The Hero Karizma ZMR has made a comeback in India two years after it was taken off the market. While it faces direct competition from the Bajaj Pulsar 220F it also shares its price range with a 150cc commuter, the Suzuki Gixxer SF. We tell you how the 2018 Karizma ZMR stacks up against its biggest rivals.
Design
The 2018 Karizma ZMR sports the same design as the previous model. It gets a full fairing which houses a vertically-stacked headlamp. However, the bike now gets four colour schemes; red, white, black and orange. It also gets a dual-tone paint scheme for an additional Rs 2000. The Pulsar 220F is the only bike here with a projector headlamp and half fairing. Although the design is nearly a decade old, it still manages to turn heads. The Gixxer SF gets a sculpted fuel tank and the rear panels from its streetfighter counterpart and its fairing design inspired by its bigger supersport siblings.
Engine
Powering the Karizma ZMR is a 223cc, single-cylinder engine which produces 20bhp and 19.7Nm of torque. The Pulsar 220F uses a 220cc, single-cylinder motor with an oil-cooler that delivers 21bhp and 19Nm of torque. The Gixxer SF has the smallest engine of the three. It is powered by a 155cc, single-cylinder engine that produces 14.6bhp and 14Nm of torque. All three engines are air-cooled and are mated to a five-speed gearbox.
Cycle parts
The Karizma ZMR rides on 18-inch wheels on both ends, the biggest of the lot. The other two bikes get 17-inch wheels. All three bikes use telescopic front forks. While the Pulsar 220F and Karizma ZMR use dual-shock setup at the rear, the Gixxer SF comes equipped with a preload adjustable monoshock.
Braking duties on the Karizma ZMR are taken care of by a 276mm front disc and a 240mm rear disc. The Pulsar 220F gets a smaller, 260mm front and 230mm rear disc brake. Braking power on the Suzuki Gixxer SF comes from a 266mm disc at the front and a 220mm disc at the rear. While the Karizma ZMR and Pulsar 220F are not equipped with an ABS system, the Gixxer SF gets an optional single-channel ABS unit.
Pricing
Hero has priced the 2018 Karizma ZMR at Rs 1.08 lakhs. Prices for the Suzuki Gixxer SF starts at Rs 90,037 and goes up to Rs 96, 386 for the ABS variant. Suzuki also retails teh Gixxer SF with a fuel-injection system that retails at Rs 1,00,216. You can get your hands on the Pulsar 220F at Rs 96,449.
All prices ex-showroom, Delhi.
