Hero Honda Karizma R

Design and Styling
Karizma R looks very stylish with black alloy die-cast wheels, dual light tailpiece, front indicators, the fairing, silencer unit, stepped up seat, panel shapes and new yellow black instrument binnacle. The fairing is not a full one which can be seen on sports bikes but nevertheless it was never before there on any Indian bike. The tank doesn’t look big like the Pulsar’s bulky tank but it holds 15 litres of fuel. The trapezoidal headlamp unit up front looks great and the Illumination is brilliant which is unmatched by any bike in the country. The guide lamps are superb and borrowed from the Royal Enfields. The tank recesses easily accommodated the legs of our tallest testers. The amber backlighting for instruments is exciting. Being connected directly to the battery, all lights and instruments work independently of the rpm of the engine, and are a boon at night.

Comfort
The sporty position of the seat offers the best possible seating position for the rider although the pillion seat could have been a little bit longer. Even on long journeys,the back support is very good and the front shock-absorbers do a great job of damping the vibrations. The rear shock-absorbers are perfect for Indian Road conditions which mostly consist of pot-holes and speed breakers. The rear rider’s comfort levels aren’t all that great and could have done with some more thinking and concentration on that aspect.