BREAKING: The Legendary Hero Karizma Is Back With A Bang!

After much anticipation, the legendary Karizma is back! Hero MotoCorp has launched the all-new Karizma XMR at Rs 1,82,900 (ex-showroom). It also gets an introductory price of Rs 1,72,900 (ex-showroom). The booking window for the Karizma XMR is open for a refundable token amount of Rs 3,000. The introductory price makes it cheaper than the Yamaha R15 V4, which costs Rs 1,81,700 (ex-showroom Delhi)!

Highlights -

• All-new 210cc, DOHC, 4-valve liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine (a first for a Hero bike)

• 25.5PS and 20.4Nm (more power & torque than its rivals, the KTM RC 200 & Bajaj Pulsar RS200!)

• Steel trellis frame (again, a first for a production Hero motorcycle)

• 6-speed transmission with slipper and assist clutch

• 300mm front (with axial caliper) and 230mm rear petal disc brakes 

• Currently, the only Hero bike to get dual-channel ABS as standard

• Telescopic fork and 6-step preload-adjustable gas-charged monoshock suspension setup

• Raised clip-on handlebars

• 17-inch alloy wheels with MRF Zapper tyres measuring 100/80-17 (front) and 140/70-17 (rear)

• LCD instrument console with Bluetooth connectivity & turn-by-turn navigation 

• All-LED lighting | Dual LED projector headlights 

• Adjustable windshield (first-in-segment)

• Wheelbase: 1,351mm | Seat Height: 810mm | Ground Clearance: 160mm | Kerb Weight: 163.5kg
• Fuel tank capacity: 11 litres

The new Karizma XMR has sharp styling all over and the front fairing is neatly integrated into the rest of the design. And yes, it does get the iconic yellow colour option and it looks good! In fact, that is actually the name of the colour option. It also gets two other colour options: Matte Phantom Black and Turbo Red. While it uses an advanced trellis frame, the bike gets a box-section swingarm, presumably to keep the costs in check. 

All in all, the Hero Karizma has ticked all the right boxes when it comes to a potent 200-odd cc sporty tourer, especially with its healthier output figures compared to its direct rivals. We wish Hero used an inverted fork for its flagship bike considering the Hero Xtreme 160R now gets one. More importantly, the introductory pricing is pretty impressive as even the Yamaha R15 V4 costs Rs 8,800 dearer, despite having a smaller engine. This will help Hero grab the R15's market share too, at least to an extent.

Though the 300cc segment is growing, it seems that with the Karizma XMR, Hero is trying to exploit the 200-odd cc segment as it offers a good balance of performance and affordability. The new Hero Karizma XMR210’s rivals are the Bajaj Pulsar RS200 and the Suzuki Gixxer SF 250, and a sportier alternative will be the KTM RC 200.