Bajaj Freedom 125

It is really exciting when a new technology gets debuted in an affordable motorcycle. Firstly, because the industry has become so saturated that barely anything new happens. And secondly - most of the technologies are limited to the high-end bikes. However, Bajaj knows the Indian market so well that it knows exactly where to innovate - running cost. Because electric bikes were expensive and not everyone has access to a convenient charging socket - a CNG motorcycle has a lot of potential - if done right. 

In comes the world's first CNG motorcycle - Bajaj Freedom 125. It is capable of running on CNG or petrol separately. It promises to return an overall better fuel economy when compared to its petrol-powered rivals and help the average Indian commuter save on fuel expenses. But, with every new innovation - what are its limitations and does it really work? I was ready to find out by riding it for a week. 

Design 

The Freedom 125 is a good-looking commuter motorcycle with an impressively slim and compact stance. It gets a round headlight accompanied by a metal fuel tank with well-designed tank shrouds and a long single-piece seat. The design is unique, quite well executed and it is one of the best-looking 125cc motorcycles in my opinion. What further adds to the looks are the graphics and the overall size of the motorcycle. It looks blogger and the sporty graphics easily make it stand out in a sea of basic-looking commuters. 

Colors

The Freedom 125 is available in 7 colour options - Racing Red, Cyber White, Ebony Black, Pewter Grey, Caribbean Blue, Ebony Black - Grey, and Pewter Grey - Yellow. While all of these look good, my personal favourite is the Cyber white because it looks clean and the graphics stand out better. 

Wheels

The twin-spoke alloy wheels of the Freedom 125 look quite good. Plus, there is a body colored stripe on the rims as well which adds a sporty touch. The top LED Disc variant comes with a 90/80 -17 front and a 120/70 -16 rear tyre. The tyres are not overly large and suit the bike well while keeping it agile. 

Quality

The Freedom 125 is a well-built motorcycle. It feels solidly put together and the fit and finish are impressive for the price. The paint and graphic quality is quite impressive and the switchgear too feels quite solid. In my time riding the motorcycle, there was no rattle or unwanted sound coming from anywhere. Even the CNG kit, which sits just under the seat, feels very well put together. 

Safety Features

The Freedom 125 does not get ABS but comes with CBS (Combined Braking System). This system applies the front brake when the rider pushes the rear brake for a better and more balanced braking performance. 

Convenience Features

One of the most important features which the Freedom 125 offers is that it can be run on petrol or CNG separately which gives it a great combined range. Apart from the obvious, it gets a negative LCD console which shows all the necessary information along with a petrol and CNG mode indicator. However, you only get the CNG level display and not a fuel level. This is because with just 2 litres of capacity, it is always on reserve. The cluster also supports smartphone connectivity for SMS/call alerts, which I found to be a convenient addition. Other than this, the motorcycle gets a USB charging port and an LED headlight, which provides decent illumination for night riding.

Because the Freedom 125 is slightly on the heavier side, the suspension is a bit firm. This means you will have to slow down over bumps or you will feel them. It is not as smooth as other 125cc motorcycles which absorb bumps quite well and let the riders feel any jolt. The Freedom also takes on speed breakers well, but it is the potholes and sharper bumps which will be felt by the rider. 

The Freedom is the first motorcycle in the world with a CNG fuel option. CNG does two things - it is less polluting than petrol and because it is less expensive to fill, the running cost becomes cheaper. BAjaj has paired this CNG tank to a 124.58cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine which makes 9.5PS power and 9.7Nm torque. It uses a 5-speed gearbox as the requirement is purely in the city. 

While riding, you can switch from petrol to CNG or back to petrol via the switchgear. There is a clear indication on the instrument cluster as to which mode you are in. You have 2KG of CNG capacity and 2 litres of fuel tank capacity. CNG alone can give you about 200km of range and the petrol can offer you another 100 km of range - making the combined range close to 300 km. If you are running on CNG and it runs out - the bike does stall but you can switch to petrol and carry on. 

There is another catch with CNG. The CNG tank requires an inspection every 2 years. This is also true for CNG cars however with a longer interval. This inspection is crucial for ensuring all parts are working as intended and there is no excessive wear or damage. This will happen at Bajaj service centres. And if any part is found to be faulty, the owner will have to get it replaced or CNG can be denied at filling stations.  

IF you are concerned about the safety of the CNG tank - don't be. The technology has been in cars for a very long time and has proven to be safe. And yes, though the CNG tank in the motorcycle is more exposed - Bajaj has done a lot of testing, including but not limited to replicating a head-on collision and running a large truck over the bike to showcase its strength. From what we have experienced so far - we believe the bike to be safe. 

City Performance

The Bajaj Freedom has been tuned for relaxed riding and not outright performance. And because it weighs more, and the CNG performance is less than petrol, its overall performance is similar to a 110cc motorcycle and not a 125cc motorcycle. Once you take that into account, the performance is acceptable and it rides effortlessly in the city. It will let you overtake and cut through traffic but the acceleration does not feel strong. Also, the engine felt quite refined and even at higher rpms, it won't feel stressed or struggling. 

Highway Performance

The Freedom has been tuned for the city and that becomes obvious once you get to the highways. It cruises at 60–70kmph but struggles if you try to push further. Here, you will also struggle to do overtakes and it will take time to get up to 80-85kmph. The 5-speed gearbox comes with well-sorted gear ratios which make it perform well in the city as well as out on the highway. 

Mileage

With the CNG fuel option, you can get 80km/kg. This will get the running cost of the bike down as compared to a petrol bike with a 125cc engine. However, the difference in a city like Pune, where the price of CNG is high at RS 92/kg, a 110cc motorcycle can give you equal running cost. On CNG only - you can get a tank range of close to 200kms. While I understand the limitations, a higher tank range would have made the bike a lot more practical. 

City Handling

The Freedom is a heavy motorcycle but that is not felt while riding it. It manages to feel nimble in traffic and lets you change direction easily. While it might not be as quick as the other 125cc motorcycles, given the added CNG tank, it still managed to feel quick in traffic. But taking a U-turn can be a challenge for people who are shorter as the seat height is a bit too tall. 

Highway Handling

At highway speeds, the bike is stable and composed. You can cruise easily at 70kmph and quick changing of lanes or passing traffic doesn't unsettle the motorcycle. 

Brakes

The Freedom 125 comes with a disc-drum setup and the brakes feel confident. The CBS system makes sure that the braking is safe and even under emergency braking, the bike feels composed. I would recommend you buy the disc brake variant because it surely makes the braking stronger which is needed in our everyday road situations. 

Cornering

Bajaj has not designed this bike to be exceptionally good at cornering. However, the Freedom does feel confident and the tyres offer good grip even on wet and gravel roads. Taking turns in the city - even at a higher speed feels confident and the bike works as intended - to offer a smooth and confident ride in the city. 

Verdict

The Bajaj Freedom 125 doesn't look like a company’s first attempt at making a CNG bike. It works so seamlessly, without any glitches or failures, that it almost looks like Bajaj has been doing it for quite a while. The Freedom is a fantastic commuter which does bring down the running cost - which was its original intended purpose. However, there are limitations. It is tall, not as comfortable and less powerful than similar bikes at this price. If you don't want to buy a Splendor or another 110cc motorcycle and are looking for an upgrade - without any increase in the running cost - the Freedom 125 is now a fantastic option. 

Variants

The Bajaj Freedom is available in 3 variants - Drum, Disc and LED. As the names suggest - the base variant is only offered with drum brakes, the mid variant adds a disc brake at the front and the top variant gets LED headlamps. I will pick the mid variant as the disc brake helps a lot while braking and the LED headlamp is not a feature too long for.

Rivals

Honda SP125

Honda has made fantastic commuters for the Indian market and the Honda SP125 is among them. Its simplicity, good looks and refined engine have made it a front runner for buyers looking for a no-nonsense modern bike. Its speciality is the engine which is super smooth and returns great rideability and excellent mileage. On top of that, it has low maintenance costs and is comfortable over bad roads. An almost perfect commuter. The only thing the Freedom offers over the SP125 is the low running cost of the CNG. 

Hero Glamour Xtec

One of the first small-capacity bikes to go fuel-injected, the Hero Glamour Xtec is a good-looking motorcycle with a lot of modern features. It offers Bluetooth connectivity, a digital console, i3s stop-start tech and detailed LED taillamps which look quite modern. The engine too is refined and offers good performance. The Glamour is a bike for those who are not too concerned by running costs but want an attractive-looking bike with the latest features and good performance.