Feb 08, 2009 09:10 PM
8089 Views
(Updated Nov 20, 2010 05:35 PM)
For further experience. I started out with a budget of around 70 thousand to 90 thousand. Normal fuel efficency, good after sales service, Good ride quality, balance, resale value were my prime concern. Of course I needed Electric start.
I short listed three bikes.TVS Apache RTR FI, Hero Honda Karizma, Bajaj pulsar 220 DTS-Fi.i have taken test ride of all three. I took out TVS apache due to a few reasons. TVS Apache RTR Fi : very good bike. has everything I wanted even, more like rear disc brake and Fuel injection.
However I was not happy about the gear shift, finding neutral is very difficult and also 160cc engine was not that peppy when compared to other 150cc bike like hunk or unicorn. one more reason honestly I was looking for 200+ CC bikes.though the rear disk brake is also very good. I took out b'coz its exhaust note was also not good and engine is not refined enough. Howsoever the bike is a bit smaller and not worth its price.
After dropping Apache, I finally had to decide between pulsar 220 and karizma. I took test ride for 30 min on pulsar 220 and karizma. so following is a result of my judgement.
Engine: Both bike have 200+ CC engines. Where pulsar has a 219CC engine and karizma has 223cc engine.so in terms of CC there is nothing to choose from. Pulsar oozes out 20 bhp while karizma propels 17 bhp. these things also doesnt effect too much. Karizma uses Carburettor while pulsar 220 uses Fuel injection.
when I talked to a auto expert he explains me that pulsar has just a fuel injection, its not electronic fuel injection as we see in maruti MPFI engine. its not electronic but manually sprays fuel into cylinder.though karizma uses Carburettor which is used in honda VBR series bikes. but still a slightly dated technology.
Gear Box: both bike uses lever type gear changer as in most sports bike but karizma's gear shifting was much smooth and easy to find neutral while pulsar down shifting was not so smooth.
Suspension: karizma suspension is 5 step adjustable according to road conditions as well as in pulsar but pulsar suspension is quite better than karizma as it is nitrox gas charged. Instruments: the karizma instrument panel is 3 dial with one LCD and two analogue while pulsar has one LCD and one analog tacho.
Quality of swithches is better in karizma than in pulsar.though pulsar has additional features like low battery indicator and so on.
Brakes: karizma has 276 mm front and drum type in rear. while pulsar has both disc brakes but the rear break is a poor as a drum brake in a chetak scooter. karizma breaks seems to be better with no chance of skidding as I have experienced.
Design: Pulsar is litte bit inspired by hayabusa(as in case of its rear view mirror fitted on fairing directly.) While karizma is inspired from Honda CBR 3000 series sports bike. here decision can vary but I like kaarizma's styling and bodywork. also with addition of engine race cowl I like it even more.
Maneuverability: since karizma's wheelbase is largest it is very stable around corners and in straight ways.i found pulsar too bulky when cornering. however both are fine in this regard.
Engine Noise: Pulsar engine note has similar feeling as from its earlier pulsar family like the 150cc, 180cc, 200cc.while karizma engine is very refined, very less noise even at 90 its noise is very low and refined with no vibrations.
Mileage: since i'm buying a 200+cc bike so I should really not concerned about mileage. however karizma overall mileage is reported to be 40-45 kmpl same with pulsar with 42-47 kmpl .
Self starter and battery: KArizma self starter is bit sluggish in extreme cold conditions like 3-4 degree temp, so it requires a bit choking in severe winter.rest the bike starts within moment of pressing starter button without fail.while pulsar has FI so no problem in that.karizma has 7ah battery while pulsar has 9ah battery. I had almost made my mind to buy a pulsar but follwing things put me off after a little thinking.
1) Pulsar do not have a kick starter, now thats a big problem for a bike if it has no kick and battery fails in winter or if its not to be used for 20-30 days.
2)pulsar do not have black engine and alloys also there is no sports cowl also.
3)rear disc brake has lots of complaints as I have heard from pulsar 220 users. also I have felt that rear disc brake is just a piece of disc and there is no surprising braking.
4)price - the on road of p220 is 86000 on road delhi while karizma is 76000 on road delhi. so why I pay 10, 000 more for what reason???? some of u say it has LED tail lamps etc etc etc.... but c'mon i'm not buying a showpiece. it is stupid to spend 10, 000 more for all that not so useful gadgetry.
So I got my karizma from Oswal Honda in pitampura and i'm happy with decision I took. Pls post comments and after writing comment PLS DO WRITE YOUR EMAIL ID SO WE CAN HAVE Further discussion.The above review has no biasing except in terms of looks where opinions can be different. Rest all is tested.
AK Sharma
