Bajaj Freedom 125 vs Bajaj Pulsar 125: Battle Of 125cc Bajaj Bikes

On either side of Rs 1 lakh, there are two 125cc Bajaj bikes that are quite nice to ride in their own ways. One is the newer Bajaj Freedom 125, the world’s first production ready CNG bike. The second one is the evergreen Bajaj Pulsar 125, a more sporty and fun to ride 125cc streetfighter. 

So if your budget is around the Rs 1 lakh mark and you want a 125cc Bajaj bike, here’s the one you should get of these 2: 

Price & Variants

• One of the 2 bikes comfortably wins the price battle and that’s obviously the Pulsar 125. With its base variant costing just under Rs 93,000, ex-showroom, it costs about Rs 10,000 less than the Freedom 125’s base variant

• The difference increases to more than Rs 13,000 when we factor in both bikes’ top variants. So yes, the Freedom 125 is on the slightly expensive side of things when we talk about 125cc bikes

• That said, the Freedom also packs more than a normal petrol powered bike, so if the premium is worth it, is something you’ll have to decide

Dimensions & Design 

• The differences in the bikes’ dimensions aren’t substantial. They’re both quite long bikes that weigh on the higher side of things, especially for a 125cc bike. And you will feel both bikes’ weights when you push them around in the parking lots or even cutting through lanes at low speeds 

• And what that does is make the bikes slightly less accessible for the older riders in the house, for it could be a bit of a struggle for them 

• They’re both also quite long bikes and that is something you’ll have to keep in mind when putting them through narrow gaps in the city. But the upside is that the seats are very spacious. The Freedom, especially, has a very well padded, comfortable seat 

• In terms of designs, the Freedom 125 looks different from anything else on the road. It grabs attention and we quite like the way it looks, for it looks premium even though it’s a relatively affordable 125cc bike

• Bajaj updated the Pulsar 125’s design and the updated bike definitely looks a lot more contemporary. It looks aggressive and every bit sporty, quite the opposite of the Freedom 125 

Features & Safety

• The Freedom 125 ticks all the basic boxes when it comes to features, with an LCD console and Bluetooth connectivity. There isn’t a whole laundry list of Bluetooth features but it’s good enough 

• The Pulsar 125, on the other hand, has slightly more fancy features like Google maps mirroring and riding modes. It even gets an expensive looking TFT console on the higher variants, something that looks quite premium and nice 

• Hence, the Pulsar 125 is the bike that wins this battle, and that too quite easily 

Engines

• The Freedom’s engine is smooth and easygoing, made for mileage more than anything else. There aren’t any major vibrations to complain about and the bike will return great fuel efficiency numbers if ridden at a docile pace 

• Being a more performance-oriented bike, the Pulsar 125 makes substantially more power and torque than the Freedom. It also revs higher than the Bajaj CNG bike, and that’s exactly where it makes most of its power too

• Rev the Pulsar out and it’ll actually feel quite exciting. It revs to its rev limit happily and will feel more satisfying if you ride it that way

• That said, the issue with both bikes is their weight. It takes a toll on the Freedom’s mileage and the Pulsar’s acceleration figures

Verdict 

That brings us to the end of this comparison between these two 125cc Bajaj bikes. For most people, the Bajaj Pulsar 125 will make more sense, for it’s the more value for money bike, coming in at a lower price, making more power and torque and having more features. It’s also the bike that’s the more fun to ride. 

That said, if you want a more no nonsense, frugal commuter, you should think about the Bajaj Freedom 125 instead. It has a sense of exclusivity, being the world’s 1st production ready CNG bike, looks good and is quite frugal. If you don’t mind paying extra for that, the Freedom 125 is actually quite a sweet little bike to ride. 

Comparisons With Other Rivals: 

Bajaj Freedom 125 vs Hero Super Splendor Xtec: Detailed Comparison - The Hero Super Splendor Xtec costs less, has more features and is the better value. The Freedom looks better and feels more premium 

Bajaj Freedom 125 vs Honda Shine 125: Detailed Comparison - On a tight budget? Get the Honda Shine 125. If you don’t mind spending a bit more, get the Freedom 125

Bajaj Freedom 125 vs Hero Glamour 125: Detailed Comparison - Want more features on your bike? Get the Hero Glamour. If not, think about the Freedom 125

Bajaj Freedom 125: Same Price Other Options - Think the Freedom 125 is a bit overpriced? Here are 5 other bikes and scooters you can think of instead