Jun 17, 2003 04:18 PM
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(Updated Jun 17, 2003 04:26 PM)
16th May 2003:-A historic day indeed.The day when Hero Honda Karizma was born and unveiled infront of the world after months of speculation.Pschycologically,The First Indian,Premium
Segmented Sports Bike.The only India made bike to sport an engine of more than 200cc.Do u know what does this means?This means...JET SET & GO!
The most awaited bike of the year 2003 has finally arrived.Hero Honda Motors have spent crores of money on this bike's advertisements.And why not!Karizma,deserves it!
Karizma is a type of bike which has been developed,keeping in mind the class of people who want more and more power and who do'nt give a damn about mileage or price figures.A Premium Segmented bike,exclusively.
Karizma is a marvel of Hero Honda's technology.Through it,Hero Honda Motors have told their critics(like me),that they too have the capability to produce technologically developed
motorcycles.But the big question is...Will Karizma Sell?
Lets have a look at it,ourselves.
Designing,has been top class,though one may get the image of an Adreno through some angles at the first glances.The trapezoidal headlight with a powerful halogen lamp,looks fascinating from the front.Indicators have been well carved out.The large fuel tank which holds about 15 litres of petrol at a time,fits well enabling the rider
to stretch his hands,thus giving the bike a sporty look. The tail light,is quite big and contains two bulbs,(instead of the usual one) which betters safety on the bike.A space has been provided for the tool kit,under the saddle.The thick exhaust has been covered with heat guard.
Engine,is 4-stroked 223 cc which churns out 16.8 BHP@7000 RPM.Perhaps the best on any Indian bike.The bike with the largest displacement,is also one of the fastest machines money can buy in this country.A 0-60 in a devastating 3.8 seconds(This is 1.2 secs quicker than the Pulsar 180 and Aquila.)The company also claims that the bike has the fastest pick up,but I am
not sure about this.Top speed reached is 125 kn/hr which is very fast.
But whats speed without any control.To aid retardation we have a 276mm Disc Calliper at the front and 130 mm Drums at the rear which is as marvellous as the other characteristics of the bike.
Suspension Front is the reliable,Telescopic Hydraulic Shocker and Rear,a 5 Step Adjustable Hydraulic Shocker.So,minor potholes and even the bigger ones wo'nt cause any problem.
Mileage!What could one except from a sports bike like this,one which has such a large displacement and is so powerful!But its a Hero Honda,gentlemen,the company which has been making the most fuel efficient bikes,for the past few decades(Remember,there are no such things as BYK,Boxer,Victor,etc.).But thanks to the thick rear
tyre and powerful engine,the bike gives a mileage of about 30-40 km/l only,in the real world conditions.
Now when we talk about the word technology, I would say that this bike has plenty of it.For the first time in motorcycling history,we have a Digital Odometer,Tripmeter,Fuel Gauge
instead of the Analog ones.The bike also has a real time clock.There is a clutch actuation switch too in case of Electric Starting,for safety purposes if the bike is in any gear.Ignition is
AMI,Advanced Microprocessor Ignition,(the same one which is in Ambition)for better control over ignition timings.The CV carburettor has been designed in such a way that,it is unaffected by the outside,environmental conditions.Starting is through Kick and Self Starter
both.
The bike comes in seven attractive shades,viz. Red,Maroon,Yellow,Golden,Blue,Silver and Black and has an Ex-Showroom price of Rs. 80,000(Registration+Insurance Charges Extra).But looking at the overall package,the bike seems to fit this price tag.
Believe it or not,Hero Honda Motors are planning to sell 20,000 models of this Sports marvel,during the first year which is a very ambitious target.The high pricing,low mileage and heavy maintainance costs will prove as major negative factors in the sales of Karizma.But who knows what the future might bring.It may become an Eliminator or it may become a Pulsar 150.
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