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Feb 1, 2011

48 DRAG RACE: R15 VS PULSAR 220 Vs KARIZMA R Vs RTR 180

Answer to the frequently asked question: "Which bike is faster among the Pulsar 220, the Yamaha R15, the Hero Honda Karizma R/ZMR and the TVS Apache RTR 180?

Photo credits: Overdrive

"We have had organized umpteen number of drag sessions (between the Yamaha R15, Bajaj Pulsar 220 and the TVS Apache RTR 180) and here is what we have experienced:

1. Pulsar 220 DTS-i v/s Apache RTR 180: Pulsar 220 is quicker in outright as well as roll-on acceleration

2. Apache RTR 180 V/s Yamaha R15(older ones): Apache RTR (180) is quicker till 105km/hr but post those speeds Yamaha R15 catches up really quickly and there's no stopping it once it gets past those speeds. I would say both are evenly matched when it comes to overall performance with R15 having a better top end. Newer Yamaha R15's are slower as compared to the older ones

3. Pulsar 220 DTS-i is a speed/torque monster and it will mince both the bikes to smithereens!!"

This above observation/comment has been made by a member (who also happens to be an Apache RTR 180 owner ) Chicane1879 of xBhp forum. From his observation it is clear that the Pulsar 220 is indeed the fastest in a straight line.


What about the Karizma R/Karizma ZMR?

Hero Honda Karizma ZMR

Although the xBhp member hasn’t mentioned anything about the Karizma R but from my personal experience I can say that the Hero Honda Karizma R definitely has a lower top speed than the Yamaha R15 and probably would be neck to neck with the Apache RTR 180.

I haven’t yet ridden the fuel injected Karizma ZMR, but I don’t expect it to be significantly different/faster than the carbureted Karizma R.

The peak power outputs of both bikes are virtually identical and in fact the Karizma ZMR weighs 9 kgs heavier than the Karizma R.

Just by adding a full fairing won’t make the bike significantly faster.


Speedo indicated Top Speeds

Although not in a drag race, but I have ridden the Pulsar 220 DTS-i, Yamaha R15 and the Karizma R on a stretch of 1.5 km stretch at full throttle (with the upper body tucked in) and this are the "Speedo indicated" top speeds that I managed to clock in each of the bikes.

    1. Pulsar 220: 143 Kmph

    2. Yamaha R15: 135 Kmph

    3. Hero Honda Karizma R: 125 Kmph

One has to take into consideration that each of the above models have around 10 % error in their actual and speedo indicated speeds.


Manufacturer Claimed Top Speeds

The manufacturers claimed top speeds for the following models are:

    1. Pulsar 220 DTS-i: 144 Kmph

    2. Hero Honda Karizma R/Karizma ZMR: 125/126 Kmph

    3. TVS Apache RTR 180: 125 Kmph

    4. Yamaha R15: [I haven’t come across any Top Speed figure claimed by Yamaha India for the R15]


There is more to riding than just Drag Races

Among the four (ok five with the ZMR) mentioned bikes the Pulsar 220 might be the Drag King but there are other aspects too on which the other bikes score brownie points.

The engine of the Karizma R feels the most relaxed even at full throttle and feels like you can do these speeds whole day long. The R15 has the sharpest and the best handling here and feels like a bike designed for twists and turns of the race track. The RTR feels quite peppy due to its light weight and is the easiest to ride in traffic due to its compact dimensions.

But the answer to the question about which is the "Fastest Indian" made bike in a straight line, the answer is the Pulsar 220. But come April 2011, the Honda CBR250R will in all probability take the crown from the Pulsar 220.







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Disclaimer:

This is to remind that the Views or Opinions in the blog are entirely mine unless explicitly stated. The Views and Opinions published in this blog should in no way be related to any other person or organization associated -- directly or indirectly -- with me.






48 Comments:

Sau007 said...

Hi bro,
A good review.
:-)
For racing comparisons, the results came are true and judged.
:-)
The point made about Karizma r and zmr is right but i think the full fairing should do some good to the speed(or aerodynamics) but yes, 8-9 full kilos of weight!!!
:-)
I just love the speed of P220.
The technology of R15 and ZMR,RTR-FI.
The ergonomics of Karizma R.
:-)
Can anyone do magic and merge all these bikes in one SUPER BIKE..?
:-) :-)

Payeng said...

@Saurabh, you said it.

Probably the Honda CBR250R could be the "merger" of all the above mentioned bikes :-)

Sau007 said...

Right bro,
But i also want to merge the price which is below 1L of almost all above bikes.
:D

Also i dont know about the 'Fastest Indian' after Honda, KTM will be launched, but i am sure that the ''Fastest Indian on Indian Company'' bike will be Pulsar220......
:-) :-)

sunny said...

what do you mean by newer R15...?i think from the time of launch there is no upgrade been done only colour changes took place

Payeng said...

@Sunny,

no idea bro, but that what the xBhp member has posted.

Probably there were some minor changes to the gearing to increase the initial torque.. but like I am said I don't have any idea about it.

alex said...

Pulsar 250 iz on the way...right after CBER 250 with almost same or more power figures and smashing onroad price when compared to CBR..

Its true..Pulsar is always the " Fastest Indian" and it will ever remain to be one..!

Sau007 said...

Hey bro,
just look at this-

www.dancewithshadows.com/autoindia/yamaha-yzf-r15-could-be-rs-10000-cheaper/

Dont know whether its true or not.
The site shows AutoCar news.

:-) :-)

Anonymous said...

every bike specializes in its own features but p220 is the best of them and yamaha r15 will be slightly behind that never mind about apache it doesnt come in this category karizma is a good straight line performer with top speeds of 145 to 140 not 125 as suggested by brother above but in terms of handling and road grip p220 is far better then karizma.

Unknown said...

hiiiiiiiiiii. all bikes rider. my self prashant. recently i have purchase the karizma r , i think in my opiniun dat karizma r is the value for money bike except pulsar220,180,150, or apache 180 also. ye in sab ka baap hai or zmr iske nana, karizma is the best in past and always best in future.

Anonymous said...

well in my opion they are both good motorcycle and regarding the of each and everyone are depends to the engine power....................

Anonymous said...

guys, please don't take it otherwise. I would like to tell you, that you are comparing 1 150cc segment bike and another 180 beast with those 220 monsters. Try to think it twice, that how can you come to the point that 'p220' and 'ZMR' are the best ones. Compare '180 rtr' with the 'p180', and 'yzf r15' with 'rtr160', 'p150', 'fazer150' and 'extreme'. Then some other stunning results will come. And 1 more thing, you are telling 'bout 'cbr250rr', don't forget the 'ninja' art. Ninja will win the cup.

Payeng said...

@above,

there is more to the R15 than just "engine CC's"

Anonymous said...

hi yaar i want to buy a bike which would i buy because my age is 18 and my weiht is 51 and my height is 5.6 pulsar 220 or 180 ya fir karizma r ya zmr ya avenger ya r15

Anonymous said...

Hey,
Everybody keeps conducting drag races between the pulsar 220 and the r15..pulsar fans r very happy tht its the pulsar 220 who wins the race...but wat u ppl r forgeting is that r15 is only a 150 cc bike...let yamaha make a bike higher than 200cc then race the 2 bikes...

KARTHIK said...

bullshit comparisions and conclusions
exact topspeed of these bikes :-
pulsar 220f-139kmph( slows down after 120kmph )
karizma - 133kmph ( no problem )
yamaha R15 - 130 kmph ( takes much time 2 reach 130 )
apache RTR 180 - 130kmph ( rushes without complaints )

Payeng said...

@Karthik

The Karizma never reaches 130 kmph. Not in its "stock form" and with a "true speed". Same goes for the RTR 180's true speed.

Every bike mentioned above slows down post 110-120 kmph

Big daddy said...

Karthik do u even know the top speeds of the bikes.....lol...

jason said...

Hi folks in my personal opinion the pulsar 220f and the karizma r 2011 with asfs technology are the best bikes for long rides. I dont mean to offend apache 180 and r15 owners but IMHO the r15 and rtr 180 are no match for a karizma and 220. Beleive me there is no replacement for displacement. The karizma's 223cc raw power and the fastest indian's 21bhp motor is simply mind blowing. I own a karizma and have achieved a max speed of 145kmph in a crouched position. Redline a karizma upto 9k or 9.5k on every gear and enjoy its real power and real top end.

Anonymous said...

i own the new 2011 karizma....5000 kms completed in 4 months.
i have achieved a top speed of 135(stock). i have now replaced the stock sparkplugs (ngk conventional) to iridium spark plugs also installed a split fire cable....now my karizma does 125-130 kmph on 4th gear (single seat, crouched position). i haven't recorded the top speed yet. now about the p220...it is definately a v. good bike apart from being the fastest indian and drag king, but in terms of controlling and braking nothing beats a karizma.(i also own the type 1 pulsar from the past 9 years). about the r15, i have beaten an r15 ample number of times with my stock karizma.
rtr180 seems like snail to me

dddaaaadddd said...

renegades is best of all........any bike tops the chart when renegades r on ride.........

Anonymous said...

HA HA... ALL OF THESE BIKES ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO RTR 250 ... RELEASING SOON... It Generates a Peak Torque of 30 bhp @8500 Rpm and a top speed of 155kph.... compared to Pulsar220's 21 Bhp

pankaj said...

I was able to take R15 to 140 Km/ph with 10K RPM, that too with smooth ride. Being an liquid cooled engine was able to take it 440 KM with single stop worth 20 mins only. Great comfort.

Anil Anupam said...

This is one really funny comment thread :P

Kick Buttowski said...

If i would like to mention about acceleration
none of the above bikes are faster then
the old Rusty yamaha RX135
it can even beat Kawasaki Ninja 250
if that 2 stroke engine is optimized well
and handed over to a experienced rider.

if u don't believe me then u can
see it on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ipkzw5SUx7E
ha ha

did u see
Yamaha Rules

Jason said...

The Rx 135 was a modded one and i believe it weighs similar to a bicycle so that's obvious that it would beat a ninja. Drag them both on a 1 or more kilometer stretch and you will know who is the KING.

Anonymous said...

Kick Buttowski
my elder brother had that rx135 and no doubt that was a master during its time
lets now talk about present
kawasaki ninja has 2 cylinder engine would is suppose to give a lot of drag power..
also ninja had a better power/weight ratio
so don't brag about past buddy live in present

Anonymous said...

Guys i think that u people r making a joke of ur self by comparing yahama R15 150cc and p220 still there is not much difference between there speed in drag let the yamaha lanched more than 200cc then compare.And i m just 16,i had a kawasaki ninja i think its a lord of indian road.

Anonymous said...

I have ridden all d above mentioned bikes.in my conclusion,karizma r and apache 180 are d best.which other bike offers you good mileage even when u are constanly pushing it to its limits.the karizma r is my favourite.u can go on and on with its 133-135 km/h top speed without a problem.but,p220,u can see that after constantly going at top speed,the bike's power seems to be decreasing.r15's handling is also one of the best.

pagla said...

Scooty Pep+ Top Speed: 200km/hr

Anonymous said...

can anyone tell me about top speed of karizma r and apache 180

dRIFT kING said...

PLUSAR IS NT D FASTEST INDIAN... YAMAHA RXZ PORTED VS PULSAR 220... HAHAHAHA MY RXZ IS ROCKET.

abhishek said...

i have tested karizma r at top speed of 145km\hr exact (no slope).

muazzam said...

every 1 are given their own decision....all are right upto their decision. i owned p220 completed 8k km within 4 month due to daily office routine and just change something that increase my gear length , pickup and topend i:e M-tek Booster in place of p-220 silencer for gear length , K&N air filer instead of filter box for instant pick-up and last but not least spark plugs for topend ! thats it.............and now no 1 can beat me in drag race bcoz i weigh only 47 KG :P......and plz dont do jetting or tune-up of carburettor and avoid changing chain sprocket it may take the life of ur bike ......and even i got the top end of 152 Km/Hr on my p 220

kartik said...

i feel like tvs 180 ABS is best at it's cost...

Unknown said...

I have Karizma R. its top speed that I check ownself is 137km/hr on noida express way road. karizma reach 60 in 2nd gear,95 in 3rd, 120 in 4th and 137+ in 5th gear. after 115-120km/h it take time to reach 137 but not to much time then R15 and apache 180.
I uploaded a video of my karizma R with top speed 137km/h.

Jo said...

karizma R can go beyond 125 ........ ive gone 140km/hr with ma baby < n itz way much better dan apache nd pulsar..

Gunawan MS said...

Karizma uses the same base engine like the one mounted in its Indonesian's sibling, Honda Tiger series, with 200 cc of engine capacity. It outputs 16.5 PS of max power @8000 RPM, with max speed at the analog speedometer achieved around 130 KPJ. Trouble is, a 115 KPJ digital speedo (black cover) P180 UG3 matches it on the road, and even slightly moves ahead.

Now, i know Karizma has a bit more power (18 PS ?), but i'm sure it also weighs much more (Honda Tiger is around 137 Kg kerb weight, in its current incarnation, the Tiger Revo).

So, i have to question those that claimed such sky high top speed of that bike. Yes, the bike is sturdy and offers good ergonomic for long range riding, decent cruising speed too, but a hyper speedster it is NOT.

Anonymous said...

karizma R top speed is 140km/hr..smooth..comfortable..lacks styling..clip on handle bars..20PS+ power with 223cc would be the idle upgrade..

Reeto said...

With regards to all the comments posted above, the bare truth is that the P220 is way quicker than the rest. The Karizma ZMR is not quicker than the Karizma R owing to its weight. Also the ZMR engine is not as smooth as the Karizma R, on account of the faring the ZMR heats up quite a bit.

Anonymous said...

I hve a karizma r..its such a comfortable bike but its tyre and braking are not good and I reached 130 kmph on it ... I could have gone a little more but had to slow down...apart from karizma I like r15 more than p220 ...r15 has killer looks..its a head turner...there are so many pulsars on the road than r15 so u can feel unique

Reeto said...

Hi. I was curious to know as to what is the ACTUAL top speed of the above mentioned bikes. Also kindly suggest how comfortable are the rear shocks of the RTR 180

Anonymous said...

i have reached 204 km/hr in my yamaha r15 v2 stock just hitting the limiter reaches 180 km/hr effortlessly there after require some time truly the fastest bike in india

Payeng said...

@Anonymous above..

EPIC LOL..!!

Anonymous said...

@anon 204 km/hr on r15 not even possible on 500 c.c bikes,,,big lol

Anonymous said...

@anon
LMAO!
Have you ever ridden R15 2.0 ever?? 204 km/hr?? if not then at least don't make false statements.
dude even ninja 250 cant reach to that speed....

Anonymous said...

I have ridden 180kmph on my bicycle in Nevada...

Anonymous said...

I agree bro

Unknown said...

my karizma r tio speed 140

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