absolutely wrong choice..
GO for fazer 150.. Better braking, stylish, wind tunnel tested fairing, monoshock absorber.. Btter mileage than karizma.. Low center of mass.. Smoothest gear shifts..
Cons rear seat is smaller.. But much better seat for the rider than karizma.. Suspensions thicher than karizma.. Widest tyre for the grip on highways, i ride it with one hand at 80 km/hr.. Literally enjoyable ride..
As youve mentioned - ride in 25 to 120 in 5th gear.. No gear shifting required.
Not for constant speeds above 100, but ppl do that too.. Max speed of 120 is cool enuf.. 140 kgs.. Lighter than karizma.. Dual lights too.. Haha.. Just enjoying writing it all.. Too much on offer for you..
Test ride both before finalising.. Just make them stand beside each other and you wont look at karizma again - (sorry karizma owners, consolation is the power it comes with).. An rtr could have been a good option too but touring is a big no on that machine..

@ansum,

Since you would not be buying a bike everyday so consider all your options. The ZMA suits your purpose but is dated and power is like a 150cc bike. You may want to consider P200NS while the launch is around the corner. It is a fresh product, an amazing looker with a mind blowing engine. Ideal for city with its nice road presence and naked-superbike type looks.
Also it has a much better technology implied. Perimeter frame for superb handling, a refined engine (unlike earlier pulsars), Triple spark plug engine which gives good FE (equal to ZMA probably), Liquid cooled engine with radiator, big 130 section tyres with best looking alloys, superb split seats, Bybre (Brembo) double discs, new rectangular swingarm, superb console with good informative digital console. 23.3 bhp of power. 6speed gearbox (one of the best as per reviews). April is the launch date and this bike is making news all around. It would be wise to test this bike before ignoring it and repenting later. Around 10K more expensive to ZMA I guess (Price would also be revealed soon). Top speed of 140 (source-overdrive test ride), thrilling acceleration would satisfy the biker inside you.) In all these aspects the bikes you shortlisted would be no-comparison with P200NS. I re-read your requirements and P200NS is the apt bike for you. The bike also has long gearing so no need to change frequent gears. Also Hero increased prices of their bikes by Rs. 600-2000, so if the price difference between ZMA & P200NS is less than 10K then it would be crazy to go for ZMA. (Source - Hero Motocorp raises 2-wheeler prices; stock slips - Moneycontrol.com -
Do check the review (esp Video) here http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/first-im...de-report.html

^^^
220 a tourer??? The 220 is ruled out from being a tourer, for the same reasons Fazer is.
.

I though that the P220 was more of a track oriented bike while the ZMA is better suited for commuting and touring.

Karizma is very stable. I frequently ride it with my hands off at 90 kmph.

The bike has two handle grips, so that means they both should be used while riding. Ride safe.

Don't think just thicker suspension creates stability. Though its not monoshock, Karizma has well sorted out quality suspension.

Something I've learnt after riding the FZ series, NEVER COMPARE THE ZMA's SHOCKS WITH MONOSHOCKS.
And yes thicker suspension creates stability. Cause with softer suspension the bike wobbles while cornering and this can cause a lowside.

@Enthusiastic, I can't stop laughing at you when you say Karizma's power is equal to 150cc (except r-15). I used Karizma for three years and had been using Dazzler for the last 1.5 years, everytime I go on highway, I always felt wanting for more power on Dazzler. I have ridden FZ for a considerable amount of time, though its good in city, its underpowered highways.

The reason some people feel that the ZMA is underpowered is cause they dont actually own a ZMA. When we ride someone elses bike we dont get the oportunity to completely explore it, a similar thing happened to me when I bought my ZMA, it felt so underpowered in the initial gears and in the final gears it'd take a helluva lot time to climb, but once got pissed and ripped the bike at first gear and I was like...FISH!!! Where was all this power hiding all along!!!. The reason is since the ZMA has a lazy compression and a greater displacement, it takes abit more effort to get the bike started in its track, but once in the power band, the ZMA's a different machine all together. And another thing to note is that it takes a alot of courage to ride the ZMA in its power band in 1st gear, most people just chicken out cause the internal forces generated from the engine would be too much to handle, infact the ZMA kicks R15's ass when it comes to low end torque.

@aswinprakas, the difference between GS and ZMA is not just top end, its the quick acceleration too from first gear. You can say the power difference is not much, but that little power makes a lot of difference. GS and ZMA are in a different league. The handling and braking of GS is not euqal to Karizma. If the choice is a 150 cc bike, GS can be justifiable. If you consider ZMA, you can't compare it with GS. The ZMA is a different bike.

Once again, the reason I supported the GS is cause after reading the OP's post I came to understand that the OP is not looking for the above + points you've mentioned. He just needs a comfortable bike in which he can decently tour and commute. And when it comes to that the GS is a clear winner, due to its overdrive 6th gear and increased fuel efficiency.

I though that the P220 was more of a track oriented bike while the ZMA is better suited for commuting and touring.

p220 is no where close to track-oriented bike.
p220 is good both at commuting and touring and it is more than well suited for high speed highway run.

The bike has two handle grips, so that means they both should be used while riding. Ride safe.

Shows your arrogant attitude. Just gave an example about the stability. There is no need for me to get lessons from you about safe riding.

You are not clear whether you are talking about soft suspension or thicker suspension tubes. There is lot to a bike than just thicker suspension tubes and mono suspension. I agree monosuspension is superior, but karizma's suspension is not far behind. Karizma's suspension is good for its touring nature. Remember, we are not racing on tracks for ultimate corner stability. Don't think that something superior means the other thing is bakwaas. Change your attitude.

GS may be a good tourer commuter, but you get bored in time because of the less power. Karizma is leagues ahead of it as a tourer, with required power to enjoy the ride.

These are my opinions, and you may agree or disagree. Don't prolong this discussion. I rest my case here.

Cool it guys ! Lets not waste time on picking on each others comments....

@ravi....please dont ride around at 90 with you hands off the handle even though the ZMA is stable . Regarding mono vs twin suspension, I could believe that the mono is superior from a handling perspective, but for a commuter/tourer bike my focus would be more on ride comfort rather than sharp handling. In any case neither the ZMA nor the GSR have mono suspension.

@ansum, its not my habit to ride with hands off. Sometimes when I ride for long hours on big tours (not too often) I do this to stretch my hands, only when I feel everything is safe. I mentioned this only to depict the stability of the bike. Please leave this issue here; I don't need lessons on this. Being on highway for years on bike, I very well know how safe I am riding.

One last advice to you, unless you are very lazy rider on tours, you will feel underpowered on GS150 on highways. Am telling you by experience. Take your call.

Shows your arrogant attitude. Just gave an example about the stability. There is no need for me to get lessons from you about safe riding.

Cool down, I just pointed it out cause when the previous poster said he rode a bike(dont remember which one) single handed, instead of correcting him you yourself acknowledged the action by setting a self example. No matter how safe we think it is, in reality its not safe enough. Anyways my appologies, if I've offended you in any way.

You are not clear whether you are talking about soft suspension or thicker suspension tubes. There is lot to a bike than just thicker suspension tubes and mono suspension. I agree monosuspension is superior, but karizma's suspension is not far behind. Karizma's suspension is good for its touring nature. Remember, we are not racing on tracks for ultimate corner stability. Don't think that something superior means the other thing is bakwaas. Change your attitude.

What I meant to point out was that the ZMA has super hard suspension in comparison with the monoshock used in the FZ series, the road which I take to college compromises of about 10Kms with roads which have big enough potholes that can give you a dented rim even if ridden at 60. I find it very uncomfortable to ride my ZMA through that patch, where as my friends FZ does the job well. Now coming to highways which is the remaining 30Kms of my journey, the ZMA's the definite winner, cause the bikes rock stable, now normally everyone who've read upto this portion would assume that the FZ fails to perform in highways, but thats not the fact, the FZ performs fairly in highways too, hence making it suitable fro both types of terrains. But the situation is different when riding with a pillion, due to the uber hard suspension of the ZMA,the bike doesnt bottom out and infact kicks back, where as the FZ easily bottoms out. Hence pointing out that both are from different categories and hence cant be compared. Personally I prefer dual shocks, cause 2 is always better than 1.

GS may be a good tourer commuter, but you get bored in time because of the less power. Karizma is leagues ahead of it as a tourer, with required power to enjoy the ride.

I agree with you 100%. But my replies where biased towards the GS cause, considering the OP's original post it seemed better for him to go with the GS rather than the ZMA, cause it fullfils all his requirements(Check original post) + he saves 15K + Better mileage.

These are my opinions, and you may agree or disagree. Don't prolong this discussion. I rest my case here.

In actuality am agreeing to your opinions, but I guess my biased opinion towards the GS may have caused you to misunderstand.