Hero MotoCorp Karizma ZMR Review Action Shots

2014 Hero Karizma ZMR Review: Above All?

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The phrase ‘Never judge a book by its cover’ stands true when it comes to the new 2014 Hero Karizma ZMR. From racing fighter jets to riding on the North Pole, the Karizma brand has come a long way. But, while the earlier model left an indelible mark on the hearts of the Indian motorcycling enthusiasts, the new variant wasn’t received with much fanfare because of its unconventional styling.

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The Hero Honda Karizma, when introduced back in 2003, was a instant hit. The near quarter-litre engine provided more than sufficient power while the comfortable riding position added to the touring capabilities of the motorcycle. The game was taken a notch higher with the introduction of the Karizma ZMR in 2009. The fully faired version of the Karizma received cosmetic upgrades in terms of a redesigned body shape, new instrument cluster and a new swingarm. Mechanically, it received a fuel-injected engine instead of a carburetor and a new, all digital instrument cluster.

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While the 2014 upgrade came with 2 PS of more power, the rather unconventional styling did not receive positive feedback from many. So let’s find out what the the new Karizma ZMR has to offer.

Styling, instrumentation and ergonomics

The new Karizma ZMR looks a tad bit more appealing in real life than in photographs. The shape of the headlight is inspired by EBR 1190 RX superbike. The headlight is flanked by front blinkers which have the daytime running lights on the inner ends. The curved centre of the wind shield has been designed for reasonable wind blast protection. The body coloured rear view mirrors are placed at the top of the fairing. The wider setting does provide a good view of the trailing traffic.

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In profile, the sides of the fairing receive a K-shaped cavity for excess air from the front to pass though, aiding engine cooling. The top line of the cavity merges with the fuel tank’s lower line and terminates into the seat. The bottom line of the cavity follows the side panel, all the way to the end of pillion seat. The side panel is a single piece fiber unit that goes all the way to the tail light. The fairing is completed by a black coloured engine under belly. The tank has been sculpted to hold the rider’s knees tight into place in case of sudden braking or while leaning the ZMR into a corner. The dual tone heat shield over the exhaust is quite well done. The rear section gets a massive LED tail light which hangs yards away from the motorcycle due to the long holder. Accompanying the LED tail light is a pair of conventional turn indicators.

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The instrument cluster is an all digital unit similar to the previous generation Karizma ZMR. The switchgear quality seems good but the turn indicator switch on the test motorcycle felt exceptionally stiff to be operated, and ended up giving me a sore thumb. Also, Hero has yet again managed to not include an engine kill switch to the mix.

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In terms of ergonomics, the Karizma gives you a big motorcycle feel in many ways. The low set clip-on handlebars and the newly designed windshield make you feel like you are sitting on big motorcycle. But it is not as aggressive a stance as it appears. Hero engineers kept the touring aspect in mind while designing the rider triangle. The problem will occur if you are short in height as you would have to put in an extra effort to reach the handle bar. The rider and pillion seat are big enough and well padded for long rides.

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The design does have some flaws though. The meaty front accompanied by the narrow tail end and the extended tail light and turn indicator holder make the motorcycle look somewhat out of proportion. During rains, the lack of a rear fender would create a spray painting on the rider’s back. The inner ends of the pillion grab bars also get smeared in dirt and mud. The front mud guard also fails to keep the mud and water away from the engine.

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The fit and finish department too has scope for improvement. The Karizma ZMR, being the flagship motorcycle for Hero MotoCorp, could probably have done with a 3D logo in place of the normal stickering. The Hero stickers on the tank seem as if they would come off within a short period of time. The left mirror on the test motorcycle got loose during riding and swung back and forth as we rode the Karizma ZMR.

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The seat comes with a split design where the under storage space can be utilised to keep motorcycle’s documents. The pillion seat removal and fitting mechanism remains the same as the previous generation Karizma ZMR. So you will have to turn the key in the key slot placed below the side panel, near the saree guard and pull the lock lever under the key hole to release the seat. Putting the seat back in place is another task. I was pulled over by the traffic cops once and it was really annoying to remove the seat to take out the papers and equally frustrating to put it back. Use of the spring loaded release lock would have made worlds of a difference in utilising the under seat space.

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2014-Hero-MotoCorp-Karizma-ZMR-Review-Side-View-1Hero MotoCorp has put in a lot of efforts to create a completely overhauled motorcycle for 2014

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2014-Hero-MotoCorp-Karizma-ZMR-Review-Hero-LogoThe fit and finish department has some scope for improvement. A 3D logo on the tank would have been a good addition

2014-Hero-MotoCorp-Karizma-ZMR-Review-Pillion-Grab-Rails-2The narrow rear section of the motorcycle and the lack of a rear fender would create a spray painting on the rider’s back

2014-Hero-MotoCorp-Karizma-ZMR-Review-Fuel-Tank-Lid-2The fuel tank holds sufficient amount of petrol for long highway rides

2014-Hero-MotoCorp-Karizma-ZMR-Review (57)Accessing the under seat storage is quite a task. Addition of spring loaded release lock would have made worlds of a difference

2014-Hero-MotoCorp-Karizma-ZMR-Pillion-SeatThe seats are well padded for comfortable riding experience

2014-Hero-MotoCorp-Karizma-ZMR-Review-Front-Disc-Brake-1While the front 276mm brake gave good response, the rear 240mm disc lacked the bite

2014-Hero-MotoCorp-Karizma-ZMR-Review-Switches-2 2014-Hero-MotoCorp-Karizma-ZMR-Review-Switches-1The switchgear quality seems good but the turn indicator switch on the test motorcycle felt exceptionally stiff to be operated. Also, the absence of an engine kill switch was a little bothersome.

Performance

The single pot 223cc oil-cooled engine puts out about 20 PS of power and 19.7 Nm of torque. Now although the new Karizma ZMR is about 2 PS more powerful than the old version, there is not much of a difference in the performance. Most of the power is concentrated in the mid range of the RPM which is a good thing for highway cruising. The motorcycle feels at home near the 70-90 kph mark. But the upper band of the power range feels a little lacklustre. The naught to 100kph timing takes a good 13.9 seconds which is a tad slower than other motorcycles in the 200-250cc segment, but the meaty mid range helps the bike overtake other vehicles with confidence. The new Karizma ZMR gets a top whack of 129kph, though it feels a little hassled above 110 kph mark. As you climb higher in the rev range, mild vibrations begin to creep in. The RPM is electronically limited to 8,500 mark . Luckily though, the bar end weights and softer grips reduce the vibrations on the hands by a tad bit.

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So if you are planning to buy this motorcycle for revving the engine to glory, you would be disappointed. The new Karizma, like its predecessors, is targeted to the touring community of motorcyclists. Keep the new Karizma ZMR between 5000-6500 RPM on the top gear and it provides a good, vibe free and comfortable ride.

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There is good news for the audience who are interested in “Kitna deti hai?” (what’s the fuel efficiency) question too. The new Karizma ZMR, after riding it in the city and on the highway, gave us a fuel efficiency figure of 40.9 kmpl. Not bad considering the fact that all our riders squeezed out each and every horsepower that the engine had to offer. Riding it sanely on the highway should let the rider get more miles to a litre of fuel. The 15.3 litre fuel tank offers a good range.

Braking was satisfactory. The front 276mm brake gave good response but the rear 240mm disc lacked the bite. But the motorcycle manages to stop in adequate time once you drop the anchor.

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Ride and handling

The new Karizma ZMR gets the same diamond type frame design that is found on the previous generation motorcycle. But the increase in wheelbase has somewhat reduced the flickability of the motorcycle especially in city traffic. However, the well tuned telescopic hydraulic shock absorbers at the front and 5 step adjustable GRS system at the rear fills in the gap quite well and give the rider more confidence. The suspension set up also takes in small bumps and bad patches of roads fairly well.

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The 80 / 100 x 18 – 47P tubeless tyre at the front and 120 / 80 x 18 – 62P tubeless rubber at the end stick to the surface nicely, even on wet roads. Taking the new Karizma ZMR around the corners is fairly easy too. The low set clip ons aid the riding capabilities further giving the rider more confidence while attacking a corner. All said and done, the motorcycle is fun on long distance highways journeys. The new ZMR is good enough around the bends too, but the game has been taken a notch higher by the new entrants in the segment.

Verdict

As mentioned before, the new Hero Karizma ZMR has come a long way. The styling cues are subjective, and though the design has its own quirks, we know plenty of people who love those vertically stacked headlamps. We really like the way the ZMR feels on the highway. Also, at 1.03 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai), the Karizma ZMR is the cheapest fully faired motorcycle available in the country today. It’s an ideal touring tool that comes at a price way below its closest competitor in terms of characteristics, the Honda CBR250R. Long highway hauls are comfortable and the Karizma ZMR eats more miles in a single stretch than most of the other motorcycles. The meaty mid range adds a good touring character to the motorcycle.

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Yes, there is a lot of scope for improvement for the new Karizma ZMR. The fit and finish of the Karizma ZMR can be a whole lot better. Also, Hero should add the engine kill switch as it reduces the hassle of turning the key on and off every now and then during city rides. We hope Hero fixes these small niggles and comes up with an improved product in coming days.

That’s our opinion on the new Hero Karizma ZMR. Do check out the complete picture gallery on next page to understand the new Karizma ZMR in finer detail. Share your thoughts and opinions with us through comments section below.

Here are the technical specifications of the 2014 Hero Karizma ZMR:

Model 2014 Hero Karizma ZMR
Engine Air cooled, 4- stroke single cylinder OHC, Fuel Injection, Oil Cooler
Cubic Capacity 223cc
Power 20PS
Torque 19.7Nm
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) No ABS
Transmission 5 Speed Constant Mesh
Frame Type Diamond Type
Kerb Weight 157kg
Fuel Tank Capacity 15.3 litre
Wheelbase 1,360mm
Top Speed (Company Claimed) 129kph
Price (Ex-Showroom Mumbai)  Rs 1.03 lakh

3 thoughts on “2014 Hero Karizma ZMR Review: Above All?”

  1. Old zmr looks superb than new bt new zmr was only gud for their new features, ur hero makers made unhappy by destroying zmr looks waste hero engineers rightnow

  2. A very nice and detailed review…..good job Motoroids. The main grouse that Karizma ZMR fans have with the 2014 iteration is lack of performance on road, and yes that 2 bhp power increase isn’t felt. However, I hope some custom remap options are made available to extract better performance from this motorcycle. To me personally, the Karizma R makes a lot more sense than the ZMR as the carbureted R mill can be tweaked for more power. Fort Point is already offering some goodies in the performance department for the Karizma R without voiding warranty.

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