[Asish_VK]

Excellent review.
Very unique and original idea from Bajaj. The bike looks rather very good , looks like a grown up Honda Navi, in a good way!

Though I have some apprehension about the safety aspect of it, I feel this will sell in numbers.

Also with that loooong seat, how comfortable will be the rider ? especially during sudden brake scenarios !

[hikozaru]

Originally Posted by stewie

It's wild that Bajaj has unwittingly made what seems to be a Grom look alike - atleast to my eyes.

It has a monoshock which is unusual for commuters which the grom does. Got a long, narrow seat but is not thin like dirt bikes, same as grom. Same engine style as Grom. The tank panels have a bulge near the forks like the grom. And Bajaj's logo from the bike's right side looks like a honda wing from far away.

[LMOO2]

The biggest issue will be the availability of CNG. At my place, I usually see long queues for CNG cars. It takes 20-45 minutes to get CNG. CNG is rarely available (offline pumps) outside cities. So CNG bike's success depends largely on the availability of CNG. This bike will be highly successful with people who have a daily running of more than 100 km/day (Last mile connectivity like Zomato and Swiggy). This bike surpasses the efficiency of Royal Enfield diesel in a refined manner. Great bike. I hope it succeeds.

[rvd8732]

I would call this a "World's first production CNG bike" because I have seen Bajaj scooters and other bikes running on LPG; those kits were from Autorikshaw.

[manishi01]

The Freedom appears to be such a beautiful, well-engineered bike.

Bajaj should definitely consider offering this format with higher-capacity engines.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

Isn't 825mm on the higher side? I assume the new Himalayan's seat height is 825mm.

Actually, it is extremely convenient, even though it is slightly on the higher side compared to the segment. Perhaps the narrowness of the seat near the rider's thighs plays a role?

Fun fact: during the entire time that I rode the bike, people showed a lot of interest in the bike. People stopped / flagged me down to ask about how the bike felt like. I invited a few to sit on the bike (just sit, no ride), and everyone (with varying height) felt at ease with the seat height. Most remarked how comfortably they were able to plant their feet.

Originally Posted by horseblood

2) I see it as a cng bike with 2 litre reserve petrol tank, since one cannot implement reserve mode in cng.

Don't forget my note on the bike's fail-safe mechanism on CNG/petrol quantity.

You cannot run the bike if it is completely out of petrol. The bike will automatically run on petrol mode at specific times each day, and if the petrol tank is empty, the engine will simply not crank.

Originally Posted by Asish_VK

Also with that loooong seat, how comfortable will be the rider ? especially during sudden brake scenarios !

Quite comfortable to be honest; in a way, the padding on the side of the tank, where your knees rest on the frame of the bike, allow you to grip it quite well.

[RunGaDa]

I am going to be different here. I firstly and downrightly say it’s bad design. The placement of the CNG tank is okay but the angle is wrong. The engineers have not thought about keeping the front angle lower.
For some reason agreed that it was not possible. Then they should have designed the tank higher up and not at the same height as the seat.
This is a clear faux pas.
Mind you this is not a dirt bike. It does not have any characteristics but they tried to show it like one without having the real character of a dirt bike.
The tank height when higher provides perfect grip for the rider between the legs. It also helps in keeping the bike stable on sudden braking.
A bigger tank would have also meant more petrol capacity. Proportionate look. But it needs money.
Next is the lack for disc brake on the rear wheel.
The size of tires shows clear cost cutting.
The ABS is not standard.
Unnecessary variants for non real value addition.
The amount of money spent on the marketing with reels etc shows they are pushing this desperately.
Sorry but it’s just another bajaj doing bajaj things like scooter days.

[BullettuPaandi]

Originally Posted by RunGaDa

the angle is wrong. The engineers have not thought about keeping the front angle lower.

Could you expand on this part?

From the pictures, it looks like the tank is flat (parallel to the ground), which I assume is ideal as I've seen multiple autos and cars with CNG tanks lying flat. It also sounds intuitive as effect of gravity would be the least this way for both delivery of gas to the engine and pressure relief systems (if any).

It seems like you are mentioning where the valves of the tank would be as 'front'. Wouldn't it actually be less safe with the valves facing downwards?

libranof1987, kindly confirm if the tank is flat and as para_7k has already requested, share what you've come to know about the safety on this bike.

[Sach_511]

On the flip side, I’ve been to Kasauli last week, and there are CNG stations every 4-5 km on the Delhi-Ambala highway that are sitting idle. I think it would give a big push to them. Also, I reside in Dwarka, where getting CNG is hardly a problem; we have a CNG station at literally every nook and corner.

[VALLURIS]

Fantastic Review.

How is the riding posture compared to Splendor ?

Since this is the first CNG bike any feedback/Safety guidelines from Bajaj on the safety of CNG tanks used in the bike, as these would be exposed to higher temperatures.

[horseblood]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

With the high beam turned on:

Thankfully, the Freedom 125 gets powerful a LED headlight that does a good job of illuminating the road at night

It is this attention to detail that makes this forum standout from almost all other reviews, which conveniently ignore such minute but important details. Thanks for the effort of taking those pics specifically in the dark @libranof1987, while your entire review was a daytime affair, much appreciated . A motor geek through and through.

Bajaj seems to have taken a page out of Tata's playbook of 'premiumisation' (read: improving perception) of CNG by introducing modern design with disc, LED lights besides trickle down tech (exposed frame, mono-shock).

However, I'm afraid it (the bike) may go down the Tata fate (talk about coming full circle!) of having 'taxi/delivery boy/poor man's ride' image, only to be looked down upon, unfortunately. Only time will tell.

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to other capacity models that Bajaj has promised to bring. Most likely 150cc next.

With others jumping on the CNG train (bike?) like TVS with their scooty implementation which should be easier to implement cylinder tech, beneath the seat with larger space availability (obviously sacrificing boot space) possibly with larger cylinder/petrol tank size, a churn is inevitable.

Exciting times ahead for urban green mobility!

Cheers!

[condor]

The display looks quite rider friendly, with a lot of information there. However, the gear info could have been in a different color at least. Though the font size is smaller, it is too close to the speed, and can be confusing.

[NO_NOx]

Originally Posted by RunGaDa

I am going to be different here. I firstly and downrightly say it’s bad design. The placement of the CNG tank is okay but the angle is wrong. The engineers have not thought about keeping the front angle lower.

The tank is near horizontal (based on the patent drawing) and is done so for proper mounting and weight distribution. It's probably a type 1/2 CNG cylinder which is heavier but way cheaper than a composite tank (Type-4). High pressure storage devices have a code for mounting/clamping.

Originally Posted by VALLURIS

Since this is the first CNG bike any feedback/Safety guidelines from Bajaj on the safety of CNG tanks used in the bike, as these would be exposed to higher temperatures.

The only concern would be installation of aftermarket parts and not inspecting /hydrotesting the CNG tank periodically. Vehicular CNG tanks are usually tested at full service pressure in a bonfire for 20 mins.

[Hemantteen]

Excellent review. Innovative product. However, I have one question. Why should one buy it over an ev two wheeler with 100-140 km range which can be charged at home easily without hassles associated with cng? A two wheeler rarely sees more than 100km running in a day, so an ev would suffice. No waiting in cng queues, no regular oil change, no hydro testing of cylinder. Further , one psychological factor needs to be factored in: people will almost always run it on cng mode . As soon as cng tank becomes empty, a perceived sense of monitory loss kicks in of running it on double the cost of petrol vs cng. This is especially true for low income riders which are its target audience i.e. swiggy/Zomato. Even people with cng cars rarely run their vehicle on petrol mode. So it's effective range is only what is provided by Cng cylinder.

[stewie]

Originally Posted by NO_NOx

Vehicular CNG tanks are usually tested at full service pressure in a bonfire for 20 mins.

Good to know.
I personally am very paranoid about anything combustible and pressurized in close proximity to the family jewels.

People will forgive a bike for catching on fire, but believe me, one incident with the tank and this bike is dead in the waters.