Bajaj Auto, the Indian Two-wheeler automobile manufacturing leader, has unveiled the world’s first bike powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). The bike is called Freedom. This is the first mass-production CNG motorcycle in the world. Bajaj revealed that the bike will run on petrol as well as CNG to deliver the highest fuel-efficiency figures in a two-wheeler.
The Freedom 125 CNG hybrid bike will be available in three different variants – Freedom 125 NG04 Disc LED (INR 110,000), Freedom 125 NG04 Drum LED (INR 105,000) and Freedom 125 NG04 Drum (INR 95,000). Bajaj also unveiled 7 different colour combinations for the above three variants combined.
The new CNG hybrid bike will be powered by a 125cc single cylinder in a horizontal layout, delivering 9.5 ps power at 9000 RPM and 9.7 Nm torque at 6000 RPM combined with a 5-speed transmission system. Bajaj unveiled that the engine comes with a counter balancer as well to lower the vibrations in the bike. Bajaj unveiled the bike with 16-inch tyres in the rear and 17-inch in the front. This new Bajaj bike is well-equipped in the safety aspects as well. Both bikes come with front telescopic suspension and rear mono-shock, which Bajaj claims to be the first in class with a mono-linked suspension that are non-adjustable. Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director for Bajaj Auto quipped that it would also have the longest seat in the commuter segment in the Indian two-wheeler market. As part of its premium tech features, the bike is equipped with a reverse LCD console with Bluetooth connectivity.
Sarang Kanade, President – Motorcycle Business, Bajaj Auto, during his presentation at the event stressed on the safety aspect of the motorcycle. He revealed that the bike has undergone 11 safety tests, including CNG Valve impact test, Frontal pendulum test, rear impact test, side impact test, front collision test, vertical drop test, truck runover test, IS 3224:2002 CNG Valve Impact Test, AIS 028 – 50 kg Filling unit Strength test and AIS 028 – 20G Pull out test. He further added that Freedom 125 has a very low vehicle operating cost, claiming to give more than 50 percent advantage in daily rides over a conventional petrol motorcycle. He further went on to claim that the bike would deliver over INR 75,000 worth of savings in a span of just 5 years, compared to a conventional petrol motorcycle.
Like any normal bike plying on the roads today, the petrol tank of the bike is placed near the handlebar. However, Bajaj has placed the CNG tank below the seat. The petrol tank has a capacity of 2 litres while the CNG tank comes with 2 kg.
Another unique aspect of the world’s first CNG motorcycle is the provision of a switch that allows the rider to switch between CNG fuel and petrol fuel while riding. This is a switch-on-the-go system that the rider can use to switch between the petrol and the CNG system in the bike.
The rider can fill CNG and petrol through a common fuel filler cap. Bajaj Freedom 125 has a claimed top speed of 90.5 km/h in CNG and 93.4 km/h in petrol. Bajaj claims that Bajaj Freedom 125 can deliver a combined range of approximately 330 kms, which is 200 km from CNG and 130 km from Petrol.
In the same presentation, Sarang also revealed that the bike could prove to be very beneficial for the environment. He claimed that compared to a conventional petrol bike in the same class, Bajaj Freedom would deliver 26 percent less CO2 emissions, 85 percent lower NMHC (non-methane hydrocarbons) and 43 percent lesser NOX (Nitrogen Oxide).
As Reported by Ujal Nair
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