Hero Honda has lately upped the ante of the two wheeler industry at ends, upper end as well as lower end. At the lower (100cc) end it set the cat among the pigeons by launching the no-frills CD dawn at a price of rs.31,000/- ex-showroom (rs.33,800/- on road) pune, which made it the cheapest bike in this largest selling class in the country. At the upper end it launched the karizma, at an on-road pune price of rs.86, 367/-. While the CD dawn retains the same engine, mechanicals and cycle parts of its higher priced siblings in the 100cc class, the karizma breaks new ground and for the first time, breaks the 200cc barrier in the four-stroke, single-pot, indo-jap genre. While the specifications and performance of the hh 100cc class is too well known to bear further mention here, the karizma is an altogether different cup of tea, which is a stunning 223cc single, spewing out 17 bhp at 7000 rpm, which pushes the bike at a torque of 18.35 nm at 6000 rpm. This is the hero Honda with a difference.
What is this difference? The difference is that unlike all other hh bikes, which have short-stroke engines, this one has a long-stroke engine. All the earlier hh bikes have the same stroke of 49.5 mm, with only the bore varying (increasing), being 50.0 mm for splendor, 58.5 mm for ambition and 63.5 mm for cbz. The karizma on the other hand has a stroke of 66.2 mm, which is more than its bore of 65.5 mm. This not only gives it excellent low end torque (let), but also allows it to produce its max. 17 bhp at 7000 rpm, while all the other hh bikes named above produce their max. Bhp at 8000 rpm. Thus the karizma’s engine life factor (elf) is almost 1.6 which is better than excellent and more than most other bikes in the country today. With the long-stroke giving it excellent let, and a low rated rpm giving it longevity, one is assured of relaxed riding pleasure for many years. It is a medically proven fact that relaxed riding increases the longevity of rider as well.
One painful fact that emerged during this test is that the gear shifter (gs) of the karizma is exactly the same (toe-only) as the cbz. Even the kick-starter is the same cbz type, which necessitates folding the RH footrest for kicking. Even though having a self starter helps, I wonder why HH is so die-hard about this feature. The other tall claim made in the leaflets of the karizma is however definitely true, that is the claim of a top speed of 125 kph. Though I actually only touched a Speedo indicated 121 kph, I could feel the bike had enough “dump” in it to touch 125 or maybe even 130 kph, but then I didn’t have the “dump” to push on. Blame it on rain, blame it on traffic, blame it on publication deadline, blame it on dilip bam’s lack of guts, or blame it on Rio! But I am not foolhardy enough to go racing on wet tarmac. Sorry.
Coming to more mundane things, starting from front, the huge 35watt multi reflector headlight has a bright beam having an excellent throw. The tail lamp too is large with two bulbs, the second filament in each bulb, lighting up upon application of brakes, to serve as the bright brake light. The adrenoesque front face is massive, with the huge front fairing dominating the looks. As with such an arrangement, the headlight does not turn with the handle. Some people have misgivings about this fact, though personally i faced no problems on this score. The front blinkers are built into this massive fairing and would be the first casualty in case of a fall, but then blinkers are always the first casualty in any bike fall, except in case of bikes having blinkers built into the headlamp and tail-lamp unit, such as in the old fiero. The bike i am testing came without crash guard. I am sure a crash guard (which is a dealer fitment - to avoid excise duty) would prevent blinker breakage. The headlamp is faired with a windshield as well, which further enhances the ‘biggy’ look of this bike.
The bike has a lot of features. There is a lockable helmet strap lock at lhs rear, which has a catch, upon pressing which the seat comes unlocked and can be lifted off. Under the seat, there is a snug, waterproof, dust-proof, latched plastic box, which holds the tool kit and battery warranty card. The first-aid kit also finds a place under the seat. The seat itself, the driver part of it that is, is cusped, leading to a slightly front-leaning riding posture, though less so than some other bikes having more deeply cusped seats. The pillion seat is higher than the driver seat. With the heavier (than me) pillion that i rode with sometimes, i wasn’t very happy. For one, it raises the total cg of the contraption. For another, i don’t see the logic behind raised pillion seats, unless it is raised for allowing the pillion to look over the shoulders of the driver, which i think is socially unacceptable. When i am the driver, i am in-charge, so why the hell should somebody look over my shoulders?
Further ahead is the massive, 15 liter fuel tank (ft) with a 2-litre reserve. The ft cap is removable (not hinged) and has a hinged flap to cover the keyhole in the cap to prevent water going in. The chassis is a single down-tube affair in the front, having engine as a stressed member. Massive rectangular section rear swing-arm makes for excellent flex-free riding and road holding. The huge silencer comes with a heat shield topped with a heel-rest loop to prevent pillion shoe-sole burn-off.
Due to all this fairing-baazi (non metallic), the engine block looks comparatively diminutive, but it belies the performance aspect of this machine. I took it out to the mulish hairpin bends (50 km away) for a checkout. There were clouds on the horizon but it hadn’t rained yet. As much as the traffic would allow. In traffic, this bike cannot do much more than what the 100cc econo-misers could do, but out of town the karizma could teach this PhD’s in economics a thing or two. On this ride with me were two other bikes: a stock rx100 and a ported and proton-exhausted shaolin, ridden by 50-kg teenagers. Get-ahead-at-any-cost is the mantra of these teenagers and riding 2-strokers; they kept trying to get the best of me. The road is pretty narrow and in case a bus or truck is oncoming, you have to get off the road.
These guys (the 2-stroke teenagers) kept trying to overtake me, yet whenever they came up from behind too close for comfort, all I had to do was downshift and open throttle. No matter how close they were, they never could catch up. Overtaking me was outta question. So they stopped, got off their bikes and took the karizma from me and said, “Now you try to overtake us.” I tried. I couldn’t. Like i said, i touched 121 kph. 125 is very much do-able. Maybe even more. Speedo indicated of course. But true anyway, since in the top speed sweepstakes the rx100 and ported+protoned shaolin were left far behind=outta sight, could not be seen even in the rear view (RV) mirrors. That brings me to a couple of sore points. The RV mirrors are too small. Their stalks are too short. And the horn is not loud enough. Maybe I don’t hear too well (I’ve got only one ear, remember?).
The road holding is excellent on dry tarmac and so it the braking. The 276mm disc up front (largest so far) does an excellent job. So does the 130mm rear drum? The mag wheels give a very un-cluttered look to the rear wheel. I like it. The handling is actually pat, though the huge fairing probably (falsely?) Gives the impression of not being nimble. On the ground the bike behaved exactly as directed. 100% obedient to the t. The turning circle is quite large, @ four meters.
I also did braking tests. Sixty to zero. Over ten runs from 60 kph to wheel lock, the best braking distance was 14 meters. (Rider weight 67 kg ; height 174cm). This is excellent braking. What is even better is the braking characteristic. The skid line left on the dry tarmac outside the a.r.a.i. was so straight it could very well have been drawn with a foot ruler (scale). My braking test always mimics panic braking, where rider slams both brakes, such as is a natural human reaction to an accident situation.
Apart from the many ‘firsts’ mentioned above, the crowning glory of this bike is the instrumentation. A smallish analog revs counter at lh, a larger analog ‘Speedo only’ in the centre and third digital dial at RH, which incorporates a fuel gauge, a trip meter, an odometer and for chrissake, a time clock! If you come across someone riding a karizma, don’t ask him, “what’s the average?” Ask him, “What’s the time?” He will tell you the time even in a dark tunnel. The dials glow in the dark (radium?) Even without the lights on!
One stupid thing that happened during this test was that i lost the keys. Cost me rs.200/- to get a duplicate made. But I learnt something. The master key maker who made the duplicate (who makes splendor duplicate in ten minutes) took three hours to make the duplicate for this bike, and that too separate keys for ignition and tank cap. He said, “This is the most difficult bike lock I ever worked on. It would be almost impossible to steal this bike.” this fact is quite re-assuring for those who are concerned about their bike being stolen, and believe me; this bike is definitely worth stealing!!
I did a few fuel consumption tests as well, on a tank full to tank full basis. First on nh.17 (bombay-goa highway) over a distance of 130 km. Nh.17 is an excellent road, excellent surface and thin traffic. At speeds between 50 and 60 kph, with very little gear changing, very little braking or stopping, the karizma returned 41 km per liter. Later I measured fuel consumption in city riding over a distance of 185 km, with countless breakings, gear changing and stopping, and at speeds up to 80 kph at times (while overtaking). In city traffic it returned 28 km per liter.
Looks and styling
The first thing anybody would notice in the karizma is the styling aspect of the bike. The immensely aerodynamically efficient lines on the bike will catch you off guard. Especially when you take into account the amount of effort put into the design of the front fairing which incorporates/houses the indicators, two air pockets on either side or the head lamp. The fairing is not a full one which can be seen on sports bikes but nevertheless it was never before there on any Indian bike. Except for the adreno which was one dumb bike worst possible design. Gave the feeling of riding a bike designed for road rash games.
Then the lines are amazing and extend into the fuel tank. Which has recesses for the rider’s legs? The tank doesn’t look big like the pulsar’s bulky tank but it holds 15lts of fuel. and the tail-light design needs some mention over here. As is the case with most of hero Honda’s bikes, the tail part is one that catches the eyes of the on-looker the most. The Karizma’s tail section isn’t an exception. It is equally popular wid all and you can even see them fitted onto pulsars and other bikes too. The tail light is a split one. And the lenses are brilliant.wow!!!Then come the trapezoidal headlamp unit up front. Illumination is brilliant which is unmatched by any bike in the country. The guide lamps are superb and borrowed from the royal infield’s nice addition though. The first bike other than the enfields to use the 2 guide lamps above the headlamp unit. The silencer/exhaust tip is mounted in a really sporty manner and gets an almost slash-cut finish. it is chrome plated and gold coloured.the pipes for the exhaust are powder coated in black.
Ride and handling
Well if you wanted for a bike which you could rely on at all speeds, it is the karizma.relentless and impeccable on straights and cornering. The bike stands firm on its feet even @ speeds reaching up to 130kmph.there is not a single twitch. The skimpy rear tires of 100/90 spec could be upgraded to 4.00? Michelins race tread-ed ones. the skimpy company fitted rear offers lower levels of grip but as always said, it is what the bike was built for. The company fitted tires will give the least drag and highest possible efficiencies under normal driving conditions in city and on highways. The ride is superlative and the braking is simply terrific.
The bike can come to a standing halt in around 30m from 60kmph in around 2-3 secs. And the bike does twitch at the rear if too much of braking is applied. The braking is to be as gradual as possible. The brake pads wear out slower than when you brake hard all the time. It is also advisable to keep at least 3 cars gap to the vehicle ahead in dry conditions and at least 8-10 vehicles gap during the rainy season. And well the handling of the karizma in the wet tarmac is as good as that when it is dry. The braking efficiency is hampered to an extent though due to the water film being embedded on the tire treads and the braking distances increase considerably. The corners can be attacked with tenacity and the bike will respond with aplomb. The bike is simply terrific. There is no competition for the karizma among the bikes in this aspect. Although the enfields corner and are much more stable than the .it can be said that it is unexpected of a bike of Indian origin to have such high capabilities of handling and cornering. A highly reliable bike in all situations.
Engine performance
Another wonderful part of any bike or automobile for that instance has to be the motor on which the vehicle thrives on. In this case, it is 17bhp 223cc single cylinder engine from the stables of Honda, who are possibly the best engine manufacturers world-wide. The motor doesn’t disappoint those who feel a gush of blood flowing in their veins. Open the throttle up and she’d fly to 60kmph in around 5 secs and with a top whack of around 130kmph (real road conditions, no delta v-box used), the speed lovers will have a splendid time with this beautiful beast/monster.
The most power being developed in 3rd gear. So if you are dragging with somebody, just kick her into the 3rd at around 4000rpm and vroom. The competitor is a speck of dust and eating your dust already. The gear shifts are smooth and silky. The shift lever is a sporty one. And has a 1 down 4 up sports-bike like shift pattern. The motor is silky smooth across all bands of power and never shows signs of tiring and goes on and on and on. It seems as if you still have loads of power even at speeds of 100kmph.zooming past other cars like the Zen and 800 on highways is simple with this bike. We open your throttle up and she’d be ready to respond to your calls. The idling speed of the engine is best set around 1200rpm after running the engine in idle for 5 mins.at this idling speed, the optimum performance can be attained with optimum fuel efficiency.
Fuel efficiency
A bike built for power and not just power. But raw power, scintillating speeds shouldn’t be brought into the topic of fuel efficiency. But the first thing that gets noticed by others is the fuel efficiency of superbly styled bikes. Well this beauty returns a mileage of 43-45kmpl on steady driving at 60kmph in city conditions. And at least 47kmpl on highways on maintaining 80kmph speed. As for those who doubt these figures, I cannot do anything bout your astonishment or amazement with which you are reading that a 223cc bike returns 45kmpl in the city conditions. Well gentlemen it is the truth. But the main important things are that you shouldn’t open up the throttle and try speeding away. Gear shifts and acceleration should be gradual. a smooth driving style with minimal gear shifts is to be followed.
Specification
| Styling | Super Sporty |
| Engine | 4 stroke, Single Cylinder OHC, air cooled |
| Displacement | 223 cc |
| Max. Power | 17.0 PS @ 7000 rpm |
| Maximum Speed | 125 KMPH |
| Acceleration (Time for 0 to 60 kmph) | 3.8 seconds |
| Clutch | Multi-plate wet type |
| Gear Box | 5 speed, constant mesh |
| Frame | Tubular single cradle, diamond type |
| Swing Arm | Rectangular |
| Wheelbase | 1355 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 150 mm |
| Dimensions (L*W*H) | 2125*755*1160mm |
| Suspension - Front | Telescopic Hydraulic Shock Absorbers |
| Suspension - Rear | Swing arm with 5 step adjustable type hydraulic shock absorber |
| Tyres: Front/Rear | 2.75 X 18 - 42 P/100/90 X 18 - 56 P |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 15.0 litre |
| Brake - Front | Disc (276 mm diameter) |
| Rear | Internal Expanding Shoe (130 mm) |
| Kerb Weight | 150 kg |
| Ignition | Digital - CDI (AMI-Advanced Microprocessor Ignition System) |
| Starting | Kick + Self |
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