When I started riding it, I noticed the same thing about the curiosity of the onlookers. I have ridden around town on far more rare and intriguing bikes, but the XMR has the kind of recognition that borders on the uncanny. I do not know if our longtermer is in fact the first Hero Karizma XMR in the state, but despite that, people just seemed to know what it was and they had many questions. From the de rigueur ‘Bhav kitna hai?’ and ‘Kitna deti hai?’ to more interesting ones such as how to adjust the fairing, what’s the cruising speed on the highway in 6th gear and even engine heat management, from which I gathered that it is not just us enthusiasts but the general populace as well who are curious about the return of the legendary nameplate. 

However, behind the sharply-styled supersport persona lies the soul of a sport tourer, and it kept reminding me of the OG Karizma, with its relatively upright riding position and the amazingly compliant suspension – not just for a sportbike but by any yardstick. The refinement of the DOHC motor in the upper reaches of the rev range is exemplary as well.

However, there are a few things that let down the overall experience, the first one is the angle of the console. When you are riding around midday, regardless of what your height is and how you position yourself, all you can see on the console is the reflection of the life-giving fusion reactor suspended in space, i.e that sun. Another thing that bugged me a bit was the nonlinear throttle response – in the first quarter-turn of the throttle, the XMR gains speed too sedately and it doesn’t improve the rideability. Past that point, it felt like the fuel mapping changed and the bike became much more sprightly. The feeling is akin to the 2-stroke machines of yore, with their narrow powerbands kicking in only past a certain rpm.

I can totally envision myself on the Karizma XMR, cruising down the highway at a decent clip, with the horizon ahead. It makes a believer out of me, thanks to its all-around competence. Let’s see if I can convince Ben to lend it to me for some highway escapades!

The post Hero Karizma XMR: Fleet Intro – 941km first appeared on Turbocharged.

Hero is going through a resurgence, as they are making their best effort to be a proper contender in the performance motorcycle segment in India. Their latest bike makes that intent abundantly clear, as the legendary Karizma nameplate has been resurrected, with the new Karizma XMR. Priced at Rs 1.73 lakh, ex-showroom (introductory), It is the most expensive bike to wear a Hero badge till date. Once the offer is over, the Price of the XMR will be set at Rs 1.83 lakh, ex-showroom.

The Karizma of yore used to be a sport-tourer, but for the XMR, Hero has gone the supersports route, underpinned by an all-new trellis frame, narrow headlamps, a sharply angled fairing and a unique split-seven spoke alloy wheel design. The slashes on the fairing and the interplay of coloured and black plastics lend it a contemporary look, and it wouldn’t be out of place in the company of modern supersports motorcycles from international manufacturers. The windscreen is height-adjustable as well – something usually seen on much more expensive motorcycles.

But the heart of the matter is without a doubt the new engine. Displacing 210cc, this liquid-cooled four-valve per cylinder single-cylinder motor pumps out 25.5PS and 20.4Nm – the highest ever for any Hero model once again. The engine sends its power through a six-speed transmission and it has a slip-and-assist clutch to manage the output – bot features are seen for the first time on a Hero motorcycle. To bring it down from speed, it gets discs front and rear with dual-channel ABS, again for the first time on a Hero.

The instrument console, in keeping with the times is fully-digital and gets Bluetooth connectivity as well. What we’d like to point out though, are the colours. The XMR will be offered in three colours only – yellow, red and black, which are the most iconic colours of the OG Karizma.

Since its launch in 2003, the Hero Karizma has been one of the most desirable performance motorcycles in the country, and the flagship of the Hero brand. However, waning interest killed the nameplate in 2019, when the last Karizma ZMR rolled off the assembly line. And now, on the 20th anniversary of the launch of the OG Karizma, Hero has given us the XMR, which feels very fitting for the legend. Stay tuned for our First Ride Review, which is embargoed till August 31, 10:00am.

The post Hero Karizma XMR launched at an introductory price of Rs 1.73 lakh, ex-showroom first appeared on Turbocharged.