Crashhima.... Review on Hero Honda Karizma

Hi my friend bought a karizma in oct last year... 781 kms on the odo.. and he crashed it.. at 90 kmph.. broke a shoulder... smashed the bike... And this is how the story begins...

Superb bike.. its a great handling machine... you would not even know what speeds you are at.. at about 80 kmph it seems you are much slower.. and the front disc gives you the confidence in braking..

Compared to its nearest competitor, the Pulsar 180 dtsi. its bigger, more refined, smoother, more powerful. Yes the Pulsar pulls away till about 80, but the karizma goes faster to 100, and then beyond the realms of the pulsar. Its a unique looking bike,but be sure to be very careful with it, coz parts are hard to come by.

Its nearly ten months, and my friend has not even now got the clamps for his handlebar, which got bent in the accident. It took him 2 and a half months, of fighting with various delearships, to just get him a tuning screw that fits in the karizma. I ride the bike as often as he does, which is about 3 days a week, on delhi roads.. Trust me.. theres nothing that feels better( I ride a thunderbird)

I had a chance to take this bike from chandigarh to shimla and back, With a friend on a CBZ, we averaged 54 kmph on the whole trip, twists and all.. I magine scraping the footpegs at 60-65 kmph, going 90 on the straights.. and the bike gave u the confidence to push it.. yeah with the bent handlebar..

If you crash the bike, be prepared for a major repair bill, as the plastic body is very expensive, and wont be available readily and u also wont get full compensation in insurance. we paid 17,000 rs to replace nearly everything on the exterior of the bike, right after buying it for 73,000 rs on road.

It pops great wheelies, if u can control it, and is a lil front heavy, but with that gorgeous fairing.. nothing comes close..

Alright.. problematic areas...

Firstly, the average is not what you'll think it should be.. Expect something like 30 max in city, and about 36-37 on the highway.. The figure for the city can go up if u ride sensibily.

Secondly the rear seat is not that comfortable for the passenger, so if planning a long trip either go solo, or take 2 bikes.. besides that.. its a good machine overall. Trouble free, maintenance free engine.

MOST IMPORTANT:- Hero honda is rumoured to be launching a mono-shock up, new styled fairing version of the karizma. Dont know when itll be coming, but the mono shock up will definitely improve handling and looks, so if you can try and save your money for it..

or go in for a second hand karizma now.. coz a second hand karizma breaks a lot of money.. you can get a low mileage, less than a year old machine for about 50,000.

oh yeah if I forgot, its goes fast too, went a true 132 kmph, ( calculated by multiplying the gear ratios with the rpm of the engine) on the DND flyway, in Delhi. The bike was being paced by an RD 350 to ensure the speed was accurate, and it was. Now tuning the bike for 138.. and it will... hopefully.