The Bajaj Freedom has been launched in India at a starting price of Rs 95,000. It is not just India’s but the World’s first CNG motorcycle. The bike has a petrol tank as well to augment its riding range. The Bajaj Freedom is available in three variants. The top variant has an LED headlight, a disc brake and will set you back by Rs 1.10 lakh. The mid variant gets an LED headlight but gets a drum brake at the front instead of a disc. It is priced at Rs 1.05 lakh. All prices are ex-showroom, Delhi.
Powering the bike is a 125cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine that produces 9.5bhp at 8,000rpm and 9.7Nm at 5,000rpm. The engine is linked to a five-speed gearbox.
The Bajaj Freedom gets a 2kg CNG tank that’s been cleverly positioned in the central area of the bike. A 2.0-litre petrol tank is placed above and in front of the CNG tank, where you usually find fuel tanks in conventional motorcycles. Together they offer a claimed range of 330km.
In keeping with the functional aspects of the bike, the design is different in comparison to regular commuter motorcycles. You’ve got an LED headlight in the top two variants, dirt bike-style fuel tank, a long seat that Bajaj claims is the longest in the segment, and a sleek tail section. There’s a neatly integrated grab handle as well.
Under the bodywork, there’s a tubular trellis frame that’s suspended by a telescopic fork and a linked monoshock. It rides on a 17-inch front and 16-inch rear wheel, while the braking duties are taken care of by a disc brake at the front and a drum brake at the rear. The base variant, however, has a drum brake at the front as well.
In terms of features, you’ve got an LED headlight in the top two variants and a reverse LCD display with Bluetooth connectivity.
Bajaj is offering the Freedom in seven colours – Caribbean Blue, Pewter Grey-Black, Cyber White, Ebony Black-Grey, Racing Red, Pewter Grey-Yellow, and Ebony Black-Red.