Due to all this fairing-baazi (non metallic), the engine block looks comparatively diminutive, but it belies the Performance aspect of this machine. I took it out to the Mulish hairpin bends (50 km away) for a checkout. There were clouds on the horizon but it hadn’t rained yet. So I let go, as much as the traffic would allow. In traffic, this bike cannot do much more than what the 100cc econo-misers could do, but out of town the Karizma could teach these Ph.D.s in Economics a thing or two. On this ride with me were two other bikes: A stock RX100 and a ported and proton-exhausted Shaolin, ridden by 50-kg teenagers. Get-ahead-at-any-cost is the mantra of these teenagers and riding 2-strokers, they kept trying to get the best of me. The road is pretty narrow and in case a bus or truck is oncoming, you have to get off the road. These guys (the 2-stroke teenagers) kept trying to overtake me, yet whenever they came up from behind too close for comfort, all I had to do was downshift and open throttle. No matter how close they were, they never could catch up. Overtaking me was outta question. So they stopped, got off their bikes and took the Karizma from me and said, “Now YOU try to overtake US.” I tried. I couldn’t. Like I said, I touched 121 kph. 125 is very much do-able. Maybe even more. Speedo indicated of course. But true anyway, since in the top speed sweepstakes the RX100 and ported+protoned Shaolin were left far behind=outta sight, could not be seen even in the rear view (RV) mirrors. That brings me to a couple of sore points. The RV mirrors are too small. Their stalks are too short. And the horn is not loud enough. Maybe I don’t hear too well (I’ve got only one EAR, remember?).

The roadholding is excellent on dry tarmac and so it the braking. The 276mm disc up front (largest so far) does an excellent job. So does the 130mm rear drum. The mag wheels give a very un-cluttered look to the rear wheel. I like it. The handling is actually pat, though the huge fairing probably (falsely?) gives the impression of not being nimble. On the ground the bike behaved exactly as directed. 100% obedient to the T. The turning circle is quite large, @ four metres.

I also did braking tests. Sixty to zero. Over ten runs from 60 kph to wheel lock, the best braking distance was 14 metres. (Rider weight 67 kg ; height 174cm). This is excellent braking. What is even better is the braking characteristic. The skid line left on the dry tarmac outside the A.R.A.I. was so straight it could very well have been drawn with a foot ruler (scale). My braking test always mimics panic braking, where rider slams both brakes, such as is a natural human reaction to an accident situation.

Apart from the many ‘firsts’ mentioned above, the crowning glory of this bike is the instrumentation. A smallish analog revv counter at LH, a larger analog ‘speedo only’ in the centre and third DIGITAL dial at RH, which incorporates a fuel gauge, a trip meter, an odometer and for Chrissake, a time clock! If you come across someone riding a Karizma, don’t ask him, “What’s the average?” Ask him, “What’s the time?” He will tell you the time even in a dark tunnel. The dials glow in the dark (radium?) even without the lights on!

One stoopid thing that happened during this test was that I lost the keys. Cost me Rs.200/- to get a duplicate made. But I learnt something. The master key maker who made the duplicate (who makes Splendor duplicate in ten minutes) took THREE HOURS to make the duplicate for this bike, and that too separate keys for ignition and tank cap. He said, "This is the most difficult bike lock I ever worked on. It would be almost impossible to steal this bike." This fact is quite re-assuring for those who are concerned about their bike being stolen, and believe me, this bike is definitely worth stealing!!

I did a few fuel consumption tests as well, on a tank full to tank full basis. First on NH.17 (Bombay-Goa highway) over a distance of 130 km. NH.17 is an excellent road, excellent surface and thin traffic. At speeds between 50 and 60 kph, with very little gear changing, very little braking or stopping, the Karizma returned 41 km per litre. Later I measured fuel consumption in city riding over a distance of 185 km, with countless brakings, gear changings and stoppings, and at speeds up to 80 kph at times (while overtaking). In city traffic it returned 28 km per litre.

So this is the Karizma. I really don’t know what Karizma means though. I know that in Hindi, “KARISHMA” means “something inexplicably magical”. In English, “CHARISMA” (pronounced Karizma) means “the ability to inspire followers with devotion and enthusiasm”. The way this bike has turned out to be, it is probably both.