Hero MotoCorp Karizma XMR : Our observations after a day of riding

The engine is very tractable and has a decent pulling ability from low speeds in all gears.

Riding the Karizma XMR

210cc single cylinder engine puts out 25.2 BHP & 20.4 Nm:

Dual overhead cams help in getting a little more power out of this unit:

The Karizma XMR is powered by a 210cc, single-cylinder, 4-stroke, 4-valve, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, DOHC engine that puts out a healthy 25.2 BHP @ 9,250 rpm and 20.4 Nm @ 7,250 rpm. The bike weighs 163.5 kg, which gives it a power to weight ratio of 154 BHP / ton and torque to weight ratio of 125 Nm / ton. The engine is mated to a 6-speed transmission with a wet-type slip and assist clutch.

The clutch is light and the engine is tractable. Release the clutch and the bike will move off from a standstill without a problem. The engine is very tractable and has a decent pulling ability from low speeds in all gears. Power delivery is very linear and there are no jerks felt while accelerating. These properties, along with the not-so-aggressive riding position make the Karizma XMR very easy to ride in city traffic.

On the open road, there is enough power available to see you leave most other bikes in the segment behind. You won't need to change the gears often too. In 6th gear, it is able to pull even at 40 km/h without lugging. This helps a lot in providing a relaxed ride on the highways. However, if you want to quickly accelerate, slipping down into a lower gear is very important. That said, when it comes to outright performance, the XMR does not feel as urgent or exciting as, say, the Yamaha R15. In terms of cruisability, it will happily sit at 80-90 km/h all day long.

The 6-speed transmission, which is a first for a Hero-branded motorcycle, is smooth to operate. The slip and assist clutch helps matters. This kind of clutch helps prevent wheel lock-up if the gears are being downshifted when the speed is high. The SAC written on the fairing stands for Slip Assist Clutch.

Refinement & NVH

There were some vibrations felt in the foot pegs and hand grips after crossing 5,000 rpm, but they were not very bad. It is expected behaviour for bikes in this segment. However, I am not very sure about the plastic overdose on the bike. With time, I feel some of these parts could get loose and start rattling. The adjustable visor is something that I would be most worried about.

Suspension and Handling

Regular telescopic fork suspension at the front. We would have liked to see an upside down fork on this "premium" offering:

6-step pre-load adjustable gas charged monoshock at the rear:

The Karizma XMR comes with a 37 mm, telescopic fork suspension at the front and a 6-step pre-load adjustable gas charged monoshock at the rear. This combo is adequate for tackling most bumps and speed breakers. The ride is neither too hard nor too soft. However, this is not a bike that I would recommend taking on a broken road with deep craters. With a ground clearance of 160 mm, the plastic part of the fairing will make the first contact with the ground and I don't think it will survive repeated abuse. At highway speeds, the ride is controlled.

High speed stability is satisfactory with no hint of nervousness. When it comes to curves and corners, the bike will handle them effortlessly.

Braking

The Karizma XMR gets a 300 mm petal disc at the front and a 230 mm petal disc at the rear. These brakes provide good bite. Dual channel ABS has been provided which prevented any sort of wheel lock-up on hard braking.