Hero MotoCorp working on all-new Karizma premium motorcycle range

According to a report on Bikewale, Hero MotoCorp is said to be developing a new range of Karizma premium motorcycles. The Karizma R and ZMR were both discontinued more than a year ago. The new bikes are not expected to arrive into the Indian market at least for the next 2 years. The bikes are expected to be showcased at the 2020 Indian Auto Expo. This also means that they will have to be ready to meet Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) emission norms, which come into place from April 2020.

These emission norms are much more stringent than the current BS4 norms, and this will require expensive emission curbing equipment. These changes are expected to make the new bikes more expensive. Details about the new Karizma’s engine specifications are not known as of now. We expect both bikes to feature engines that displace at least 250cc. Liquid cooling and fuel injection are also expected to be on offer. For now, the biggest bike that Hero MotoCorp sells is the 150cc CBZ Xtreme. However, the brand has plans to move to the 200cc segment with 2 new launches next year – the Xtreme 200S and the XPulse 200.

Hero MotoCorp has dropped plans of building the racy HX 250R, disappointing many. The HX 250R was a fully faired sportbike with high power and torque outputs, and was meant to be the new flagship bike from Hero MotoCorp. Since it has been canned, we hope that the 250cc liquid cooled engine that was used on the HX 250R comes to the new Karizma range, at least in detuned form. Though Hero MotoCorp is the market leader in India in terms of the sheer number of two wheelers sold, it has a negligible presence in the premium bike market. There is an urgent need for Hero to be strong in this segment as well due to higher profits per unit in the premium segment.