All New 2013 Hero Karizma ZMR: Review and First Look

When Hero MotoCorp (earlier Hero Honda) launched the Karizma in 2001, the entire Indian two-wheeler world got stuck for a long while discovering the unique specimen that Hero has crafted out. And when the same firm, after partying with its erst while partner Honda, launching its latest thread and the flagship bike, the Karizma ZMR, to the new generation motorcycle kingdom, that has grown up to a peak level, the anticipation for the fanatics has gone so much down. Alright, the Karizma units are outnumbered by the Pulsar machines. Still! Hero has been distributing a very good reliable and powerful bike tagged the Karizma R. It's a fact that Hero had failed to carry out the touch up and performance that produced by the Karizma R. And with an updated variant, the firm is trying to chop off the share ruled by the Pulsar bikes.



Looks
Of course, the all new 2013 Karizma ZMR will have mixed reviews for its design. Well, for me the new ZMR looks alright. In fact, I feel better than its predecessor. The 2013 variant really has an international touch. And that comes from the new partnership venture of Hero MotoCorp, Erik Buell Racing (EBR). Hero has taken a lot from EBR's only production motorcycle, the 1190RS to mould out the 2013 Karizma R and ZMR. The twin projector headlamp, long windscreen, daytime running light, LED tail lamp, and reworked body panels tell the culture of the American super premium motorcycle manufacturer EBR.



Engine and Performance
The firm hasn't done anything new to the engine. It's the same stuff since the birth. Even a bit of hp or torque has been stitched to the machine. It comes with a 223cc, Air cooled, 4 - stroke single cylinder OHC, fuel injection engine, which spells out a max power of 17.6 bhp @ 7000 rpm and a max torque of 18.35 N m @ 6000 rpm. It's coupled with a 5 speed gearbox. These figures transparently shows out that the bike is still weaker and stays behind the Pulsar 220 and the 200NS. Hero MotoCorp should have developed a yet powerful engine that could compete even with other 250cc machines such as Honda CBR 250R, Hyosung GT250R, and Kawasaki Ninja 250R. But, this looks old and outdated. It's already aged. I don't think Hero can capture many market as the company expect.

Features
There is nothing much to talk about the features. Expect the outfit, the machine is just the same copy of its predecessor. That is you could count vertically placed dual projector headlight, LED tail lamp, and daytime running light which is made in LED as the features of the bike. Well, these are not enough to cut down the market of the rival machines. Hero should have done better stuffs here. And this will effect the sales of the bike in the market.

Ergonomics and Riding Comfy
The ZMR comes with the same suspension trims that seen in the predecessor. As the front is taken care by telescopic hydraulic shock absorbers, the rear portion is managed by swing arm with 5 step adjustable IGRS system. So the ZMR offers the same comfy level of its previous version. However, an added split seat will give a better sporty feel to the pillion rider. The bike is very friendly so that even a new person can ride the bike so easily.

Mileage
The ZMR is expected to deliver something between 40 and 50 kmpl as the fuel system is powered by fuel injection.

Pricing
Hero MotoCorp hasn't spelled out the price tag of the bike till now. Still, it's for sure and is expected to be priced above Rs. 1 lakh.

Verdict
This time Hero MotoCorp has more than enough numbers of competitors in the line-up and the rivals are very much stronger than the ZMR. So, it would hard for the company to sell out the product in the back up of reputation and the brand name Hero has built up through decades. Comparing the other machines in the same class, I must say that the Karizma ZMR is not a worthy machine. You have Yamaha R15, Honda CBR 150R, KTM Duke 200, and Bajaj Pulsar 200NS. So why should you go for such a less rated motorcycle?