero Honda New Karizma ZMR

 

Hero Honda has finally launched the much awaited tourer bike - Karizma ZMR Fi in Indian Market. Karizma ZMR will be sold along with old Karizma model, Hero Honda has decided not to phase out Karizma R and sell both the models side by side. They don't want to end the competition for Apache 180 & Pulsar 220 as Karizma R is priced around Rs. 80,000.

The stance remains the same as the old Karizma which is still considered to be the best touring bike in India with smooth, refined and relaxed Honda engine at the helm. The major and much needed change is addition of programmed fuel injection (PGM-Fi) in the engine. Additionally it also gets disc brake at the rear, gas charged rear shock absorbers, little increase in power and torque. Hero Honda also started giving teaser advertisement on leading TV channels in which they show few glimpses of New ZMR's front fairing, headlight and tail light. And now they have started full commercial of Karizma ZMR featuring Hrithik Roshan. He drives the ZMR through water and dodges few tornados. ZMR looks quite stunning in white shade in the commercial with ZMR sticker in red shade. To view the TV commercial scroll down this review to images and videos section of Karizma ZMR.

Design & Style Of Hero Honda Karizma ZMR

In terms of looks the most visible change is heavy looking full front fairing with a lot of snazzy graphics with 'ZMR' stickers. Though it seems a little bit overworked and gives Karizma ZMR a plasticky look. The designers at Hero Honda 'R&D' must have been a fan of Suzuki Hayabusa!! As far as new features are concerned the New Karizma ZMR gets all new headlamps with integrated blinkers and new tail lamps which are now LED ones.

The fit and finish is quite good, there are no panel gaps and paint quality is awesome. The rear view mirrors have been mounted on the front fairing a.k.a Yamaha R15, which is the best part of the facelift and it gives Karizma ZMR a very aggressive look if viewed from front. But the main problem is if you view the bike from side - the front doesn't gel with the slim looking rear. Hero Honda should have made the rear end a bit heavy to match it with the heavy front fairing. All in all, New Karizma ZMR looks much better than the outgoing model which started looking very outdated in comparison to the Yamaha R15, Bajaj Pulsar 220, TVS Apache RTR 180 & Honda CBF Stunner Fi.

Instrument Cluster & Features Of Hero Honda Karizma ZMR

The Intrument cluster is best looking part in Karizma ZMR. Insert the key and you are greeted with a long scrolling message which ends with "Bon Voyage Fly Safe". The display is now full digital including the tachometer which has been designed in round shape under a horizontal digital display which looks very cool especially at night.

The display also shows real time fuel consumption which is very helpful in maintaining good mileage. Other tell n tales include the speedometer, trip meter, fuel indicator, clock and rev counter. The switchgear remains the same and, in true Hero Honda fashion, there is no engine kill switch. The instrument cluster features dual colour illumination - the tachometer is lit in white while the rest gets an orange backlight.

10 New Design Features Of Hero Honda Karizma ZMR:

1. Full Front Fairing
2. Split Clip On Handle Bars
3. Split Rear Grab Rails
4. Mirrors Mounted On The Fairing
5. New Rear Mud Guard
6. New Headlamp & Tail Lamp Which Is Now LED
7. Rear Disc Brakes
8. Turn Indicators Mounted On Front Fairing
9. New Graphics
10. Slightly Reprofiled Body Work

Engine & Top Speed Of Hero Honda Karizma ZMR

New Karizma ZMR Fi is powered by the same 223cc engine but has been altered by Hero Honda engineers, now it gets fuel injection which has increased the maximum power to 17.6 Bhp at 7000 rpm which is up by 0.6 Bhp and maximum torque has been increased by .15 Nm which is now 18.35 Nm @ 6000 rpm.

Hero Honda has claimed top speed of 126 kmph and 0-60 km in 3.7 seconds in its official brochure but it is still slower than the current fastest bike in this segment - The Pulsar 220, which has top speed of 144 kmph. Also I expected much more power and torque from the altered Fuel Injected engine, Karizma ZMR should have been atleast touching around 20 Bhp with 21-23 Nm torque.

Comparison Of New Karizma ZMR, Pulsar 220, Yamaha R15 & Apache RTR 180
Data New Karizma ZMR Bajaj Pulsar 220 Yamaha R15 Apache 180
Engine 4 Stroke 4 Stroke 4 Stroke 4 Stroke
Displacement 223cc 220cc 149.8cc 177.4cc
Max Power 17.6 Bhp-7000 rpm 21 Bhp-8500 rpm 17 Bhp-8500 rpm 17.3 Bhp-8500 rpm
Max Torque 18.5 Nm-6000 rpm 19 Nm-7000 rpm 15 Nm-7500 rpm 15.5 Nm-6500 rpm
Gears 5 Speed 5 Speed 6 Speed 5 Speed
Cooling Type Liquid Cooled Air Cooled Liquid Cooled Air Cooled
Top Speed 126 kmph 144 kmph 135 kmph 125 kmph
0-60 kmph 3.70 secs NA 3.20 secs 4.35 secs
Brakes Discs Discs Discs Discs
Price 91000.00 71000.00 97000.00 64000.00



The PGM-Fi system is equipped with a 12 hole fuel injector, 16 bit ECU and 6 high-tech sensors to scan the engine operating parameters like air pressure, air temperature, and engine temperature to ensure the optimum air / fuel ratio under dynamic conditions. An advanced vertical oil cooler provides efficient cooling to the high performance engine and the IACV (Idle air control valve) ensures idle stability and smoothens response to throttle changes.

13 New Technical Features In Hero Honda Karizma ZMR:

1. PGM-Fi: Programmable Fuel Injection
2. 16 Bit ECU Processor For Rapid Digital Fuel Injection Mapping
3. Oil Cooled Engine
4. 12 Hole Fuel Injector For Better Atomization Of Fuel
5. Engine Oil Temperature Sensor Which Provides Different Fuel Mixtures At Different Temperatures
6. Intake Air Temperature Sensor Which Senses The Intake Air Temp To Determine & Supply The Optimum Air To Fuel Ratio
7. Throttle Position Sensor Which Detects Throttle Opening & Provides Input To The ECU
8. Crank Position Sensor Which Senses The Position & Time At Which Fuel Needs To Be Injected In Relation To Crank Angle
9. Oxygen Sensor Ensures Correct Air Fuel Ratio For The Catalytic Convertor
10. Manifold Absolute Pressure Sensor
11. Idle Air Control Valve
12. Gas Charged Shock Absorbers
13. Rear Disc Brake

Shades Available In Hero Honda Karizma ZMR

Hero Honda Karizma ZMR Is Available In Following Five Shades:

- Pearl White
- Moon Yellow
- Panther Black
- Sports Red
- Vibrant Blue

In my opinion Karizma ZMR looks best in Blue shade which gives it a bigger and meaner look. In yellow and red shades it looks a bit plasticky and down grade. Hero Honda has also introduced white shade with the launch of Karizma ZMR.

Price Of Hero Honda Karizma ZMR

New Hero Honda Karizma ZMR has been priced at Rs. 91,000 (Ex-Showroom New Delhi). The price is on the higher side in comparison to Bajaj Pulsar 220 which comes almost 20,000 cheaper and is more powerful in comparison to Karizma Fi. But Karizma is Liquid Cooled and technically more advanced in comparison to Pulsar 220. Also Karizma ZMR is a quality product, there is no compromise in quality of materials and paint quality.

Ex-Showroom Price Of Hero Honda Karizma ZMR in Other Cities:

Mumbai - 95300.00
Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin - 91000.00
Faridabad, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Kolkata - 91,000.00
Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Lucknow - 92696.00
Jaipur - 93100.00
Nagpur - 91880.00
Pune - 92759.00

Conclusion - Little Bit Overpriced In Comparison To Power & Torque Figures

Hero Honda's New Karizma ZMR Fi comes packed with more power, more style and more aggression but the new model leaves us expecting for more!! Hero Honda should a lesson or two from Yamaha which had gone almost instinct in India in 2005 but with the launch R15, FZ-Series & Fazer they are back with a bang and grabbing the premium bike market share day by day. I may not have been biased towards Yamaha if Hero Honda had come up with a more powerful and better designed version of Karizma.

Though Karizma has always been very popular among bike enthusiasts as it is a highly capable bike and it was expected that Karizma Fi will going to take it a step further. Let's see how Karizma fans react to the price, design change and will it set the sales charts on fire and will beat Pulsar, R15 & Apache.