Mailbag #12: Karizma woes... P220?

What is the expected life of a modern bike (chassis to be more exact)?

I have a Karizma from 2003 ,one of the earliest. 4 years on the plastics certainly have deteriorated as there is some vibration in the fairings while idling which was not there ( or much less apparent ) earlier ; blame the Pune roads for that which are like monscape after every monsoon. Also the bike doesn't handle as well as it used to, the suspension seems much stiffer ( using same rear shock setting at #3 or medium for some 2+ years ) but the damping seems to have gone bad . I have had 2 crashes on the bike and have changed the fork stanchion few months ago. Yet the front doesn't feel like it should either. I could change the entire plastics for about 5.5K , the rear suspension for 2.2K and entire front fork assy is about 4.5K.

I know of Bullets that are over 30 years old and some HH CD-100s have lasted 12+ years with no major problems. I would assume that the chassis of upper segment bikes ( 150cc and over ) should be built stronger , more durable & longer lasting than the 100c bike's , so how much longer do you think this bike can carry on further without major trouble?

As such my bike handles OK enough , tracks straight sometimes but sometimes seems to veer left when I let go of the handlebar ( not sure whether this is because of the road camber or irregular surfaces but most roads I frequent are not smooth but rather patchy ) , sometimes it seems the rear is unstable under braking . HH showroom folks say everything is fine (suspension works alright they say ) even though I have noticed the rear tyre doesn't have a constant outline while rotating( the wheel has no left-right play ) , is this a wheel alignment problem or is it the wheel rim is bent or is the tyre shape irregular (Dunlop Geocruise , 2+ years old ). Or could this be caused by worn axle bearings?

HH folks haven't been able to diagnose the problem (it's not a major thing as the bike is reliable and apart from occasional gearshift problems has given no mechanical trouble) but I like my bike handle well , and it doesn't handle well consistently (am not sure if this inconsistency is caused by road surface being irregular). So I am thinking of a new bike (Pulsar 220 foremost in mind ) but being familiar with Bajaj's gremlins I am a bit hesitant to rely on the 220 alone in case it gives up one fine day. Other bikes I am considering as the CBZ-X , Apache RTR ( I don't think it's as good as the P180 but I liked the braking ) and Unicorn ,but don't really want to go lower down the cc scale . I like the 220's lights but is the P220 really worth going for... for an existing Karizma owner?

I have been told by a fairly reliable source that Honda will bring a CBF250 based machine late in 2007 or early 2008 , and that the P220 may itself be revised early into a version 2 , and that Yamaha has no plans and may well quit India while TVS has not 200cc + bike planned for 2008. So basically I have few options in the 200cc + segment , and the Honda 250 may well be worth the wait.

What do you suggest? Spend 12K and get my bike back in shape waiting for 2008 and the Honda 250, or get the 220 ( I do know the 220 is constantly plagued by some minor like fuel gauge fluctuation and LED lamp failures ,some more serious issues like the rear disc and ECU , plus long term reliability is yet unproven and there are very few places where it can be serviced).

Revhard

Hi RevHard, sorry for the delay in replying... I've not been able to access my email for almost a week.

It's kind of hard to remotely diagnose a bike, but four years is a long time for suspension bits to hold together. Especially given our roads and the two crashes you have suffered. There are a couple of things you could do though. Try taking your bike to a HH showroom and take a new Karizma out for a spin (suspension is identical). Then, ride your bike immediately afterward and play with preload and try to recreate the same feel. If the feel does not come, its time to bin the bits and get new ones. Don't be tempted to buy a different brand from another bike... stick with the OEM bits. Also try to figure out which end is more troublesome for you. Forks can come back with a change of oil and if push comes to shove change the springs. Did the forks get bent badly in the crashes? If yes, they could be causing the bike run left and in that case, a full replacement may be needed.

Chassis life is practically infinite, but it's the crashes that kill them. Even in a small off, you could bend forks, triple clamps and other small bits. The bike seems to run fine or a while, but as the bearings grow older the slight deviations begin to become more serious in the manifestations.

Also, check you rear wheel part by part. Compare the hub circumference while rotating to a fixed point, like some part of the suspension to see if that is bent. If that's allright, check the rim edge. And then check the tyre. If the outline, as you put it, is not constant, your handling ills could simply be cured by identifying and fixing the rear end.

To check for worn bearings, just slot the bike in gear on a center stand and try to move the rear wheel (not rotate, move). It should not have the slightest bit of play.

And just ignore the plastics... they will eventually rattle if the going is tough.

Should you plump for the 220, and does it constitute an upgrade from the Karizma. Hmm... I wouldn't. In performance terms, the 220 is definitely ahead, but not that far ahead. Technologically, it's leaps and bounds ahead and all that. But at the end of the day, you're upgrading from a lazy-fast 223 to a faster, sportier 220. And the rest, no matter how long the list of features is, is icing, and not cake. I would rather suggest you save up a bit and ride the Karizma one more year... and see what your choices are then.... There's more, faster stuff coming next year... As far as Honda CBF250 (that'd be great), Yamaha quitting India (no way, total rumour, watch out for them next year)... that's all just speculation.