The Hero Honda Karizma is a motorcycle manufactured in India by a partnership of Hero Honda. 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 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 and BMW F650. 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.
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 engine running a compression ratio of 9:1. It features a Kehlin CV carburettor 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, with a best of 50 km/l and a worst of 28 km/l.. Since the relaunch of Karizma R and ZMR 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.
