Intro
After spending almost a year with the Hero Karizma XMR 210 and riding it for over 8000km, the time has come to say goodbye to this beautiful-looking motorcycle. Over my time with it, I’ve ridden the Karizma XMR 210 to the office almost daily. I’ve loaded a lot of luggage and ridden it to Goa for a bike festival. I’ve also ridden this motorcycle to a few music festivals, but the most important aspect, I’ve shown off this motorcycle to a few close friends of mine. And to be honest, there are very few motorcycles I feel such a connection to.
Likes
The Karzima XMR 210 is one of those few motorcycles designed by Hero that looks outright gorgeous. This is a bit surprising because this motorcycle was designed by a company that has only mass-marketed 100cc motorcycles for decades. With the Karizma XMR 210, Hero has managed to show the world that good-looking motorcycles don’t just come from Japan or Italy. They can also come from CIT in Jaipur.
I always appreciated the overall riding comfort of the bike. It starts with the seating triangle. Even with its sports bike pedigree, Hero has managed to churn out ergos that offer a lot of comfort while riding in the city as well as on the highway. And this clubbed with the plush suspension setup translates to an easy, comfy and less stressful motorcycle. The bad roads of Mumbai didn’t really break the Hero Karizma XMR 210 or my back.
The motorcycle doesn’t score well in the brakes, handling and pillion comfort department, but it still manages to deliver. So, the Indian riders aren’t going to complain about these aspects.
Dislikes
This 210cc liquid-cooled engine is something I didn’t enjoy much. I mean, it is nice and refined, with well-controlled NVH but the overall performance isn’t up to the mark. From the word go, this motor feels lazy and unenthusiastic. It revs quite slowly and it takes a while for it to reach the peak. The power delivery is linear but slow. Most of the power is up top – post 6000rpm, but due to its slow revving nature, overtaking on the highways becomes an issue. It takes a while and that isn’t a great feeling to have.
The second downside about this Hero is the overall quality. The adjustable windscreen worked only once. The button that is used to adjust the screen got hard, and extremely difficult to use. The paint on the fuel tank has faded away a bit. The plastics around the instrument cluster too, have shown some age. Plus, the motorcycle had once gone to the service centre to replace an engine part. But that part took almost two weeks to arrive. With such a premium product, a waiting time like this isn’t good.
Should You Buy It?
If you are someone who has been riding a 110-125cc or even a 150cc motorcycle for a long time, and now wants to have a decent upgrade – one that isn’t just stylish but also performance and comfort-oriented, then you should consider buying the Hero Karizma XMR 210. This motorcycle is a gateway for Indian consumers who want an easy, stylish, comfortable yet premium motorcycle along with affordable Hero service. But if you are an enthusiast who wants a fast and exciting motorcycle, then you should look elsewhere. Just a heads up – Hero has recently unveiled the Karizma XMR 250 at EICMA. If you can wait for a year, then this bike can be considered.
Gallery
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Hero Karizma XMR Right Side View
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