Hero Karizma ZMR V1 (Old Model)

Looking at people’s interest in full fairing bikes, our national leader in two wheeler market, Hero has launched their first bike with full fairing. They have named it Karizma ZMR and it’s the most expensive bike from Hero till date. Will this bike be able to give a tough competition to the ruler of this segment, Yamaha R15?

Design and Style

The looks of new Karizma ZMR are quite subjective. The bike is unable to convince you instantly. The Y-shaped headlight is not as smoky as Honda CBR150R and the whole front appearance including its tinted visor, body coloured rear view mirrors and edgy mudguard looks way less sporty and attractive than R15. The engine covering features ZMR written on it and looks nice but doesn't look aerodynamic. Clear lens indicators are integrated in this fairing. Dark golden colour is finished on its disc plates, silencer and telescopic forks at its front. Side panels are very similar to the regular Karizma. It has single seat with split, body coloured grab rails. The tail section of the bike is a complete let down. The integrated LED tail light resembles to its cheaper sibling CBZ and with its slim rear tyre, things get worse. The rear mudguard is not stylish either. Looking at the tough competition, we expected something much better than this from Hero and they could have worked more on its styling.

Main Styling Elements

Main styling features of Karizma ZMR are Full Front Fairing, Split Clip On Handle Bars, Body Coloured Split Rear Grab Rails, Mirrors Mounted On The Fairing, New Rear Mud Guard, New Headlamp & Tail Lamp, Which Is Now LED, Rear Disc Brakes, Turn Indicators Mounted On Front Fairing, New Stylish Graphics, Slightly Reprofiled Body Work, Body coloured rear view mirrors, New design for silencer and heat shield, Blue back-lit instrument cluster and ZMR logo on the instrument cluster.

Instrument Console

Hero Karizma ZMR features a fully digital instrument console with LED indicators. The overall designing and appearance of instrument console is quite soothing. It sports a round pod for its digital tachometer with digital fuel gauge just above it. It also has digital speedometer, odometer and trip meter with other digital information .This instrument console comes with blue illumination and certainly looks best in its segment.

Engine and Gearbox

Hero has added fuel injection to the same 223cc air-cooled engine of regular Karizma. This 4-stroke single cylinder engine now generates a maximum power output of 17.6 bhp at 7000 rpm with a modest torque production of 18.35 Nm accessible at 6000 rpm. This engine is served with a five speed manual gearbox with one gear down and four up-shift pattern.

Acceleration and Performance

Undoubtedly, it’s a very refined engine which never complains even if pushed hard. This engine generates a good amount of torque and that’s also available very early which helps this bike to move effortlessly. Gear ratios are also very short and that’s why you never run short of power but once you take this bike on long runs then you will come across its disabilities. The mid-range is very effective but after 6000rpm there is nothing much left in this bike and from here on, it’s nowhere near to its other competitors which easily go all the way to 10000rpm. The heavy amount of torque enables this bike to complete 0-60km/hour in 3.7 seconds, which is quite respectable but its heavy weight and lack of sixth gear restricts this bike to a top speed of 126km/hour which is not possible with a pillion rider. The high end performance is disappointing. However gear transitions are very smooth and gear ratios also feel well matched. Once you are in bigger gears than you can notice the slow response of its throttle in comparison to others. If you talk about refinement then this engine is fine but if it’s about power and performance then ZMR loses to its rivals.

Mileage

The fuel efficiency of ZMR is less than the regular Karizma due to its additional weight. You can expect anything around 30-35 kmpl in city conditions and on long runs it can give you a mileage of around 35-40 kmpl.

Comfort while Driving

Hero Karizma ZMR features a wide and comfortable seat which is very helpful on long journeys. The clips on handle bar are quite big in size and are easily reachable as you don’t have to bend forward. One can easily hold them with a perfect grip. Unlike its competitors, foot pegs are placed much before which takes away the sporty feeling but feels much convenient.

Safety Features and Storage Space

The bike has under seat storage space and comes with standard safety features.

Suspension and Brakes

Hero has equipped this bike with telescopic forks at its front with 5-step adjustable shockers at its back. This suspension system is quite adequate and easily carries the heavy weight of this bike. Its perfect braking system keeps this hefty machine under control. It sports a disc brake of 276mm at its front with a rear disc brake of 240mm.

Ride and Handling

The bike is certainly not good in this department. The heavy weight of this bike is quite evident in its handling. It’s not an easy bike to drive in city traffic. Even on highways, the bike lacks stability and fails to remain grounded. Things get worse around corners as its skinny tyres are unable to hold the road properly and it may scare you at sharp corners. It’s only its wheelbase of 1350mm which keeps it alive on roads and confirms you a satisfactory ride. Bumps and potholes are not a major issue but its low ground clearance of 159mm is a matter of concern. You may find it hard to cross many obstructions on our Indian roads. Wider tyres and high ground clearance would have made things better.

Shades

Karizma ZMR is available in four shades: Spot Light White, Panther Black Metallic, Candy Blazing Red and Vibrant Orange. The company has discontinued Yellow and Blue shade which were available in 2010 model.

Verdict

Hero Karizma ZMR is priced at INR 98.5K (ex-showroom, Delhi, may vary). At this price, ZMR becomes the cheapest bike in India to sport a full fairing. Despite being the cheapest in its segment, we still feel it’s overpriced. Only a fairing is not enough for this bike to beat its competitors. Bikes of this segment are known for their incredible performance, speed, enjoyable ride and handling and unfortunately ZMR lacks all these characteristics. It’s certainly not a complete value for money bike but can be considered for its acceptable looks, performance and features. If you find R15 and CBR150R out of your budget then you can opt for this bike.

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