Hero Karizma XMR First Ride Review - Is The Legend Back?

The original Karizma, when it was launched back in 2003, went on to be quite a legend in Indian motorcycling circles. It was the first Indian 200-plus cc sport bike and in the early aughts, almost every biker wanted one. Heck, I should know, since I bought one myself in 2006. But in the years since, the Karizma’s journey has mostly seen some downs, So for 2023, two decades after the original, Hero decided to adopt a clean slate approach. The new Karizma XMR shares nothing with the original, or even any of the Karizmas in between. So then is the XMR a Karizma in name only, or can it rekindle our fond memories of the original?

Is it quick, while being smooth, like the original?

The differences between the original Karizma and this new XMR are clear with the engine itself. Instead of the Honda-derived 223cc air-cooled single, this bike is running a brand new 210cc liquid-cooled 4-valve DOHC single-cylinder engine, which makes a lot more power (25.5PS @ 9,250rpm) and torque (20.2Nm @ 7,250rpm) than the original, and in fact is the most powerful engine in its class. Even its bore and stroke configuration paints a very different picture than the original. While the original had a near square configuration, this one is distinctly short stroke, and gets a fairly high compression ratio of 12:1 too.

So this new motor loves to rev quickly and is rather peaky too, with its max torque of 20.4 Nm coming in at 7250rpm. While it's tractable enough at lower revs and feels fairly composed, pottering around town at low rpm, it’s past the 6,000pm mark where the XMR really comes alive. It manically screeches to its 10,000rpm redline much like the KTM RC200, and surprisingly, sounds a bit like one as well. And vibes are kept under control as well, with just a mild buzz at the foot pegs and tank when you’re at 130kmph in 6th gear. Practically, you can cruise comfortably at an indicated 110-120kmph all day. So long stints on the highway should be quite fun too.

That said, if you are cruising under 6,000rpm, you will have to downshift to make a quick overtake, whether on the highway or in the city. But that shouldn’t be too much of an issue as the 6-speed gearbox is a fairly slick shifter, with the slip and assist clutch making the lever action very light.

Is it comfortable, like a Karizma should be?

The riding position on the XMR is on the sportier side, and you do have to lean forward to reach the clip-on handlebars. Even the foot pegs are decently rearset. But the overall riding position is nowhere as aggressive as the Yamaha R15 V4 or even the new KTM RC200. Because the XMR is a larger bike than these two, it’s quite spacious and accommodating. There’s plenty of room for the rider and even the seat padding has the right amount of firmness.

Its seat height of 810mm also feels fairly accessible to riders of most heights as the bike is actually quite slim, allowing you to get your feet on the ground easily. So you’ll be able to commute comfortably through city traffic everyday, and also have a fairly relaxed experience if you decide to go on a long highway trip. As for the pillion seat, it is a bit tall to climb on. But once you’re on, it’s comfortable enough so that if you were to go on a long ride, your pillion won’t have too many complaints.

Is it a sharp handler, better than the original Karizma?

This new XMR is built on a trellis frame with a beefy right-side up fork at the front and a gas charged monoshock at the rear. Now the suspension setup right off the bat feels a bit on the softer side, and handles potholes and bumps with aplomb. But its not soft to the point of feeling squishy. So even handling feels quite neutral and tossing the bike from side to side feels quite easy. 

Now we didn’t manage to check out its handling prowess on our first ride, but around a couple of fast highway corners, the front end did feel a bit vague, which is likely down to its softer suspension setup and bias-ply MRF Zapper tyres. And while, at 163.5kg, it might be the heaviest bike in class, it’s just a couple of kilos heavier than the RC200 and masks its weight quite well on the move. So while it would blaze around a race track like the Yamaha R15 v4 or the KTM RC200, it should provide an approachable handling experience around most real world roads.

It is running with disc brakes at both ends, and braking performance feels decent. Initial bite from the front brake is a bit lacking, but once you really squeeze the lever, there’s decent progression and feel. And you can haul all 160+ kg of XMR to a halt in a hurry if you need to.

Does it feel like a 21st century Karizma?

There’s not a lot the XMR is packing in the features department that will blow your mind. Yes, it’s got LED lighting all around with ambient light controlled automatic LED projector headlights. And it’s also got a fully digital LCD console with Bluetooth connectivity for turn-by-turn navigation. But honestly this console feels a bit underwhelming for what is supposed to be Hero’s flagship sport bike. While it has all the information you need, well presented, it’s quite small and looks rather basic. Plus, it gets a bit hard to read under harsh sunlight.

The one thing it gets that no other bike in this segment has is a height-adjustable windshield. And it’s really easy to operate as well. Just hold down a button on the side of the console and move the windshield up or down to suit your preference.

Is it head turner, that’s well made too?

Hero could’ve gone a little crazy with the Karizma XMR’s design, like they did with the ZMR, and I’m really glad they didn’t. The bike looks very well proportioned and attention grabbing, without screaming “Look at me!” And especially in both the yellow and red paint schemes, it looks quite special. Some design bits that really stand out are the headlights (which seem to be borrowed from the Xoom 110 scooter) and the taillight, which looks really slick.

And even though the bike is quite slim in the middle and at the rear, the fairing is just big enough so that when you’re astride, the bike overall feels fairly substantial. 

Build quality felt pretty ok for the most part, with none of the huge number of plastic panels feeling loose or shaky. Panel gaps too are mostly even everywhere. But at while the two bikes we rode for ZigWheels and BikeDekho were absolutely fine when it came to fit, finish and overall built, a couple of other journos had mild issues, such as a flimsy feeling windscreen, while a couple of others said their bikes felt vibey-er than the others. Most of these were quite minor issues, and we feel Hero will likely address them before the bikes reach customers’ hands.

The legend is back!

I honestly went into this ride expecting that Hero would try and recreate the experience of the original Karizma with this new XMR. But I’m glad they haven’t, because while the OG Karizma was revolutionary 20 years ago when it was launched, the Indian market has moved quite far from there since then. This new Karizma XMR takes the fight to modern beginner sport bikes like the R15 and RC200, but still manages to deliver a comfortable riding experience (almost like the OG Karizma did).

In that sense, Hero seems to have delivered a perfect balance between sportiness, comfort and practicality, which makes the XMR a far easier recommendation for new riders starting off on their first sportbike journey, especially when you consider its price of Rs 1.73 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), which is more affordable than not just the KTM, but the Yamaha too. And just in the same way the original Karizma ignited my passion for motorcycles when I bought one back in 2006, this new Karizma XMR should be able to do the same for the next generation of bikers.