EXCLUSIVE: Bajaj CNG Bikes To Be 125 cc & Above

Bajaj finally launched the much awaited CNG motorcycle in the form of the Freedom 125. The Bajaj Freedom 125 NG04 is powered by a 125 cc engine that runs both on petrol and CNG. Pricing for the Bajaj CNG bike is competitive as prices start at ₹ 95,000 (ex-showroom) for the base variant. Initially the CNG motorcycle will be sold in Maharashtra and Gujarat before expanding to other states across the nation as Bajaj Auto is taking a cautious approach. The brand wants to see how the Freedom 125 performs in both these states where the CNG pump concentration is the highest in the country and what the customer feedback from commuter bikers is. Here’s how it could proceed in the future, if the CNG bike is a success. 

No CNG Bikes Below 125 cc

When the Bajaj Freedom was launched today, one of the key questions was why did Bajaj Auto opt for a 125 cc engine and not go for something smaller. A 100/110 cc engine could have dropped the cost of the motorcycle further and in its petrol avatar would have delivered better mileage as well. We think Bajaj engineers opted for the 125 cc engine as it offers a good mix of performance and frugality, as one shouldn’t forget that the CNG tank itself weighs 16 kg and the Freedom 125 is a heavy bike at 149 kg. The 100/110 cc engine would have offered sluggish performance and hence a 125 cc engine might have been a better fit.

This also signals that Bajaj might bring about a more powerful version of the CNG bike in the future. But all that depends on how the Freedom 125 CNG bike is being received by customers. If sales are encouraging and demand for a powerful variant is significant, we could see a 150 cc CNG motorcycle in the coming years. 

More Variants

The Bajaj Freedom 125 is already available in three variants, but when you think of it the only difference between them is features and nothing else. When the Bajaj CNG bike was spotted testing a few months back, we could make out that there were more than one variant of the Freedom 125. Our above assumption seems correct when one factors in the Freedom 125 NG04 name, Bajaj has added the “NG04” signifying that more variants are expected in the future, it had opted for a similar strategy for the Bajaj Chetak. 

The new Bajaj Freedom 125 variant could be a more rugged variant with more suspension travel and might be focused more for export markets. What the future holds for the Bajaj CNG motorcycle is still unclear, but we are sure that the CNG range will stick with the Freedom nomenclature.