You read it first on MotorBeam. The cat is out of the bag, or so it seems. We all know Hero MotoCorp will launch updated versions of the Karizma and ZMR later this year. The company confirmed the Karizma’s engine will get more power, courtesy of its partner, Erik Buell Racing. Although there is no confirmation on whether the new Hero Karizma will get an all new engine, we feel EBR has tweaked the current 223cc motor to produce higher output. The spyshots of the new Hero Karizma ZMR which recently flooded the world wide web did show minor cosmetic changes but now the bike seems to be uncovered.
MotorBeam reader Karun Prakash mailed us the above picture which was carried in Sakshi newspaper earlier today (it is a Telugu news daily). In the picture, we can see Pawan Munjal, MD and CEO, Hero MotoCorp sitting on a Karizma ZMR motorcycle. We don’t know when this picture was snapped but what interests us is the Karizma ZMR which doesn’t look like the current one. If we relate some of the styling elements with the spied bike, we can easily make out this is indeed the real deal. Undoubtedly, the above picture shows it’s the good old ZMR underneath as many design elements are identical.
So what all is different? There is a new headlight, which seems to be inspired from erstwhile partner Honda’ old Fireblade. The paint scheme is a bit different with ZMR written in a new pattern. The seat is now split, very similar to the Xtreme and the riding position seems a bit sportier rather than being upright as seen on the current ZMR. The twin-shocks remain which is a disappointment as even 125cc bikes are now coming with a monoshock. The rear tyre is a wider (110 mm vs 100 mm).
The wheels, brake discs, exhaust, tank and instrument cluster are untouched on the 2014 Hero Karizma ZMR but the fairing seems to gel better with the bike and doesn’t look as abrupt as the current model (see the pics in this post for a comparison). These changes don’t seem enough to win back the demand enjoyed by the Karizma more than 5 years back but we feel this is a stop-gap measure till Hero MotoCorp gets ready with an all new 250cc motorcycle. With slight tweak in the powertrain, expect the ZMR to produce around 20 BHP of power, with prices likely to remain largely the same.
Update 1- Another picture has surfaced which our reader Yasar Lakhani has shared with us. The picture shows the Karizma to have projector type headlights (but they don’t seem to be projectors), very Pulsar 220 like. The bike also gets daytime running lights, a segment first but the design doesn’t seem to be well executed. The two pictures (the one above and below) are of the same motorcycle which means the ZMR gets uglier.
Update 2 – A video from the unveil of the 2014 Hero Karizma ZMR has surfaced on YouTube. In the video, we can see in typical Hero fashion, the bike looks way more appealing than it actually is. The advertisement agency has put in some fire to make the new ZMR look action packed. The cluster is retained and the headlights and daytime running lights can be seen in action. Thanks to Prasad Rane for the heads-up on the video.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epuNdaaBrDw 540 375]