Sep 21, 2007 04:37 PM
10226 Views
The first thing anybody would notice in the Karizma is the styling aspect of the bike. The immensely aerodynamically efficient lines on the bike will catch you off guard. Few of the features which add to the styling are the Mag wheels, the sporty mounting of the exhaust tip, the Chrome Plating and Gold Colored pipes for the black Powder Coated Exhaust, the Trapezoidal Headlamp Console, the Analog & Digital mix of meters, the Step Seating pattern & so on.
In just one word, I would call it a “marvel.” Though it gives that heavy appearance, a ride can only convince about its actually light weighed body. Thanks to the fibred body, for a 225 CC engine powered bike, a weight of @ 150 Kgs further ensures a high Power / Weight ratio. Open the throttle & you would feel the adrenaline rush.
Starting with the Engine, the rev is very smooth & still churns out the kind of firing any biker would be intrigued with. The firing is unbeatable & immediately, one would start loving this bike. The riding experience will surely exhilarate further as one experiences 17 BHP of power whipped from the engine. The engine stroke of 66.2 mm which is more than the engine bore of 65.5 mm not only gives the much needed low end torque, but also allows it to produce its max. 17 BHP at 7000 rpm. So expect a better life of the engine due to reduced wear.
When I took the ride for the first time, I just returned home telling everyone, this bike starts conversing with the wind at the first throttle. Being a light weight biker myself, it hardly took 5 sec to peak up to 80 KMPH, that too on 3rd gear; the smoothness with which the bike behaves at this speed – gear combination is highly impressive. & the engine still retains its vroom, unlike other bikes which give screeching sounds at high speeds.
The Transmission system is sport bike like shift pattern – 1 Down, 4 Up. Keeping in tradition with most of the sports bikes, the Gear shift has only front lever, unlike the Pulsars which have two way levers. The toe-only gear shift would make any average Joe feel more confident.
The Trapezoidal Head Lamps styling is contemporary & adds to the exuberance of the bike overall. The 35W light has a bright beam with an excellent throw. The spread of the wide angled head lamp may not let one realize that the head lamp console is permanent with respect to the main body. The fixation of the head lamps with ref to the main body does not hinder maneuvering the bike on dark roads. This has been taken care by the spread of the lamp console.
The Head Lamp is followed by the Blinker console on either sides; the console finally leads into the Fuel Tank. The Tank does not at all look bulky like the Pulsar’s & still holds 15 L of petrol with a 2 L reserve. The recesses for the rider’s leg serve the purpose as well as add to the entire body looks.
The Partly Digital Console steals another point over the nearest competition. The Analog Rev meter is at the most left, the Analog Speedometer is at the centre & the digital console at the right hand houses a Fuel Gauge Meter, a Trip Meter, an OdoMeter & a Clock. Yes, a time CLOCK. Don’t get its utility? Well, it does prove helpful for a rider like me who wouldn’t dare to try a stunt like checking the wrist watch at a speed of 80 KMPH or so. The best part of the display console is that the dials glow in the dark even when the lights are switched off. The Tail part wouldn’t escape any one’s attention & the fiber body styling from the fuel tank to the tail light is charismatic.
On the riding front, the bike displays impeccability & relentlessness at all speeds, on straight roads as well as sharp corners. The perfect Brakes – front Disc & rear Drum – keeps the rider assured of safety. When applied intelligently on a dry tarmac, the bike can come to a safe halt within 3 – 4 Sec from speeds of 60 – 70 KMPH.
The mileage of the bike built for power and scintillating speeds shouldn’t be brought into the discussion. However, in city, the bike gives an average of 42 KMPL easily And one can expect around 47 KMPL on highways on maintaining 80kmph speed. While this figures may vary from driving condition & roads, don’t be surprised if you encounter better figures than these from other expert riders.
Complete Tech Specs:
Styling: Super Sporty
Engine: 4 stroke, Single Cylinder OHC, air cooled
Displacement: 223 cc
Max. Power: 17.0 PS @ 7000 rpm
Acceleration(Time for 0 to 60 kmph): 3.8 seconds
Gear Box: 5 speed, constant mesh
Frame: Tubular single cradle, diamond type
Dimensions(LWH): 21257551160mm
Brake - Front: Disc(276 mm diameter)
Rear: Internal Expanding Shoe(130 mm)
Kerb Weight: 150 kg
Ignition: Digital - CDI(AMI-Advanced Microprocessor Ignition System)
