The world of vehicle manufacturers are trying to find ways to cut down on emissions and some are even trying to keep your wallet a little heavier. Many cars and motorcycles are going electric, but some manufacturers are still experimenting with other technologies. India’s Bajaj has done something different and it has just launched the world’s first production motorcycle powered by compressed natural gas. The company’s new Freedom 125 promises cleaner skies and cheaper running costs, plus a backup system allowing the motorcycle to run on gasoline, too. I have to pick my jaw off of the floor.
We love exploring the weird ends of the motorcycle world. History is chock-full of individuals and companies experimenting with different ways to change the motorcycling game. Some motorcycles have been powered by car bumper-melting turbine engines while others get fitted with radials. The military once rode fuel-sipping off-road motorcycles that ran on just about anything that burned.
In the present day, electric motorcycles have been experiencing an explosive rise in popularity. Not only do they help cut down on noise, running costs, and emissions, but flagship models can wheelie their way right into your heart. I mean, EV motorcycles certainly parked their way into my heart. Electricity hasn’t been the only way companies have trimming emissions and running costs. Other efforts include hydrogen-powered machines and even a weird hydraulic water propulsion affair.
Passing Gas
Indian companies have been focused on making riders’ lives better for decades. Back in the 1980s or 1990s, Royal Enfield introduced a motorcycle that fed on then dirt-cheap diesel fuel and scored an alleged 200 mpg. The Royal Enfield Diesel was one of the only mass-produced diesel motorcycles in the world, in part because it made sense in the Indian market. The Diesel never made it to the modern day, but India didn’t give up on the fuel. In the mid-2010s, Hero MotoCorp experimented with a wild diesel-electric scooter.
Making motorcycles cheaper and cleaner is a big deal for India because out there, the motorcycle is pretty much the family car. In 2023, more than 17.6 million motorcycles were sold in the nation. That is close to the number of new passenger vehicles sold in America each year, but it’s all motorcycles.
These motorcycles then find their way into heavily congested cities, where they add to the emissions and noise pollution problems. Back in 2018, India Today reported that 5,500,000 motorcycles traversed Delhi roads every day compared to 2,700,000 cars. According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), those motorcycles were responsible for 32 percent of air pollutants compared to 28 percent for commercial trucks and 22 percent for private cars.
India is working on curbing these emissions and some of the nation’s companies want to lead the charge. However, India’s situation appears to be a complex one where companies want to offer up different types of tech. Bajaj Auto already has a line of electric two wheelers, but now it also wants to reduce emissions and save riders on operating costs by taking advantage of the nation’s cheap supply of compressed natural gas. The company already builds up to 70,000 CNG-powered three-wheelers a month and it’s ready to introduce the tech to vehicles with one less wheel.
The concept of a CNG motorcycle is not a new one. You can already buy aftermarket kits to convert a motorcycle to CNG. However, Bajaj says that there hasn’t been a production CNG motorcycle until now.
While Bajaj is hardly a household name in America, Bajaj vehicles used to be available to Americans. For example, Americans were able to buy imported Bajaj Chetaks, which were vintage Vespas license-built in India. But the company says it’s been around for over 75 years.
I haven’t been able to determine for how long Bajaj has been developing a CNG motorcycle, but rumors were published last year with Bajaj confirming them earlier this year. Bajaj’s patents have also been made public, too. Finally, on July 5, the new motorcycle made its official debut.
The Freedom 125
Bajaj is marketing this motorcycle as a game-changer for India’s motorcyclists.
The motorcycle starts off as a trellis frame. Bajaj says that this is not only stylish but also provides protection for the CNG tank. You’ll find the CNG tank nestled between the frame rails and under the motorcycle’s seat. Bajaj says the tank is certified by the India Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization. Additional safety measures come from a protective plate for the tank.
Bajaj says that this tank, which holds 2 kg/12.5-l of CNG, is the first of its kind. Other manufacturers have offered CNG conversions, but Bajaj says this is the first motorcycle to be built from the ground up to house a CNG tank and to run on CNG. The company says consumption is 100km/kg, or about 124 miles on CNG alone.
While CNG is relatively plentiful in India, Bajaj realizes that there will be situations where the rider will not be able to refill the tank. Thus, the rider can flick a switch and the engine will drink from the 2-liter gas tank, which is situated in the normal spot for a motorcycle. The auxiliary fuel tank is said to be good for 80 miles of range.
Both of these sources feed a 125cc single-cylinder engine good for 9.3 HP. It gets the motorcycle up to 56 mph on CNG power or 58 mph on gasoline. The base model motorcycle comes with drum brakes and halogen lighting, but customers will be able to upgrade to LEDs and disc brakes. The instrument cluster also has Bluetooth capability for calling.
For Bajaj, the benefit of buying the Freedom 125 is two-fold. The company says that thanks to the cheap cost of CNG, the rider of a Freedom 125 can save 50 percent on running costs compared to an equivalent gasoline motorcycle. Bajaj also claims that when running on CNG, the motorcycle will emit 25 percent less CO2 than an equivalent gasoline motorcycle.
Will It Change The Game?
This is offset somewhat by the downsides introduced with the Freedom 125.
The starting price of the Freedom 125 is Rs 95,000, or about $1,136. This makes the Freedom 125 more expensive than Bajaj’s own 125cc gas motorcycles. For example, the Bajaj CT 125X is just $923. The Freedom 125 will also occasionally need maintenance of that CNG tank and system. The CNG bike also knocks on the door of Bajaj’s electric scooters, which start at the equivalent of $1,148. However, the cheapest electric scoot has a top speed of just 39 mph and a range of 76 miles.
Still, Bajaj thinks riders in India will want to pay more upfront to get access to cheaper fuel and lower emissions than running straight gasoline. As of now, Bajaj also hasn’t announced if the motorcycle is going to other markets.
Time will tell if this will change the game. The technology is really cool, but will the Indian motorcycle rider want to complicate things when a 125cc motorcycle is cheap and simple? As we found out with the Tata Nano, sometimes novel ideas don’t always land. One thing’s for sure, I’d love to swing a leg over one and see what riding with CNG under my seat would be like.
(Images: Manufacturers.)
