Bajaj CT 125 : The dawn mist had barely risen on the outskirts of Pune, when I fired up the all new Bajaj CT 125.
The welcome putt-putt of the single-cylinder engine burst the tranquillity, but there was something different – a lower-pitched, more assured bark than the 100cc version I was used to.
Five days with this, the latest and greatest in Bajaj’s large utilitarian motorcycle portfolio, riding it everywhere from congested urban lanes to rural byways, tells me that all the India’s value conscious rider wants is performance that rises above the norm at a price that doesn’t tax the wallet.
“Kam daam, zyada mileage, aur thodi si extra power – yehi to chahiye aam aadmi ko,” (Low price, high mileage, and some little extra power – that’s what the common man wants) quipped Rajesh Yadav, a Bajaj dealer in Pune’s Shivajinagar whom I have known for many years.
His judgment is spot on in context of where the CT 125 is positioned – it’s not trying to be a fashionable or revolutionary motorcycle, it’s all about providing value.
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Bajaj CT 125 More Muscle for the Budget Champion
Tne CT has always been Bajaj’s budget workhorse for many years, known for its basic yet sturdy build and pocket-friendly philosophy towards motorcycling.
The new 125cc would follow the same philosophy only with a welcome sprinkling of extra performance that actually makes itself felt in daily use.
Its 124.4cc single-cylinder air cooled engine churns out 10.9 PS at 8,000 rpm and 11 Nm at 5,500 rpm — humble figures on paper, but apparently, a 20 percent increase over the 100cc model.
Driving in the chaos that is the Puneri traffic (especially in the heavily congested Deccan area) over my test cycle, this extra shove was the difference between confident getaways from traffic lights and scrambling to get a move on in a hurry.
“Hum performance ki jantar-bantar ke numbers pe dhyan nahi dete, real-world usability pe focus karte hain,” (We don’t pay attention to the numbers juggling tricks used in performance, we focus only on real-world usability) was how Vikram Singh, an engineer at Bajaj who I met at their Akurdi plant put it.
That’s reflected in the way it delivers its power – stressing low and mid-range torque over top-end power you’ll hardly ever use during your daily commute (or for that matter on a rural Chinese back road), which is the CT’s natural habitat.
The 5-speed transmission is a nice improvement over the 4-speed versions on the smaller CT models, bettering the relationship of the ratios, and enhancing the highway cruising situation.
On the 70 km ride from Pune to Lonavala, the bike hovered a comfortable 60-70 km/h without breaking a sweat, the engine settling in to smooth note, one that could go on all day long.
Bajaj CT 125 Dhakad Mileage That Crosses New Milestones
Performance enhancement aside, it’s fuel efficiency that is definitely the cornerstone of this motorcycle.
Bajaj also avers a commendable 70 km/l under test conditions – a number that could well make the CT 125 one of the most fuel-efficient 125ccs in India.
I took these on real world testing on a different conditions because I’m skeptical of marketing hype.
Over 5 days and reversing the saddle to cover approximately 320km of mixed riding, I averaged 65.8 kmpl – which was surprisingly close to the claimed figures, and genuinely impressive for real world usage.
On pure highway runs at constant pace, it inched up to over 68 km/l and even while being hammered in start-stop city traffic, it never dropped below 60 km/l.
“Mileage hi hamara USP hai,” (Mileage is our USP)” said Yadav, at the dealership, as he brought out his log book of customer feedback.
“Owners of previous model consistently (get) 60+ km/l and we expect even better from this model.” (The previous model always gives 60+ km/l and I expect this new model to make even more.)
This incredible efficiency is not achieved through any fancy tech, just through good old-fashioned engineering optimisation.
Engine design is long-stroke to emphasize economy over power, and fueling and ignition timing are closely metered.
The motorcycle also gets a very tall fifth gear, which is ideal for incredibly frugal cruising once you’re up to speed.
At AURANGABAD I visited a roadside dhaba en route to TALEGAON valley where I bumped into a Milk delivery Guy who has already crossed 15,000 kms in just 4 months on the CT 125.
“Diesel ke daam lagatar badh rahe hain, par mera kharcha kam ho gaya kyunki ise itna kam petrol lagta hai,” (Diesel prices are constantly rising but my expenses are lesser because this takes so less petrol),”he shared as he pulled out from his pocket a well-kept notebook in which he kept track of his fuel expenses.
Bajaj CT 125 Practical design, designed for functionality
The CT 125 isn’t trying to be a style icon. The utilitarian is strong in the design, as the lines are clean and basic with function over form.
The round headlight, simple gauge cluster and plain-Jane bodywork doesn’t capture attention like pricier bikes, but it also doesn’t add cost or complexity, which means the reputation for rock-solid reliability that CT users appreciate is upheld.
What is more impressive is that the design integrates feature people care about and can use. The seat length is long and flat to fit a wide range of sizes of riders comfortably whether a passenger or box on the back of the bike is being carried.
That tall ground clearance (170mm) would prove to be surprisingly useful during my test rides in the rural roads outside Pune, where stray potholes and gravel patches would defeat motorcycles with a more tarmac-oriented stance.
At one particularly grim point around a construction site, where recent rain has left a line of muddy ruts that most machines had struggled to progress through, the combination of a torquey engine, correct gearing and sensible ground clearance meant I could plough on through without drama – the sort of situation where many more expensive and more capable machines might flounder.
The suspension setup in particular is worth focusing on. They may be relatively simple in design, but telescopic front forks and twin rear shock units have been tuned for Indian road conditions and offer very good absorption of big hits without feeling too soft.
Even on a punishing patch of highway near Lonavala, the CT 125 stood its ground on a stretch of broken highway shoulder where stiffer-sprung motorcycles would have felt jarring if not unmanageable.
Bajaj CT 125 Pricing That Redefines Value
And with a price of ₹70,275 (ex-showroom Pune) for the base variant and ₹74,125 for the ES (Electric Start) model, the CT 125 sets a new standard in terms of value in the 125cc segment.
This makes it approximately ₹8,000-10,000 cheaper than rival 125cc models and the extra output makes the higher capacity engine accessible for buyers who would’ve otherwise been restricted to considering 100cc models only.
“It was completely humara main focus tha prices,” (It was a single-minded focus for us — prices) says Mohan Joshi, a Bajaj marketing executive I chatted with where the company began at Akurdi.
“Hum chahte the ki 100cc customers70 125cc ka performance feel kare, in the same budget”. (Our intention was to have the 100cc buyer upgrade to 125cc performance without increasing his budget.)
This delicate balancing act seems to be striking a chord with the right audience.
I spent a lot of time at the Shivajinagar tranche and watched three sales concluded in barely over two hours – considerable footfalls on a weekday morning.
Those who bought reflected this range of CT appeal: a motorist who ran a small business and who wanted an affordable commuter, a young college man whose CT was his first motorcycle, a farmer for whom a CT meant a dependable ride to the local market every day.
What united these varied customers was an emphasis on practical concerns over flash or status.
They had traveled with well-researched budgets and clear needs – ones which focused on costs of operation and reliability, rather than looks or amenities.
Into that open “more bang for your buck” niche comes the CT 125, with a simple proposition for value-focused buyers looking for more power without sacrificing efficiency or affordability.
Bajaj CT 125 The Real Impact: Economics in Everyday Life
Apart from specs and features the real value of motorcycles like the CT 125 is in the economics it brings to the owner’s daily life.
For Sunil Patil, a vegetable vendor who bought the CT 125 shortly before taking a test ride with me, the motorcycle’s efficiency is directly related to his income.
Main roz subah sabzi mandi jaata hoon, phir poore sheher mein delivery karta hoon – kam se kam 70-80 kilometer roz,” he says.
“Earlier I’d spend Rs 200-250 on petrol every day in my 100cc bike. Ab sirf 150-170 rupay. Yeh paise mere profits mein seedha jate hai.”
(Previously with my 100 cc bike, I was using 200-250 rupees of petrol daily. Now just 150-170 rupees. This money is now pure profit for me.)
It has been one of the many motorcycles that were expected to be launched by the manufacturer and Patil, like millions of other Indians, for whom a bike is more than another category of products, not a premium but rather an economic necessity, the CT 125’s pricing — combined with its frugality — means more than just a product offering, but a real opportunity to save money that consequently enhances millions of livelihoods.
Because by the time I’d finished riding the CT 125, I was simply enjoying the honesty and no-bullshit riding experience that it has to offer.
In a time when so many vehicles feel like they were made for one-uping competitiveness, there’s something very satisfying about a motorcycle that doesn’t try to be anything more than what its riders know they need, delivering function without fuss.
