India's largest bike-maker Hero MotoCorp had tasted success in the power bike segment over a decade ago with the 'Karizma' bike. Back then, the Karizma bikes were a huge hit since the brand was from the only bike-maker in the country to offer a full fairing machine in the 250 cc segment. The bike has evolved over time, and the most recent face-lifted version of Karizma R and ZMR was first seen at a event held sometime in October 2013. The bike was again showcased this year at a recently held 12th Auto Expo event in Delhi. Based on recent update, Hero MotoCorp has planned distribution of motorcycles to its dealers across the country this month.
The upcoming face-lift version of Karizma R has retained the 223 cc engine, but the bike is said to slightly tweaked up than the previous version with an output of 19.2 BHP and torque of 19.35 Nm. Further refinement in the engine is said to be done with technical assistance from Erik Buell Racing. The bike is capable of attaining a top speed of 135 km/hr. The bike sports split handle bars, semi-digital meters, vertically stacked headlamps, side stand and service indicators. Exact launch date for the new bike has not been revealed by the Indian bike-maker, but it is anticipated that the bike may hit the roads sometime later this year. As per sources, the Karizma R may be priced well under the 1 Lakh price bracket making it more affordable.
The face-lift ZMR has also retained the 223 cc engine as seen in its older version, but the engine has been refined further to produces slightly higher power figures at 20 bhp with 19.7 Nm of torque. The designing cues for this bike also seems to share some resemblance with the bikes from Erik Buell Racing. The front fascia with vertically stacked headlamps makes the bike looks slightly bigger than the previous version and broad tires have been retained for this power packed beast. Both the bikes have majorly received cosmetic upgrades which makes them look a bit more leaner and sporty. The rear tail light LED assembly is also something to look out for in this machine. Hero MotoCorp has also not revealed the exact date of launch for the Karizma bikes, but with dispatch planned this month, you can expect the bikes to hit the roads sometime soon.
