Bajaj Freedom 125 - CNG Filling Time, Safety Aspects, Range & More

The Bajaj Freedom 125 has made all the right noises ever since the motorcycle made its India debut. Dubbed as the first production CNG motorcycle, the new bike has created a lot of buzz and loads of curiosity. One of the main questions is regarding its CNG fuel tank, how to fill it, what safety standards it follows and filling time. We get you all the answers. 

How much is the CNG tank capacity?

The Bajaj Freedom 125 gets a 2 litre CNG fuel tank nestled between the trellis frame and is positioned below the seat. This has been done so that the packaging of the motorcycle is compact and since the tanks weigh 16 kg, to maintain the CG (centre of gravity) better on the commuter motorcycle. 

Where to fill and how much is the filling time?

The Bajaj Freedom 125 can be filled at any of the CNG pumps across the country as the filling nozzle standard is same as that found on CNG cars. The CNG filling nozzle is positioned next to the fuel filler cap and like in the case of a car, the rider has to alight from the motorcycle during the filling process. It took us around one minute to fill 1 kg of CNG, which is half the capacity so a full fill should take around two minutes with good pressure. 

What’s the range?

The claimed range by Bajaj is 102 km/kg, which means a pure CNG range of 204 km. Prices of CNG differ from location to location and even when one considers the CNG prices of Pune which is ₹ 89, the running cost comes to just ₹ 0.87/km which means running cost is very low in pure CNG mode. You can check out how the Bajaj Freedom 125 compares against its petrol-powered competitors with respect to running costs here. 

Is the CNG bike safe?

If a CNG motorcycle goes into production, then it has to clear many stringent safety norms which the Freedom 125 has cleared. To ensure the safety of the rider, Bajaj Auto has undertaken 11 arduous safety crash tests to prove the safety aspect of the new bike. One of the tests was to simulate a head-on collision at a speed of 60 kmph against a moving object of 1,500 kg and despite the massive crash, the CNG tank and its fittings remained intact without any leakage. You can read more about the other safety tests here. Additionally, Bajaj Auto will be conducting safety checks on the CNG tank every two years for safety certification at its service centres.