Cars running on alternative fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) aren’t new. For motorcycles, however, it’s mostly been just petrol over the years.
Bajaj, however, has finally changed that, as it has now created a motorcycle that runs not on LPG but on compressed natural gas (CNG). The Bajaj Freedom 125, the world’s first CNG-powered motorcycle, has just debuted in India and it’s got the industry buzzing.
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Bajaj Freedom 125 specs
The Bajaj Freedom packas a 125cc air-cooled engine that’s powered by a 12.5-liter/2kg CNG tank housed inside the protective trellis frame. The bike also gets an auxiliary 2-liter petrol tank. The former promises a range of around 200km (101km/L) while the latter 130km (65km/L), resulting in a total maximum range of 330km when both tanks are full.
The engine puts out 9.37hp at 8,000rpm and 9.7Nm of torque at 5,000rpm when running on CNG, and it has a top speed of 90.5kph. Flat-out figures for petrol, meanwhile, top out at 93.4kph.
In terms of design, it’s a pretty decent-looking bike. There’s a round headlamp up front to go along with covered front forks. The fairings are nothing to write home about, but they don’t look abysmal either. The trellis frame is exposed to add a bit of style, and there’s a body-color grab bar at the rear. The bike also gets a quilted leather seat and 17-inch front and 16-inch rear wheels as standard.
The Freedom also gets a fully digital instrument cluster that supports Bluetooth connectivity. Five colors are available, namely: Caribbean Blue, Ebony Black, Cyber White, Racing Red, and Pewter Grey.
Bajaj Freedom 125 prices
Bajaj claims operational costs can be cut by a whopping 50% with this bike. But the icing on top of all these? The SRP. In India, the Bajaj Freedom 125 starts at 110,000 Indian rupees, which equates to roughly P77,000. For what the bike’s capable of, that’s a darn good price tag.
What do you guys think? Would you like to see this new motorcycle make its way to our market?
