Query approved.

Well, Karizma R should fit the bill if you are ready to spend Rs.80-85000, the mileage would be 35-40 if ridden sensibly and maintained well. Though mileage can fall as low as 25 on the ZMA if ridden aggressively or not tuned properly!
Also as you have mentioned "cost of ownership" factor the spares of the ZMA tend to burn a hole in your pocket. ZMA owners would agree
But apart from this it is an amazing bike (touring legend).
Otherwise for the type of use you mention here and to keep Cost of ownership down compared to the ZMA, i would suggest the Honda CB UNICORN, or GS150R from suzuki, which i feel is a better bike than the unicorn. GS150R does everything well, will return you more than 50kmpl unless you rip it really!, Though suzuki service centres might be an issue.
Both GS and Unicorn can comfortably cruise at 80-90, though i feel GS150 is much more relaxed at 100+ speeds than unicorn.
So my advice would be if you are concerned about cost of ownership factor and think that the ZMA would be a little on the higher side then check out Unicorn and GS150 both. The only advantage Unicorn has over GS150 is service network, otherwise GS has better performance and mileage, reliability is at par on both bikes.

PS- I did NOT suggest FZ16 as it might be one of the best commuters but more suited for spins in crowded cities, not for your type of commuting. Though there are people who have taken it to ladakh too! but still i wouldnt recommend it to you.

OK. All three bikes you mentioned cater to completly diffrent class.

Karizma: 223cc: A premium offering from HH. a tested machine and a great tourer.

FZ-16: 150CC: a city Bike. a Commuter. great looker But not as good as Karizma for long rides.

Bullet 500: No comparisons can be made with a Bullet. And No alternatives to Bullets.
And they sure don't fall into peices. But i've seenthem making serious dents on other vehicles and the riding away with minar paint scraches.

So first decide as which category of bike you need.
Out of these three: zma suits your bill the most.

Not keen on GS150 or the unicorn as i need to be able to cruise at ~100kmh and still have another 20kmh on reserve.
Also I'm worried about the constant battering the bike will take when ridden over very bad roads everyday. I am not talking about a trip to Ladhak where I'll be tightening all the bolts before and after the trip. I'm talking of 150 kms everyday with perhaps a routine service every 2 months or so. and an occasional waterwash. I will not be able to inspect and maintain the bike everyday or even weekly.
One grouse I have with the suzuki samurai is the 2T oil which keeps getting over and the oil change every 2500 kms. I need a bike with less maintainence.

If thats the case then Karizma R is the only option for you i guess~ But "cost of ownership" might be on the higher side due to as i said before mileage can be a ***** and spares are really expensive.
Also drop FZ completely it struggles after 95~. GS150 can touch 120 but with struggle, Unicorn hits a wall at 110.
Then other options considering the top speeds you want your bike to clock and are cheaper to own are Pulsar 180 and RTR 180.By cheaper to own i mean that the cost of ownership is lesser than Karizma R. For your kind of travel Pulsar 180 would be better suited, it is one hell of a bike too!
My advice would be to get the Karizma R even though it might be heavy on your pocket initially as well as through its life, but today that bike has unmatched reliability and in my opinion reliability, durability,ruggedness along with decent power is what you need in those conditions!! The karizma may not look big and rugged like the bullet but is actually a much more reliable machine!!!

i think you should decide between ZMA and Bullet...considering the distance you cover....Ride both and decide

A crazy comparo this!
150 vs 225 vs 500! LOL

Anyhow, if you want a commuter, the FZ fits perfectly. It is wonderfully comfy! Owners say that the posture makes you feel like a badass!

If you want more performance, the Karizma and 500 are good. These bikes are great for touring purposes. Oh, and they are comfortable as well. In a review I read, the Magazine guys said that the bull can cruise at speeds above a 100kmph and still not go out of breath!

The FZ is poor at higher speeds. There are almost no vibes, but after 80, the bike feels out of breath.

Karizma will suit you well..

Among the three you mentioned ... Zma R is the One for you.. it will fulfill all your requirements without a single buff.. albeit the only thing which is going against it is high maintainence as you have mentioned in your post too about cost of ownership.
So considering that cost of ownership issue .... i would suggest you a Pulsar 220 F/S as it will serve your purpose VERY well with lesser cost of ownership as well.

since you ride on a rough patch as well ... you will get tubeless tyres too with a P220 and you must be knowing about the very famous low beam projector of pulsar 220 which has an awesome spread on the road and visibility is top notch.

Choose Wisely !

* Dont think of anything else, Just go in for the Karizma.

* Bullet is a good option but with this opinion on your mind you should'nt be taking it atleast for the time being. you can think of it as your second bike.

* FZ - 16: A big NO if you have long free highways.

Good luck and do let us know which one you got.

Hi Ranjit,

I suggest ZMA and not ZMR since you need to travel along non-existent roads for long stretches. The huge panels of ZMR will definitely give you a soundtrack of its own sooner or later. And also I assume the cost of ownership of a ZMA is lesser than a ZMR.

Regarding your services and spares I am sure you should be able to get almost all spares in Coimbatore which is suppose to be the auto hub of south India!

Also the ongoing dispute between Hero and Honda might be a concern to think about before you decide. Its almost sure that they will split up. This might affect the existing model lineup with respect to spares (just an assumption though).

Suresh

I hear spares are expensive on the Karizma, but a new bike shouldn't require many spare replacements right?
Also I'm not in coimbatore but in a village between tirunelveli and nagerkoil.

So anyone else having a Karizma in this part of india??