Yamaha FZ 25 vs Hero Karizma ZMR Comparison Review

Published on : Mar 15, 2017
Hero Karizma ZMR vs Yamaha FZ 25 Comparison Review :


"The FZ25 is yet another fun to ride machine in our conditions. It's a proper blend of sporty and commuter motorcycle available in market today with exceptional quality and after sales. While the Karizma ZMR has its own list of advantages and flaws, but certainly feels old-fangled when compared to the modernity of the Yamaha". 

Pricing & Features Comparison:
Yamaha FZ 25 is priced at 1.34 Lakh Rs. on-road Delhi, which is around 14,000 Rs. more expensive than Hero's flagship product, Karizma ZMR priced at Rs. 1.20 Lakh Rs. on-road Delhi. Both of these Bikes  shares common features like Tubeless Tyres, Fuel Injected Engine, Digital Console , Disc brakes at both ends but lacks ABS. Although the Yamaha FZ 25 gets some extra features like Full LED headlamps with AHO, LED Tail-lamps and Rear Mono-shock suspension.

Price, On Road, Delhi:
Yamaha FZ 25 - 1.34 Lakh
Hero Karizma ZMR - 1.20 Lakh

Performance & Tractability:
The Hero Karizma ZMR gets a 225 cc single cylinder, air cooled engine that produces 20 bhp of maximum power and 19 Nm of torque. The engine is smooth and the bike feels composed and prompt while wandering in the congested city traffic with minimal need to shift the gears. Sometimes he gearbox feels notchy but will adapt to the conditions as soon as you spend more time with it. It feels very engaging around 7000 rpm mark but as soon as you push it further to the peak range, the ZMR start to loose its composure and you will end up feeling uncomfortable because of the vibrations that start creeping through the Handlebar.
Yamaha FZ 25 possesses much strong power figures than the ZMR. The 250 cc single cylinder on this Japanese delivers 20.30 bhp of peak power and healthy 20 Nm of torque. The fuel injected unit really does a commendable job when it comes to refinement. The power builds up rapidly and the engine revs fast due to its shorter stroke characteristic. The does 0-60 in just 3.37 seconds and 0-100 in just 8.58 seconds (v-box tested), which definitely shows the Supreme Yamaha Engineering. The five speed gearbox feels crisp. The biggest positive about the FZ 25 is that it could be pulled from speeds of 30 kmph in top gear up to 80 kmph without frequent shifts and neither the engine shows any sort of strains in doing so. The FZ 25 also doubles up as a Cruiser for those weekend trips.

Power to Weight Ratio (PS/ton):  FZ 25 - 141 , Karizma ZMR - 127
Torque to Weight Ratio (Nm/ton):  FZ 25 - 135 , Karizma ZMR - 125

Power (PS@rpm): FZ 25 - 20.30@8,000 , Karizma ZMR - 20@8,000
Torque (Nm@rpm): FZ 25 - 20@6,000 , Karizma ZMR - 19.70@6,500
Kerb Weight (kg): FZ 25 - 148 , Karizma ZMR - 157

Displacement (cc): FZ 25 - 223 , Karizma ZMR - 249
Gear-box: FZ 25 - 5-speed , Karizma ZMR - 5-speed

Fuel Efficiency:
Karizma ZMR is claimed to return an ARAI certified fuel efficiency of 48 kmpl, while the FZ 25 is claimed to deliver about 43 kmpl. In real world conditions both of these bikes delivers more or less the same fuel efficiency. Despite the FZ 25 being powerful, it matches up with the Karizma ZMR. Thanks to the ultra efficient Blue Core technology used bu Yamaha which not only improves the performance but also tweaks up the mileage.

ARAI Certified Mileage (kmpl) : FZ 25 - 43 , Karizma ZMR - 48
Test Mileage (kmpl) : FZ 25 - 38 , Karizma ZMR - 38

Fuel Cost ( for usage of 60,000 km) : FZ 25 - 1.29 Lakh , Karizma ZMR - 1.29 Lakh

Reliability & After Sales Service:
Yamaha has really been extraordinary when it comes to the product reliability and tranquil after sales service which it has on offer. Though Hero is the largest two wheeler manufacturer and host plenty of touch points across the Country, but is still way behind Yamaha in providing optimum satisfaction to its customers. Hero needs to work on the quality of its products as existing buyers have complained about serious signs of wear and tear in their motorcycles over use of three to four years. Whereas Yamaha have always been on top and barely faced any quality issues. Hero motorcycles are easy to maintain due to its lower cost of service and parts while Yamaha's maintenance is a bit on a higher side.

Resale Price (after 5 - 7 years & 60,000 km)
FZ 25 - 65,000 , Karizma ZMR - 54,000

Total Cost of Ownership :
FZ 25 - 1.95 , Karizma ZMR - 1.72

Handling & Ride Quality:
Yamaha have always been exceptional in Handling and same could be felt on the FZ 25. The nimble handling trait has been continued from their R15 and FZ16 lineup. The FZ 25 handles pretty well in the city and goes zipping through the traffic obviously due to its well balanced weight but struggles with wind-blasts at higher speeds due to its naked character. The suspension setup is again carried from the FZ16 which still offers adequate stiffness in every condition. The brakes have a good bite but feels spongy sometimes and absence of ABS could be felt. Karizma ZMR has always turned out to be an ultimate sports tourer. It never feels out of control and behaves aptly around the corners. The longer wheelbase surely helps Karizma to enhance its handling capabilities. The suspensions on the ZMR offers appropriate damping in city conditions but could offer much better performance on bad patches, though the rear is a five step adjustable unit and can be set according to riders choice. Braking duties are handled by discs at both ends but wheels lock up under hard braking due to loose grip on the tyres.

Tyre Size :
Front :FZ 25 - 100/80 R17 , Karizma ZMR - 80/100 R18
Rear :  FZ 25 - 140/70 R17 , Karizma ZMR - 100/90 R18

Wheelbase (mm):
FZ 25 - 1360  , Karizma ZMR - 1360

Comfort & Ergonomics:
The riding comfort on the FZ 25 is adept. Seats are broad and well padded, thus offering decent space and composure to the rider as well as pillion. Wide handlebar coupled with upright riding position really offers a relaxed riding experience. The FZ 25 can surely serve you the purpose of an everyday city commuter as well as a weekend tripper. The Karizma ZMR despite being a sports tourer provide a great blend of comfort to the rider as well as pillion with its highly cushioned seating. The handlebar is laid back to give command to the rider. The gear and brake foot-pegs are rightly placed for comfortable seating posture and is absolute pleasure for tall riders.

Seat Height (mm):
FZ 25 - 795  , Karizma ZMR - 810

Verdict :
 FZ 25 might be late to the party but successfully ticks all the boxes. Yamaha has done everything to bring up the FZ 25 spot-on. Karizma ZMR on other hand is a really nice offering from Hero but have now became an old product in the market when compared to the modern FZ 25. Though the Karizma is low in price when compared with the FZ 25 but at the end Hero surely falls behind when it comes to the unrivaled durability, after sales and ownership experience that Yamaha gives to its customers. Therefore the FZ 25 is certainly more capable and sensible option to invest your money.

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