There have been times when a manufacturer has steered the course of Indian motorcycling single-handedly. It majorly happens piggybacking on new technology or a new approach towards motorcycling. We saw the latter happening with the Bajaj Pulsar brand which introduced the Indian youngsters to the thrill of speed. To this day, the NS400Z has filled those big-foot sized shoes with its explosive performance-to-price quotient. And now, Bajaj is aiming to revolutionize the way India commutes. Quite a big ordeal if you take in consideration the sheer numbers of commuters that trundle down our streets. However, it could happen because we have ridden the Freedom CNG and it packs serious potential. Oh, and did we tell you it is the world’s first CNG-powered motorcycle? You already know it by now but we still puff up our chest with pride saying that again and again. Cheap thrills? Umm, isn’t that the Freedom CNG all about?
As I was riding the Bajaj Freedom back to Mumbai right after the launch, the valves of my heart got blocked with overflowing pride. I was riding the world’s first CNG motorcycle and even the rest of the world followed suit, joining me in this quaint celebration. If you think superbikes are attention magnets, try pulling up on the Freedom while it is still a novel sight on the road. Never in my 5 years of reviewing motorcycles was I bombarded with so many questions! Hence, I have curated the most asked and the most relevant ones to answer here. A new format? Isn’t that what Freedom deserves?
Q. Is it safe?
If I had a pretty penny for everytime I was asked this one question, yours truly would have become the richest man in the town. The Freedom might be Bajaj’s first foray into making a CNG two-wheeler but they aren't entirely new to the ordeal of plonking in a CNG tank in a vehicle as they have been making CNG auto rickshaws since long. They aren’t a new EV startup either, prone to their vehicles blowing up. The Freedom has undergone as many as 11 rigorous tests including some major ones like front, rear and side collision impact, truck rollover and drop tests. The result? The CNG tank that is fitted under the seat, right beneath the precious jewels, stayed intact without any leak or damage. It is safe to say after watching those videos that the Freedom is indeed a safe motorcycle and it wouldn’t blow up between your legs. You shouldn’t worry about the legacy of your namesake.
Q. Real world range?
The Freedom isn’t a pure-CNG motorcycle because apart from the 2kg CNG tank that itself weighs around 18kgs once filled up to the brim, the Freedom can also hold two litres of fuel. Bajaj claims that the Freedom would run 110 kms on 1 kg of CNG while around 60 kilometres on 1 litre of fuel. The claimed combined range stands at around 330 kms but in the real world if you ride it safely, the way it is supposed to be ridden, the Freedom will bless you with more range. During our rigorous test where the Freedom was enslaved to high revs, it still returned 126 kms on 1 kg of CNG. Do the math. We wouldn’t be surprised if returns figures close to 400 kilometres, combined.
Q. Is there any performance drop in the CNG mode?
There’s a neat toggle switch on the left side of the switchgear which lets the rider switch between CNG and petrol mode. The Freedom derives its performance from a 125cc engine that puts down 9.5PS and 9.7NM. Nothing extraordinary but just enough horses to ride around town. One has to understand that it is not a CNG car where the performance drop is more substantial because here, the ponies killed in the process are much less. This engine is a proper commuter with linearity ruling the theme here. However, to reek out some pace out of this engine, you would need to rev it out. Pull its ears and let it sing. That being said, you wouldn’t feel any lack of performance in day to day runabouts. It is on the highway that the Freedom feels a little out of place, struggling a little to breeze past the 100 kmph mark. The best that I saw on the speedometer was 108kmph in the petrol mode and 100kmph in CNG mode. The petrol mode does feel a bit gruntier than the CNG but not substantially so. If you need to attempt a quick overtake, you don’t necessarily need to shift into Petrol mode and then do it. A simple downshift in the CNG mode would do the job. Moreover, you wouldn't mind fiddling with the gears as the clutch action is light and the transmission is smooth and precise.
Q. Are there any vibrations?
If the Honda Shine is the epitome of engine refinement in this class, the Freedom comes very close to that. We were utterly surprised by the refinement levels displayed by the Freedom. It is a smooth, vibe free affair till 80kmph and even after that, there’s just a minor buzz on the footpegs reminding you that this is a humble commuter, not an inter-continental ballistic tourer.
Q. How much time does it take to fill up CNG?
This has been one of the major concerns surrounding the Bajaj Freedom but in the real world, it didn’t take us more than 5 minutes to arrive at the pump, fill CNG and take off again. Even during the second instance, the timing remained the same. Partly because there was less queue comparatively and the pump staff was kind (read curious) enough to let me skip the queue. But even if that weren’t the case, one cannot expect to spend more than 10 minutes in the whole process. They are CNG filling pumps after all, not refineries.
Q. How does it look?
It looks and feels more premium than the motorcycles it is primarily targeted at: Hero’s Super Splendor and Honda Shine. The Freedom has some MX inspired elements like the handlebar brace, long rally-inspired seat which measures 785mm (longest in the segment!) and dual-purpose tyres. There are some other elements too that help it stand apart from the sea of commuters like fork covers, tube-type elements snaking around the headlamp, fuel tank extensions and the exposed trellis frame. Even when it comes to the body panels and the switchgear quality, it feels like it is carrying a TVS badge on the tank. Bajaj has been riddled with quality related remarks but the Freedom, hopefully, wouldn’t attract unauthorized quality control personnel. It also has a rather unique stance, thanks to the utilization of a smaller 16-inch wheels at the back.
Q. Is it comfortable?
Exposing the Freedom to the infamous Mumbai streets under heavy spells of rain highlighted one thing: its sublime ride quality. Commuters should be comfortable, enabling the rider to spend long, tiring hours on the saddle and the Freedom does a stellar job of it. Not on one occasion did it feel uncomfortable or stiffly sprung. Up front, it gets basic telescopic forks while at the back, there’s a linked monoshock weaving magic spells. The Freedom ate every pothole we threw at it and left no crumbs. The comfortable rider’s triangle also enabled us to sail ahead instead of dropping anchors now and then.
Q. How does it handle?
Having ridden the Freedom on various terrains in varying situations, the confidence that it inspired in us, was surprising. It is blessed with riding dynamics that mimic the experience of a more premium motorcycle. Part of this has to be credited to the use of trellis frame here, the same wizardry that we have seen in more expensive, performance-oriented motorcycles like the KTM Duke series. Even while riding in the wet, the Freedom maintained its composure. Cold feet? The Freedom wouldn’t get it because of the confidence that it has on its underpinnings. It might miss out on ABS but the 240mm front disc and 130mm drum brake have enough potency to stop the Freedom when it is required to.
Q. How about the features?
According to the pricing that it has been launched at and the technology that it brings to the market, the Freedom is packed with decent features. The top-spec and the mid-spec variants get LED headlamp at the front and a negative LCD instrument cluster with Bluetooth connectivity. The base variant not only misses out on disc brakes but has to do with a halogen lamp at the front and a basic LCD instrument cluster without BT connectivity. Call it nitpicking but we deerly missed the presence of a kill switch and a petrol indicator. The thing is, Bajaj wants us to use the Freedom as a pure CNG motorcycle, the reason why they've referred to the Petrol mode as limp home mode. So that people resort to using petrol only when they’ve run out of CNG.
Q. How much impact is it going to have on day-to-day costs?
If you cover 350 kilometres on a 125cc commuter motorcycle, the overall running cost would come down to INR 600-650. However, if you cover similar routine on the Freedom, it is going to cost around INR 350-400. These calculations have been made keeping the petrol and CNG rates of Mumbai in mind. Bajaj is claiming that over the course of 5 years of owning the Freedom, it is going to save INR 75,000. Impressive, eh?
Q. Where can we book and what’s the price?
The Freedom can be had in three variants: base (INR 95,000), mid-spec (INR 105,000 price in India) and the top-spec with all the bells and whistles (INR 110,000). For now, Bajaj Auto is only offering the Freedom in Maharashtra and Gujarat but soon, it will be available in the entire country in a phase manner. If you wish to be a part of this revolution, you can book the Freedom at Bajaj website or at your nearest dealership.
The final words?
The Bajaj Freedom is aiming to fuel a revolution that it itself is aiming to ignite. By the looks of it, it will succeed. Naysayers and self-proclaimed critics might have put the Freedom in the dock but it has enough cred under its belt to deal with every accusation. It will do so while looking handsome, being feature-packed and managing everything with a sweet smile on its face. It is a seriously potent motorcycle, one that can also be tagged as one of the most important chapters in the Indian motorcycling history. That's a big ordeal and the Freedom deserves every bit of it.