This article is written by Amit Sakhrani. You can also submit your adventure, passion or thoughts about biking to BikeAdvice. Just send a good article to deepak@bikeadvice.in and we can share it with all the bike lovers.
For most Indians a two wheeler is a means of transport and its only a very small percentage of people for whom biking is a passion. Most two wheeler riders wait for the day they can graduate to a four wheeler and then don’t ever want to ride again. I am not one of them.
Being from a middle class family, I used a bike while in college and for the first few years of my work life. When I finally felt I could afford a car, I had to sacrifice my bike to make the down payment for my car booking. Although biking was always a passion, however it was forced onto a back burner due to shortage of funds.
My passion for biking was rekindled a few months ago by a new colleague and although I had not owned a bike for over four years my urge to start biking was suddenly growing by the day. Life had been kind to me and I could now afford to have a bike without having to choose between a car and a bike.
Now began my search for a bike. As biking was going to be something I would do only on weekends purely for passion, I quickly short listed my choice between the 200 and 220 Pulsars, the Yamaha R15 and the Hero Honda Karizma R.
200 and 220 Bajaj Pulsars: I was happy with the test ride, however had received a few negative reviews on the reliability of the bikes. The reviews clubbed with a horrid experience with a KB 125 a few years earlier made be decide against the Pulsars.
Yamaha R15: The bike had just been launched and the whole country was talking about it. I went to the showroom hoping to get a test ride, however was denied one. He did allow me to hop onto it and started it so that I could hear the engine. It sounded great, however I am six feel tall and it felt cramped. It made me ask myself a big question about how comfortable it would be on a long ride. The fact that it was a new model which had not been tested through time, Yamaha had not had a great bike since the RX 100 and the lack of a good support system made me drop the Yamaha. Reviews ever since have been great and its great news to all Indian bikers.
Karizma R: The Karizma was the last bike I went to test ride. Having done a lot of homework, I knew that the technology was not as new as the R15 or even the Pulsar 220, however it carried with it a reputation of being rock solid and super reliable.
After a lot of thought and reading up on all the reviews I could get my hands on, I finally called the Hero Honda dealer to book my black Karizma R and to my luck, they had one which meant I did not have to go through a frustrating waiting period. So the very next day I was a proud owner of a new Karizma R.
A few months and a few weekend trips later, my love for my Karizma has only grown. The bike has lived up to its reputation of being solid and reliable. It sure packs a punch on the highway and I have never felt a lack of power in any gear or at any speed. While traveling, I have done close to 500kms in a day and the bike feels just as good as it did when I started. The riding posture for long distances is perfect, keeping fatigue to the minimum.
My Karizma is my able companion while I live my biking passion. I am sure this is a relationship that will last a long while……
Amit Sakhrani
Hyderabad
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
That is a fantastic article Amit. Even Sudarshan posted an article on Karizma just like you did. I also own a Karizma and I have been riding it for more than 4 years. Not planning to change it for good. I will never sell it even if I stop using it. I will keep it as a memory of my youth in my old age!
The Karizma is still a very good bike, the FI version will really be a step ahead.
Hi Amit,
It was nice to read your article on biking and I also have a passion for bikes. I owned a KB100 for 13 years and was quite happy with its performance before I left India about 5 years ago. Now I have returned and was planning to go for a new bike since now lot of higher capacity bikes are available in India.
First I took a test ride of Pulsar 150 and 180 but was not happy with the engine smoothness. Next I took a test ride of Honda Unicorn. The engine is quite smooth and I booked one but the waiting time was 25 days initially and after checking when it was due for delivery the dealer said I have to wait for another 15 days. So I cancelled it, partly due to not enough power in the bike and partly not liking the new sticker job.
As regards Yamaha RZ15, it is quite expensive and not tested thoroughly in India. Also am not sure about Yamaha’s service in B’lore.
Now I am thinking of trying the Hero Honda Karizma as I have read good reviews about this bike. My only concern is will it not be upgraded soon as this bike has been there for quite some time (5 years plus?).
If any of you have any news, I would be glad if you can share them.
Hi Shambhu, good that you are narrowing down to Karizma. There is no news of upgrades soon, so don’t worry about Karizma FI.
BTW, I see that you are regularly commenting on the articles on my blog. Thanks for your contribution, keep it up!
Hi Amit,
Even my name is Amit. I read ur article and its really very impressive. I own a Bajaj Avenger 180cc, which was gifted by my mother back in Feb 2006. I am not very big fan of sports bike, rather I prefer cruiser bikes. Even though u have purchased Karizma, my suggestion would have been that u should have done little research on Royal Enfield. No matter which ever bike u are riding but the feel and comfort u get on Royale is unmatched. Even though u are riding a Karizma, and if a Thunderbird comes next to u, I bet it’ll make u feel little inferior. 90% of the riding happens in the city and there is no chance that u can go beyond 60 or 70 in the city traffic. I’m planning to buy either a Thunderbird or Machismo by Jan 2009. I would really appreciate if u could pass on few of ur valuable suggestions. Write me: gattu521@gmail.com.
Best regards
Amit
hi shambu
this is sudarshan from chennai. i have confirmed news from my hero honda dealer that a new karizma fi with a new bigger engine is to be launched by july end 2009.if you can wait for it please do so as this is confirmed news.hero honda has created an all new karizma fi with slight bump in the engine cc so my guess is that the next karizma should definitely be a 250 or doubtfully a 300 or 350 cc.i think hero honda wants to create a new segment and position the karizma fi as the first all indian 250 cc+ superbike with features and quality comparable to foreign 250′s.since no manufacture has launched an all indian 250 i think this is going to be the trump card to woo customers just like hero honda did in 2003 with the karizma 223 cc. this all new karizma fi will give a serious run for money for the ninja 250 as the ninja 250 will cost around 2 lakh mark but the karizma would cost less.hero honda have delayed their launch of the karizma fi due to strategic plans.they want to see how the ninja will fair and then release the new karizma.also whenever hero honda releases a new bike especially like the karizma it makes sure the bike is well turned out and will have no quality and reliability issues and the bike will live up to the image of the outgoing karizma as being solid, reliable, durable, long lasting and the like.
if you can wait till july 2009 it will be good else do one thing get a new karizma r and use it for 2 years and then go for the all new karizma fi as by then the bike would have been launched and you would also know about the new bike’s performance, quality, durability and reliability. some times manufacturers keep modifying and make advancements to newly launched products and see how the bike performs in real world conditions so a new bike will be upgraded and improved in a span of 1 or 2 years from its launch and then the stabilised version of the bike with out any defects and problems will be finalised for production. Maruti swift and hero honda karizma were improved and upgraded and modified by their manufacturers over a couple of years.
so either get a new karizma r and use it for a couple of years or wait till the new karizma fi is launched in july end 2009. or any other option that suits your preferences but the new karizma fi is definitely going to be launched in july end 2009.
hi amit
good to see you have made a wise decision by buying the karizma. one suggestion i have is if there is no use for the saree guard please remove it as it weighs almost 4 to 5 kgs.i have removed my new silver karizma’s saree guard and i noticed a considerable improvement in fuel efficiency almost about 3 km/ltr and the bike feels easier to handle especially during curves and corners. the saree guard is an unpleasant intrusion into the karizma’s superb dynamics, control and grip and weight distribution.
but be careful with the 3 screws that come with your bikes saree guard as once you loose it you wont get them anywhere as every bike has unique screws.what i have done is, i have bolted 1 of the screw to the bottom groove of the saree guard itself and kept it at a safe place in my home and the other two fastened securely to the chassis itself which hold the saree guard. you can see the two bolts holding the saree guard to the chassis on the left hand side once you remove the seat.
my karizma is now returning 41 in city and 49 on the highways i am a very smooth driver and never rev my bike at all and make sure my bike idles atleast for 5 minutes minimum after i start it each and every time and never open the throttle until the bike runs for at least 5 km distance. i never gun the engine until the engine oil has heated up and the engine reaches the proper operating heat range.this allows the bike to settle in proper idle and the engine oil gets heated up and properly starts circulating through every nook and corner of the engine. never open the throttle fully when you start your bike after some time as the engine oil wouldnt have heated up and would not circulate through out the engine and the engine will get damaged. every one of my friends are astonished at such an average from my karizma.
Hey Sudarshan, great tips, thanks for sharing!
Hi Sudarshan, Thanks for the good news. If as you have said the next Karizma will have a 300 or 350 cc engine that will be great. We have not had a proper 350 cc modern bike since the departure of the Yamaha RD350 which was during my college days and could not afford one at that time. Sadly Yamaha have not relaunched any 350 bike since then.
Also I would like to hear about the reliability & servicing of the new Enfield 350′s and is it worth its price compared to modern bikes? What are its plus and minus points?
hi shambu
i think bullets are always heavy on maintenance.if any body becomes a bullet owner then the person must develop the patience to learn about the bike and how to repair it by himself especially when the owner goes touring and on long drives just in case of a break down on a deserted highway or even in the city in case of minor problems, adjustments and parts replacements when you are rushing to your office.
the one advantage that a bullet has is, one can get it repaired any place outside city limits as many local mechanics know how to repair a bullet as opposed to say a karizma or other modern bikes and parts are available easily.
the bullet is a very heavy bike and its pushrod engine has a good sound.the reason for this throaty exhaust note is, the engine develops power and powers the rear wheel via a push rod like an old steam engine if you can visually compare.the bullet engine works more than a modern engine and hence the throaty exhaust note and you can actually feel the bikes engine gulping fuel when you twist open the throttle. the bullets are prone for engine ceasure as the pushrod and the connecting rods cant withstand the wear and tear at 90+ speeds for more than a couple of hours continuously. when the bike exceeds speeds in excess of 90+ for a couple of hours continuously on a smooth highway the engine will cease and is not as reliable like a karizma is at speeds exceeding 100+ which the karizma can do for many hours together courtesy of modern tech and which the bullet cant do due to its 70+ year old pushrod tech.
the bullet engine therefore frequently develops defects and due to more wear and tear the bike and engine needs frequent looking into to set these niggling issues right which translates into heavy maintenance costs and money expenditure and also time and patience. whether the bike is used in city or on highways the bullet always has some problems up its sleeve like chain loosening, timing adjustment, idle adjustment, oil leaks from engine, rusting, morning cold starts, clutch adjustment etc. also the body parts of bullets are prone to rusting easily especially the chrome parts so one might need to get their bullet teflon coated every 3 months.i feel royal enfield can improve the quality of paint and cycle parts in the bullets and t’birds.
that said a bullet is a very good bike if the owner is passionate enough and willing to sacrifice his time and money generously for maintaining and servicing his enfield, the bullet will serve the purpose of pure biking pleasure with aplomb.
the rider and pillion feel the super saddle, long wheelbase of 1375 mm, 350 cc relaxed engine and the torque of 28 nm which allows the bullet to pull like a locomotive even with two heavies sitting on board, though the bullet develops good throttle response only after 50+ speed due to weight of 180 kgs and lower bhp of around 20.
the bullet is the most comfy bike around and has good suspension tuning and it can manage two heavy weights easily and still go through a huge crater like pothole and come out unruffled much to the rider and pillions delight.you would never complain of back pain when you are riding a bullet.top marks for suspension, size, comfort, height, balance, stability, ride, seating posture.
the bullet would give you an average efficiency of 25 to 29 in city(depending on usage, traffic, load, fuel quality) and 35 on highways at a steady cruising speed of 65 to 75.
once you go past 85-90 you will slowly feel engine strain as the vibrations from the saddle, handlebar and foot pegs start to creep in.at speeds exceeding 105-110 the vibrations become unbearable and you would feel the bike and the engine would come apart anytime.you would feel its only a matter of time before the whole bike would come loose as the vibrations are unbearable and the bike gets so jitterry that your teeth will star to chatter. the bulltes have a top speed of 120.
bullets are a style statement, comfy, lazy, relaxed bikes which can be used for city use of a family man(domestic purposes) and also for the long trips(read biking indulgences of pleasure) at steady speeds below 80 that is.on the highways you would feel the sturdiness and stability and ride quality and one would always feel the power and pickup readily available on tap.on the city use the 350cc engine with 28 nm torque at low down the rev range comes handy with superior pick up which translates to less frequent gearshifts and also the superior hard tuned suspension to handle all those nasty potholes and bumps on our city roads.
the bullets are high on maintenance but when looked after properly will last a life time, sure the bullet is not as durable like jap quality but then we must also be reasonable.the bullet has its charm and one must understand that a bullet has its peculiarities and that is high maintenance and frequent servicing or parts replacement, but it is the kind of bike one must indulge if you are passionate enough.
else go for the karizma fi or karizma r or you will have the ninja 250 available by march for 2 lakhs. the karizma fi with a 250 cc(definite) engine or optimistically a 300 or 350 cc( and on second thoughts doubtfully bleakly) are the other options for you apart from the 350 thumper.
but as things stand for now as march and july end 09 being a long way off. i would suggest you go for a bullet or t’bird if you can fuel your passion with time, patience and money.
if you cant and you want a trouble free and maintenance free bike that is comfortable, durable, reliable, tried and tested, sturdy, fuel efficient(40 in city, 48 on highways compared to the bullet), all rounder then it is the karizma r for you my friend.
so i hope i have answered your questions regarding the bullets and the new karizma fi. i feel the new karizma would be 250 cc as most of the indications direct me to this assertion having a 300 or 350 cc might push costs more so hero honda may not introduce it. so i believe and even my dealership foreman informed me that the karizma fi would certainly be a 250 cc.
yes the rd 350 is the original superbike launched in india and even after 23 years nothing has even come close to it and come to think of it what will even come close to it apart from a r6 or r1 in terms of gut wrenching, spine tingling acceleration and the intoxicatingly addictive sound. here at the chennai race tracks some of the race rd’s ran on aviation fuel(read white kerosene) it had top speeds in excess of 220 km/hr and a bhp of 80(double the stock bhp figure). the sound would be deafening.the bike would have a huge 25 litre fuel tank and only a piece of sponge cushion as seat. no body parts not even a headlight. alas those were the golden heydays of the race rd’s lost in time but cherished only in the memories of the hearts and souls of few bikers who felt the adrenaline rush of driving it and us spectators watching in awe of the action.
Sudarshan, Thanks for the detailed comments on the Bullet. Looks like I have to go for a lighter bike, since the bullet is so heavy.
hi shambu
i dont want you to jump to conclusions so easily as these are some of the hidden facts a guy must know before he invests in a bullet.the sales guy wont reveal all these to you and probably will tell you the bullet is the most reliable bike in india, which is the half truth but has hidden implications and that is cost of maintenance. i agree that bullet is big and a little cumbersome to use in the city traffic due to its long wheelbase and weight and large turning radius but these are some of the factors that make the bullet one of the safest bikes apart from karizma on the highways and on long drives.
first analyze for what use you will be using your bike then, budget for buying, budget for maintenance, fuel costs, power requirements, pick up and performance, duration of ownership, whether your bike will be your primary means of transport or you have a car etc these will help you to decide on your bike.
i suggest you test drive the bullet 350,500 and thunderbird 350 twin spark, karizma r, pulsar 220, avenger 200, yamaha r15 and fz 16, tvs apache rtr 160 fi, honda unicorn. before you come to a conclusion as you may never know which bike will capture your attention when you drive one depending on individual likes. the bikes i have mentioned are some of the best bikes available and will give you a wide choice of options. you can get a complete understanding by driving these bikes and doing some research by yourself to gain experience on how it will be to own these bikes.
also tvs will launch a 180 cc apache called the menace with half fairing and later a 200 cc bike. so think on all angles of your requirements and future launches before you buy your bike. its your call now i have pointed all the combinations, permutations and given you expert advice so now its your turn to decide by listing your priorities and needs.
i hope this helps you out.
hi shambu
i forgot add one more point the karizma and pulsar 220 weighs 150 kgs as opposed to bullet’s and t’bird 180 kgs, unicorn being 150 cc weighs 146 kgs. so if weight is one of your chief factors in determining a bike find out the weights of all the bikes i have mentioned to make things easy for deciding.
Sudarshan…..i want to have a new bike…do u think karizma r will b the best option for me in 200cc bikes?
hi amit
i think the karizma is the best bike for anyone who wants a 200+cc bike in india. i suggest you test drive the karizma r and pulsar 220 and thunderbird twinspark 350 before you come to a conclusion.
i personally felt the karizma was better than the other bikes i drove like the p220, p200 and even the thunderbird tbts 350.
the ninja 250(february launch) and karizma fi(august launch) and tvs apache menace 180 launch in few months time and a tvs 200 which will be launched after sometime of the menace 180′s launch. are some of the other bikes that you can wait for before you buy your karizma.also a new updated p220 will be launched in a few months time.
if you cant wait for the launch of some of these bikes then test drive the bikes i have mentioned you before you buy your karizma.
the reason why i want you to test drive the p220 and thunderbird tbts 350 is because once you drive these other bikes you will be in a better position to judge yourself as whether the karizma is better than the p220 or the t’bird tbts.
i felt the karizma r was the best, but it may not be the case with you as each individual has different opinions and tastes.you might never know which bike will capture your fancy when you drive one?????that’s why please test drive all the 3 bikes so you can judge better.
one good idea of how your bike might be after a few years is to try and drive an old p220 and a karizma and an old t’bird tbts. by doing so you will get an idea of the build quality and how these bikes will be after a few years of purchase and this will help you understand how good your bike will be for the years to come ahead in your ownership. of course the owners usage and maintenance will determine how the old bike’s condition is but at least you will know how the bike will be after a few years of usage.
apart from all these i would definitely recommend the karizma to you or anybody else looking for a 200+cc bike in india. iam a very happy,satisfied and content karizma r owner and would definitely recommend the karizma r to you without doubt.
PLEASE help me decide…I want to buy a bike and am really confused between the karizma and the pulsar 200.I have taken many test rides but am still unable to decide.The karizma outperforms the 200 whereas the 200 wins big in the looks department,the karizma looks very VERY cheap with those stickers.Many people have said many negative things about the 200,whereas we all know about HH’s bulletproof reliability. I like to ride fast,but dont exactly plan on burning the roads,so a little compromise on pickup is trivial compared to a ton of style. Please help me decide,as this would be my first bike and i dont want to make a decision ill regret later. Incase you know a good way of removing the crass R stickers,do let me know..
hi champ
as far as quality is concerned i feel karizma is a step ahead than p200 and p220 so rest assured you wont regret later with karizma.
yes you can remove the R stickers on both sides. when you buy your bike give it to your service center and ask the foreman to remove what ever stock stickers you want to be removed.
you can also get your bike freshly painted in what ever colour you want from the service center or from outside, but getting the bike painted outside from any shop will void the warranty, so i suggest you get your bike freshly painted from the service center you have 5 colors to choose from the stock settings. black, silver, red, yellow, ink blue.
the karizma looks superb in plain solid colors with out any stock stickers esp in black, yellow, silver
you can do a lot of stickering to the wheel rims and the whole bike with all sort of racy graphics and jazzy stickers. you can also change the color of the alloy wheels to a sporty color of your choice, my friend has a radium color alloy wheels for his r15 and white alloys for the karizma r.
the p200 looks better than karizma alright with its naked styling but pulsars are not as reliable as karizma.
you can chamge the colors of your bike every year and keep changing the stickering as well from time to time and keep your bike new for years.
the karizma looks classic and pulsars look radical but in the end we need a bike which keeps low maintenance and lasts for years. so think of what ever i told you.
I want to thank all of u coz i got many valuable info about HH KARIZMA.I m about to buy a bike and it will be my first bike which my dad is gifting me and i hav so many confusions in my mind dat which bike i should take p220 or Karizma.Plz suggest me plz.I also want to know dat may i use a leg gaurd in Karizma if i will take dat or not.
Is Hero Honda Karizma FI going to be launched in the end of July this year as mentioned by Surdarshan in an earlier comment? Please reply fast as i’m wishing to buy a Karizma R but if FI version of Karizma is launching then i would go for it.But I’m from Lakshadweep (small island group in Arabian Sea). Here in Lakshadweep there is no service centers other than some small workshops and fuels are taken to these islands by small cargo ships. And in bad weather there won’t be any cargo ship to these islands, as a result there will be a shortage of fuel in the island. Should i buy Karizma as it’s mileage is 25 km/l? Will Karizma FI have more mileage than present one? Please help me!!!!!!
whn krzm will come by its new features
hardly waiting
have u ever drive yamaha R15 it is faster than both karizma r n pulsar 220 bcs its yamaha,if u want to go with speed n pick up then go with R15 if u want to go with average then go with pulsar 220,karizma r is also very good.
hows d mileage of dis bike…. I love this bike like hell…. Wana buy it… Also, how much is its waiting period in pune for kar r…. Reply here or on my cell no. 9960632256.
among the following bikes of pulsar 180,or220….or apache rtr 180….orkarizma zmr which one is very speedy and some importantance about mileage of bike and good for doing to stunt please select any only one bike for me please please speed and mileage reply me please
among the following bikes of pulsar 180,or220….or apache rtr 180….orkarizma zmr which one is very speedy and some importantance about mileage of bike and good for doing to stunt please select any only one bike for me please please speed and mileage reply me please and tell abt that bike price….if u msg means msg to this number 9790523886
please tell which bike is better for the above mentioned question…….please tell waiting for ur reply
i think karizma is better for you..its amazing bike.