[Ownership Thread]: Hero Karizma ZMR (2014 version)

Karzima zmr 2014 review



Here it is guys, the first review of the new Karizma zmr 2014 on xbhp.com, now the first thing I want to tell you guys is that I am not a pro rider and I don’t have a lot of experience of riding pro bikes in fact the only bikes I have ridden in my life are pulsar 220, bullet Electra, pulsar 180, fzs and the bullet standard. But I have done a lot of research on a lot of popular bikes that are in the country right now and have a fair amount of knowledge bank when it comes to bikes and performance. Till now I have clocked around 400kms on this bike and I have gotten hold of what’s good and what’s bad in this bike, so as a part of my duty as the first official owner of this bike in this forum here I present the detailed review of new zmr 2014.



Overview
Karizma has been a popular bike on the Indian roads and has definitely been amongst the favorite and most powerful bikes in the country. When it was launched, back in 2003 ,it
Instantly grabbed the attention of youngsters and children alike(I was 11 years old then but was swept off by its looks!!).for many years the bike continued to spread its charm but was clearly getting old amongst its competition and was in desperate need of an upgrade, and that came with the 2009 hero Honda karizma zmr.it instantly grabbed the attention and was certainly the eye candy back then and had fairing and looks remnant that of the Suzuki Hayabusa! It was well received and was welcomed by the crowds well ,but everyone felt that it was just not enough to justify as an upgrade, for they had just changed the looks and the engine upgrade was still missing...
And here we are today, 5 years later and much needed change is already here and mind you change is not always good, some like it some don’t!
But certainly I like it and welcome it.



Looks
(sorry for stretching this section guys , but this is one of the most important and most talked about aspect of this bike so please bear with me!)
First I want to share this with everyone because I know that a lot of people here are going to agree with me, when I first look at the pictures of this bike when it was first launched in Dubai earlier this year ,I must admit that the bike looked simply horrendous and ugly, I had been planning to purchase this bike for a long time and I was simply put off by idea just by looking at those pics and the internet was flooded with talks of how ugly this one looked and how the legend had just died and I AGREED, and I had decided actually not decided but SETTELED for either the bullet Electra or the pulsar 220.but last month I got a call from a dealer who told me that the new model is in stock and I told him that I am not interested in this bike anymore because of the looks but he convinced me that I should definitely come to see it in person and that it doesn’t look that bad and I said to myself that there is no harm in looking, so I went and saw the bike..
And Guys, if I had to put my reaction in two words….HOLY SHIT! It was amazingly good looking and was adequately muscular looking and was certainly more sporty and had the right amount of bling to it.i was confused about how it looked so bad in pictures but as they say, some things are meant to be looked in person and this things was definitely one of them, and its not just me but I have observed that a lot reviewers on the internet who initially despised the looks , are now beginning to appreciate it, but only the ones who have seen it in person ,others are yet to have an epiphany!!
The fairing area is just of the right geometry and not too flaunting like its predecessor and you can see, that a lot of focus was given to the design, they provide the right aerodynamics and is good to look at too, and I must say that from certain angles the bike looks really breathtaking and believe me when I say that because I have got like 100 feedbacks from on goers who told me that it looks really good and wont even believe that it’s a Karizma zmr and the bike has managed to turn a lot, well not a lot, but most of the heads I have passed from. And I am really enjoying the positive response I am getting..

The dual head lamp looks cool and are bright too but a high beam projector lamp is definitely missed and you cannot turn both of them on at same time as you could in the pulsar 220 I guess? The visor is quite big and does not look huge as you would anticipate but looks the right amount .The tail section is quite impressive though I still to this day find the older Karizma's taillight to be the best. Both tyres have been bumped up to be little wider and also help in providing stability. The rear section of the bike looks a lot like the R15 in terms of height and design and the pillion seat it quite high even my male friends and myself find it difficult to climb it sometimes when both hands are full.
The muffler has been changed and this one looks good too except I did find the secondary plate attached a bit loose and makes noise when I rev the engine but I will have that fixed when I get the first service. the paint job is done well and the new design logos and the decals on the side all compliment the new fairing.
The new handle bars are different in alignment from its predecessor and are a bit tilted like in the R15 and provide a more sporty riding posture.
the only thing that looks a bit off, is the hero logo on the gas tank, I mean it looks ridiculous and doesn’t fit with the looks of the bike, they could have printed it in some other font or could have even omitted it completely but I guess they couldn’t do that. apart from that the whole bike looks proportionate and catchy.







Build quality
I have always been a fan of the build quality of the hero bikes I mean they just make their bike really sturdy and with good quality parts and the material used is top notch, I mean you can look from zmr down to the splendor but the build quality is just so much better than the competition.this one is no exception either.the plastic fairing is good quality and yes it does vibrate at low RPMs but lets accept it, they all do a little! The bike looks muscular and the big thumbs up to the sturdy tail lamp section! the strut that supports the tail light is so rigid that the dealer even went on to say that you can even make a grown man sit on it and it still wont break and we went on and even did that, and he proved to be right, but it was certainly not the most pleasant experience…
the chain is exposed and will attract dirt and i am not a big fan of it.
The swing arm is sturdy and the handle bar is quite heavy and robust, one of the best I had ever seen.the foot rests are solid and everything from the side stand to even the small things like springs and the tiny knobs are of top quality.



Riding and handling
Karizma has always been known as being the ultimate sports tourer, and this one is no exception either ,let me share an experience with you, one day I was riding this bike and it felt that the bike is on 40-45 kmhr but when I looked at the speed meter, the bike was running at 85! And I was really shocked. the bike never feels out of control and feels really balanced and stable at >100kmhr speeds, the longer wheelbase comes into play here. Even in heavy traffic and market areas, the bike is very easy to maneuver and never feels 157kgs, its an agile machine and riding posture will seem aggressive to passers but doesn’t feel harsh to the rider and I haven’t felt any back pains or anything of that kind, they have shorten the foot pegs so its is easy to take harsh turn as you would be tempted to with that wider wheel! the seats are very comfortable both for the rider and the pillion and still retains the charm to be a tourer,even after sitting there is still quite enough wiggle room left for a comfortable ride. I am 5”9 and I have no trouble riding this bike comfortably. braking is good and is combined with 276mm front and 240 mm rear discs and they can easily control this beast at any speed, I nearly escaped an accident when I was riding at 100km and a kid just crossed me with his bicycle but the brakes just saved me the bike was very stable even when I applied both brakes completely and that large wheelbase avoided undesirable stopple!


Engine performance
This is the part I have been waiting to talk about. The 223 cc engine produces 20bhp at 800RPM,while the torque comes up 19.7nm at 6500RPM. The engine is a powerhouse and at low RPMs the bikes performance is unmatched and in that section I can even compare it to the mighty bullet! But where the bike really shows its colors is in the mid and upper range. The engine is rev happy and doesn’t sweat, you can crank the throttle up as much as you like and the engine will not give up. the gears are quite long and that 5th gear is almost untouched during most rides and the 4th gear is really tall and sufficient for cranking this bike to 95-98kmhr.when started and engaged in first gear the bike just fires like a bow from an arrow and the company claimed pickup of 0-60 in 3.6 seconds is right, in fact I think its much quicker.





Fuel efficiency
When you purchase a bike with>200cc displacement ,you are not the one to be bothered about milege.but it is surprising that this bike is giving me 37-40kmpl.it is very good figure for a bike of this displacement.i have not taken the bike for long highway journeys yet but I can safely assume that the figures can easily turn around to 50kmpl.






Pros-Looks, refined engine, build quality, handling

Cons-no projector lamp ,little vibration at low RPM ,side plate on muffler gets loosened, no engine kill switch


The bike retails in Delhi for Rs114,210 on road price, and is very aggressively priced though it is equipped with the fuel injection system ,the bike severely lack some basic features like engine kill switch, and also ,had it been given a projector lamp it would be awesome and satisfying. Still in overall deal this is a pretty decent and justified purchase specially with a nice fuel economy, one can definitely buy this bike over R15 and cbr150r that have much lower displacement engine and plasticky bodies whereas this one has the right amount of bulk and rigidity to it which looks heavy and assuring.so here it is guys, my full review of the new zmr..now let me clear it up, for actually whom this bike is for, well the answer is anyone who wants a a good responsive machine with high displacement and good ergonomics and also is a an adrenaline junkie ,this bike will suit you well. it is made and tailored especially for that true wanderer inside us and will just urge you to give a little more throttle.Always game!

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sorry guys i have been a little late in posting this review as i was busy with my exams and everything but here it is at last my detailed review(as much as i could, in such short ownership)please mind the amateur writing ,thanks in advance!

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