Bajaj Freedom 125 review: Freedom of choice

We’re all painfully aware of how expensive life has become in the last few years and petrol prices are at the top of the list. I can only imagine the brunt the common man bears when tanking up their only vehicle, typically a two-wheeler. The Bajaj Freedom 125 was created to solve that exact problem and comes with the promise of halving your running costs.  

Bajaj Freedom 125 CNG tank safety concerns addressed 

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of this motorcycle, let’s address the internet’s biggest concern right off the bat: How safe is the CNG tank that’s integrated into this motorcycle? 

Bajaj had to go back to the drawing board to execute its vision of the Freedom 125. An all-new trellis frame (India’s only commuter to use one) was created to house the underseat CNG tank, and the company says it has tested this bike with the maximum possible rigour. In fact, it was so confident in its engineering that at the launch of the Freedom, it showed us a clip of an 11-tonne truck running over it. You could see that the bike was mangled beyond repair, but crucially, there were no safety breaches when it came to the CNG tank. 

Moreover, if you think about it, in almost every CNG rickshaw (Bajaj is the market leader in that segment, by the way), the seat is right above the tank. These products have a proven safety record, and if you’re comfortable with that, then I see no logical reason for feeling apprehensive about the Freedom’s safety. 

Bajaj Freedom 125 mileage, range

Now that safety concerns are out of the way, we can come to the most frequently asked question about the Freedom 125: Kitna deti hai? (What’s its mileage?) In our tests, the bike returned 94km/kg in the city and 126km/kg on the highway. Meanwhile, the fuel efficiency when running on petrol was predictably a lot lower at 53.4kpl in the city and 62.37kpl on the highway.

While those CNG numbers are spectacular, we need to address a known issue with this fuel. The amount of CNG you can fill into that 2kg cylinder will vary depending on the pump you visit and the ambient temperature, which means that even the same pump could supply different amounts of gas at different times during the day. 

The numbers we got could vary based on those factors, as well as the rider’s weight and riding style. But what can’t be doubted is this vehicle’s capability of delivering fantastic efficiency, and a little mental math reveals something interesting. If you consider a range of 100km per kg at Rs 75 versus a 100cc commuter that returns 70kpl (which itself is an optimistic number) at Rs 104 per litre, it is half the price in terms of fuel consumed! It turns out that Bajaj’s claims are accurate, and this will be a game changer for the mileage-centric public. Ridden carefully, the Freedom can give you a combined range of over 350km on both fuels. 

Bajaj Freedom 125 switching between petrol and CNG

Switching between the two fuels can be done by pressing the blue button on the left switch cube. Bajaj claims that you can do this while riding, but in our experience, this transition works best when you close the accelerator for a second or two while doing so. Switching between fuels with the throttle open will result in a little jerkiness from the engine. 

One thing that you need to bear in mind is that this motor idles quite high. When you’re slowing down to a stop, you need to pull in the clutch to stop the Freedom from surging ahead. This happens in both fuels, and it’s something that needs to be improved. 

Bajaj Freedom 125 riding experience

The rest of the riding experience is pretty straightforward, and I think Bajaj deserves a pat on the back for making this unique thing feel so natural. The brakes, suspension and throttle all work as you’d expect. This motor feels peppier in petrol, and it gets to 60kph a second quicker in petrol as compared to CNG. 

But this isn’t an overtly sporty machine by any means, which is actually a plus point here. The Freedom reminds me a lot of my dad’s Platina 110 H-Gear, which is a relaxed and mellow commuter. Typical of a bike in this class, the front brake is soft and wooden, but when used with the rear (no ABS here), stopping power is sufficient. 

The Bajaj Freedom’s suspension also feels a little strange; it never felt ultra-plush, which is the beauty of such bikes. This is a little disappointing, and while it’s not bad in isolation, it never has an ultra-cushy ride like that of a Splendor or a Shine. 

Bajaj Freedom 125 design, road presence, features

While the riding experience is familiar, the styling certainly isn’t. Nothing on the road looks like the Freedom 125, and never has such a new design already become so recognisable. In the three days that we had the bike, I can’t tell you the sheer number of people who came up to us and asked us about this machine, and they all called it by name. Bajaj, you can save on the promotion and marketing budget. Social media has already done the job for you. 

That unique headlight, the fork shrouds and that supermoto-rivalling long, flat seat all give the Freedom a fresh design. If you don’t like this rather plain grey, in some of its brighter colour options, the bike will pop even more than usual out on the road. 

The Freedom 125 is also a decently feature-rich bike for its class. It has a silent starter and a side-stand cutoff. The top variant gets an LED headlight, front disc and basic Bluetooth for call/SMS alerts on the digital display. The mid variant misses out on the front disc and gets a simpler dash. The base variant has a halogen headlight, skinnier tyres and a smaller rear drum brake. 

Bajaj Freedom 125 engine, performance

While this is a youthful design, you can’t say the same for its performance: 9.5hp and 9.7Nm of torque from this sloper 124.58cc motor make it the least powerful 125cc commuter out there. Then there’s the fact that 149kg kerb weight is in the ballpark of 150cc commuters, and the result is that Freedom accelerates more like a 100-110cc bike. Something like a Hero Xtreme 125R will leave it behind comfortably, but if you go about comparing performance numbers, you’re missing the point here. 

While the Freedom isn’t an energetic bike, it gets the job done in the real world just fine.

Despite the modest spec sheet, in the real world, Freedom’s performance is really not an issue. This is meant to be a practical, mellow, cost-effective commuter, and it does a fine job of that. While ferrying a pillion in CNG mode, you may have to downshift up a slope, but it isn’t a deal breaker. 

Bajaj Freedom 125 drawbacks

That ultra-long seat is another issue because of how high it is off the ground – 825mm, to be precise. With an 18kg CNG cylinder under the seat, there were bound to be some compromises, and this is one of them. However, it isn’t unusually top-heavy. This number is right around the ballpark of a 300-400cc street naked, but for a commuter, it is unusually high. Shorter riders will have to be mindful. I see anyone under 5’5” struggling with the Freedom’s seat height. 

Standing in a long CNG queue can get frustrating particularly in summer or during a downpour.

And since we are discussing this bike’s shortcomings, let’s address potentially the biggest one – the long CNG lines. Currently, interest in this bike is so high that pump attendants and people waiting in line allowed us to go ahead, but I doubt that would continue once these bikes become commonplace. This will get particularly frustrating if it’s raining heavily or on a scorching hot day. This will be a problem until separate lines are set up for two-wheelers and more CNG pumps open up, all of which will take time. 

Bajaj Freedom 125 price, verdict

But at the end of the day, the cost savings are so great that most people will happily overlook these problems. While EVs are undoubtedly cheaper (and cleaner) to run, the battery technology simply isn’t good enough yet to make an EV motorcycle a convincing option. That’s where this CNG bike comes in. The Freedom 125 rids you of the long charging times and range anxiety associated with electric two-wheelers. Priced between Rs 95,000 and Rs 1.10 lakh (ex-showroom), the Freedom 125 has Bajaj’s typical competitive pricing, which only adds to its allure. 

In these early days, people are drawn to the Freedom almost like moths to a flame.

The deliveries for the Freedom will start with the top variant with the other two variants following shortly after. This bike will hit showrooms in Maharashtra and Gujarat first before other states gradually receive it. The Bajaj Freedom has a few compromises, but none of them is enough to offset the bike’s sheer cost-effectiveness. Now let’s just hope the CNG network expands to meet the burgeoning demand that the Freedom is likely to generate in the coming months.

Also See:
Bajaj Freedom 125 video review

Bajaj Freedom 125

₹ 1.13 lakh * on road price (New Delhi)

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