In reply for the bold lines:

Karizma is super smooth till 100-105.. which is my cruising speed.. though at few instances while cruising i pull it up to 140.. but the moment it cross 110 mark, it start giving vibes.. I just want a bike where i can cruise @ 120-130 (max) with same smoothness which karizma delivers up to 100..

And yes i was thinking the same about the "big jump" point. Hence the question arises, is it a worthy upgrade?

Again the question, just for 120-130 kmph you want to change it to CBR, Think again mate! If you go with ABS and CBR power then it's worth else it would be a minor upgrade only if you go with CBR STD.
INMO it should be ABS only.

Hi Saurav,

As you have mentioned, highway riding, long distance touring and the amount of kms you clocked on your Mighty ZMA tells us everything.

Only bike which came to my mind looking at your requirement is Honda CBR250R. It fits, suits your requirement and even I have heard that it is good in city too. So its a clear win-win situation. Apart from that the CBR250R thread here has been one of the most contributed thread by many of the CBR owners and they are kind enough to answer your all queries in the thread and if not in thread they will do it through PMs.

My personal suggestion is to wait and ride your current bike, we all know that Honda have launched new color schemes for CBR250R which includes trademark Repsol version, I dont know when they will hit India. In photos it looks stunning, I am pretty sure you would love to have your ride Repsol version. Also there had been speculations of Yamaha 250 CC bike. There will be many more options be available for the tourers in next 1 to 1 and half year.

And surprisingly you never mentioned your budget, what budget you are looking at?

Cheers!

- Lalit

Even I have upgraded from ZMA after clocking some good miles on it. And am happy with the 'practical' choice I made.. Easy on pocket, maintenance wise with enough power in hand..Alwayss.!! Very much planted on high speeds & you will never feel strain like you must have felt on ZMA on speeds above 100-120+. Extremely pillion & luggage friendly. Hence I used the word 'practical'.
I say, take a test ride. Then if the difference made delights you & brings a smile; go for it, else wait for another better option.
But yes, You will feel that big amount of upgrade.

thought.. and yes i'm going for a test ride.. as soon as i can..
But somehow and mentioned by "lalitp" hope the scenario changes after arrival of more options.. Also saw the pics of Honda cbr 500.. I was impressed by the looks and decent power figures.. Hope it can make it to India..
Oh and yes.. about the budget.. i can stretch it upto 3 lacs.. but maintenance is another point which is pushing me back from mighty ninja.. ( i know it can sound stupid to some fellows)

Nope! There is nothing Stupid in that, It doesn't gets over after the bike is brought?? Infact it starts from there. Mostly many people can buy a NInja but the main thing, can it be afforded ??

MIleage is not that a problem in Ninja or CBR they are very close in that. But the Maintenance is the major thing.

Very wise decision!! "Think before you Act, Later don't Think on your Act!!"

CBR 500 is something which is not confirmed and it won't be placed in 3L for sure!! Even Yamaha 250 is in talks only, no confirmation on launch or specs.

How long can you wait ?? IS now the question!!

And R25 won't be something decades away from CBR 250, SO it's better to buy a CBR 250 ABS today and enjoy it.
New models would be keep coming and upgrading, but the urge to ride it now can't be prospond!!

OK finally decided, I'm waiting for more bikes to get launched.. Hope for something interesting to make way..

Considering that you have been using Karizma from long i suggest you upgrade to CBR 250R ,ABS version(budget permitting) , the HONDA is definitely a much more refined machine than the others you have mentioned as options , also it would be better placed at high speeds if you concerned about wind blast , though imo wind blast wont be that much an issue till> 140kmph (offcourse if the weather is not windy).
As rest of the bikes do not offer ABS , i would have certainly gone in for the ABS bike anytime , i own the 2012 Ninja 650 and im greatly disappointed by ABS not even being an option on it.

Err.. one question..
Any difference between cruising on cbr and on ninja 250r in matter of speed, stability, smoothness?

Are you planning for Ninja now ??

ummmm if you have read (prolly on first page) i mentioned that i am on for second hand ninja..

No Dude I read so many posts daily that i don't remember the first post or so.. normally 1 pages back only!!
And if you are thinking on second hand Ninja then i don't think a Ninja lover or Ninja buyer would ask these ever..Ninja is any time over and above CBR in all sense..apart from low end torque which helps CBR to be a city bike too!!

If it's ninja then go and get it!! Nothing is as good as Ninja!! But only if you can handle the Ninja size in maintenance and FE!!

Practically I don't think it's a daily/Commuter bike... But there are few people who use it daily.

Sir,
I dont want to buy a new ninja not because i cant buy, but as i have heard that it can be quite expensive to maintain it too.. buying only is never enough..
but on the other hand.. if i can get a used ninja in proper condition (which also i'm seaching) with okay price tag, i can consider it..

Scenario change..
since last few days i have seen many speculations coming up about yamaha 250 cc and cbr 500 cc (both bikes to be produced locally as per speculations) so I'm thinking of waiting for some concrete news to come up about them..

I din't say you can't buy Bro!! Buying Ninja is not a big deal. Main part is making decision to buy it considering it's after purchase scenarios, It's all about passion and love!!

Buying New or second hand doesn't matter in some super bikes like Ninja or + cc ones.
They are for power and performance, that's what a person enjoy!!

Good one, best to wait and see what comes in next yr, But currently it's Nov and Show would be in Jan 2013, launches would be by april or so, even more late !! Can you wait ?? approx for 7-8 months or +??

I will say "hell yea" I'm waiting for something more advanced..