World's first CNG bike gets 6,000 bookings in just one week. Check details

2 months ago | 28 Views

Bajaj Freedom 125 CNG bike is off to a quick start as the motorcycle has garnered interest among two-wheeler buyers across India. Bajaj Auto, one of the top two-wheeler manufacturers across the country, launched the Freedom 125 CNG motorcycle on July 5 at a starting price of ₹95,000. Bajaj Freedom is the first two-wheeler in the world to come equipped with CNG powertrain. It is aimed at customers looking to own a two-wheeler with lower running cost.

Bajaj Auto had said that the Freedom has sparked interest among a lot of buyers even before launch. The two-wheeler giant had said more than 30,000 people expressed interest in the Freedom 125 around the time it hit the Indian markets. According to Bloomberg,Bajaj has also revealed that it has already received around 6,000 bookings for the CNG bike. Bookings for the Freedom 125 was opened on July 18. One can reserve the bike by paying a token amount of ₹1,000.

Bajaj Freedom CNG bike: Variants and prices

Bajaj Auto offers the Freedom CNG bike in three variants. The entry-level Drum variant costs ₹95,000 while the mid-variant Drum LED comes at a price of ₹1.05 lakh (ex-showroom). The top-end Disc LED variant of the CNG bike would cost another ₹5,000.

The entry-level variant of the Freedom keeps the cost down to a minimum thanks to its drum brakes on both the front and rear wheels, halogen headlight and sheet metal belly pan. It does not get smartphone connectivity features. The mid-level Drum LED variant comes with LED headlight, drum brakes on both wheels and LCD instrument cluster. This variant also does not get smartphone connectivity. The top-end Disc LED variant comes with all the bells and whistles including 240mm disc brake at the front, 130mm drum brake at the rear, LED headlight, full LCD instrument cluster and smartphone connectivity.

Also watch: Bajaj Freedom CNG bike first ride review

Bajaj Freedom CNG bike: Engine and mileage

World's first CNG motorcycle comes powered by a 125 cc engine that can churn out 9.4 bhp of power and 9.7 Nm of peak torque. The bike gets a 2-litre fuel tank for petrol and 16 kg CNG cylinder under the seat that can hold up to 2 kg of natural gas. Bajaj says the bike can offer up to 102 km/kg mileage while running on CNG and 64 kmpl while running on petrol. The two-wheeler giant said the Freedom promises up to 200 km range on CNG. Overall, the bike can offer up to 330 km of range when petrol mileage is also included. According to the two-wheeler manufacturer, the Freedom CNG bike can save up to ₹1,800 in terms of fuel cost for customers.

Bajaj Freedom CNG bike: Safety

When Bajaj introduced the CNG bike, there were a lot of questions raised on the safety rating of the Freedom. With a 16-kg cylinder under its seat, potential buyers were concerned what happens to it in case of an accident. To allay fears, Bajaj Auto released a series of videos showing it undergo crash tests under different scenarios. It involved a frontal crash with a 1.5-tonne vehicle at a speed of 60 kmph and getting crushed under the wheels of a 10-tonne truck. In both tests the CNG cylinder was not impacted and there was no leakage. However, a more neutral safety test will offer a realistic safety rating of the bike.