Hero Splendor Plus XTEC 2.0 vs Bajaj Freedom 125 CNG Bike: Comparison Review

Can the Bajaj Freedom 125 replace the Splendor as India’s most loved motorcycle?

An affordable commuter motorcycle that offers good mileage is something most customers in India are looking for. Nothing fits the bill more than the Hero Splendor Plus and the public agrees, making it the highest selling bike in India.

But with the launch of the world’s first CNG bike, the Bajaj Freedom 125, does the Splendor finally have some real competition on the horizon? In this comparison review, we will be trying to answer this question and also go on a deep dive into the real world performance and running costs of both the bikes.

Design

When it comes to commuter bikes, most people don’t care too much about the looks. For them, it doesn't matter if the cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice, or in this case is able to offer reliable performance and good mileage. But now manufacturers are trying to break out of this pattern, and showing us that commuter bikes don’t have to be bland and boring.

The Hero Splendor Plus XTEC, although it retains the same old design language as the original Splendor, manages to bring a new look to the table. The Xtec 2.0 variant features a new H-shaped LED headlight with integrated DRLs, and a matte finish overall. The bike manages to look a lot more premium than the regular Splendor Plus variants and stands apart from the rest.

The Bajaj Freedom 125 on the other hand looks absolutely stunning, with its unique design. The headlight and integrated fork covers, with Freedom badging on the side gives this bike a really nice look and feel at the front. The sleek fuel tank and the long single-piece seat gives it a slim and tall profile which looks similar to what we have seen on dirtbikes and supermotos.

The Freedom 125 also makes you feel like you are riding something unique, it always manages to grab the public’s attention when you’re out on the roads. During my time riding it, I’ve experienced many instances where people have recognized the bike and struck up conversations with me about it. The fact that it is the world’s first CNG motorcycle surely helps, but I personally think if it wasn’t for this unique design it wouldn’t have drawn as much attention as it does.

The Splendor on the other hand is anything but unforgettable, which, sadly in this case means completely forgettable. The design is something we have seen for years at this point, and it no longer stands out. During my tests, I’ve noticed people, especially the ones riding higher capacity bikes giving the occasional glance, but it had more to do with the fact that a guy was riding a Splendor in full motorcycle riding gear than the bike’s design and looks.

Engine, Mileage And Performance

The Freedom 125 is powered by a 125cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine which outputs 9.7PS and 9.5Nm. The Splendor Plus on the other hand features a 97.2cc, air-cooled, single cylinder engine producing 8.02PS and 8.05Nm. Now, by looking at the engine specifications you might think the Freedom 125 offers better power and performance. But this is not exactly true. To illustrate this, here are some of the figures from our acceleration tests:

As you can see the Bajaj Freedom 125, although it has a bigger engine and better power figures on paper, comes off as a slightly slower bike when compared to the Splendor Plus. This has to do with the fact that CNG as a fuel is not as energy dense as petrol. Even when running on petrol, the Freedom’s power delivery is quite gentle, so it falls behind the Splendor in terms of acceleration even in this mode.

In the real world both bikes feel quite different when it comes to their performance. The Freedom 125 offers a very smooth and refined riding experience, whereas the Hero Splendor is a bit more vibey. In city traffic, the Splendor feels like it has a lot more torque on offer and is quite eager to go, whereas the Bajaj Freedom is a slow starter. 

When riding in city traffic, this is even more clear. With the Hero Splendor, I didn’t have to worry about overtakes and could easily execute them without having to downshift. But when riding the Freedom, the lack of torque makes it necessary to plan overtakes early and you’ll need to shift down a gear (or two), if you need to make a quick overtake. The performance offered when riding in CNG mode doesn’t feel like what you would expect from a 125cc bike, and switching to petrol mode doesn’t make that much of a difference.

Now, riding is one part of the picture and living with the motorcycle is the other. The Hero Splendor Plus, being a regular petrol powered bike, doesn’t require much thought. Fill the bike up and you won’t have to worry about fuel for a while. 

In our tests we were able to get a mileage of 83.2kmpl in the city and 95.8kmpl on the highway, which is quite impressive. This translates to around 800km of range with one tank under mixed riding conditions (both city and highway), For most people that’s enough for an entire month. In Maharashtra, petrol prices are at Rs 105 per litre and at this rate, the Hero Splendor is able to offer a per unit running cost of Rs 1.28km. 

Coming to the Freedom 125, during our tests we were able to get 95km per kg of CNG and 60kmpl when riding in petrol mode. This puts the total range of the bike, with 2kg of CNG and 2 litres of petrol, to around 282km. With the current CNG prices of around Rs 87 in Pune, the Freedom 125 is able to offer a running cost per kilometre of Rs 1.23.

These are decent figures, but when factoring in the frequent trip you’ll have to make to the CNG pump, it can be a bit tiring. Then there’s also the fact that CNG pumps have different pressures so you might not be able to fill in the full 2kg that the tank offers, if the station you visit does not have the ideal pressure of 200 bar. So with the Freedom 125, trips to the CNG pump will be something you’ll have to do frequently.

Handling And Ride Quality

The Hero Splendor and the Bajaj Freedom 125 come off as light and nimble motorcycles, but there are a few differences between them. The Bajaj Freedom 125 features a more plush suspension setup, which is able to handle the bad and broken patches of road quite well. The Freedom 125 feels flickable and nimble on road thanks to the higher seating position, but it is the heavier bike out of the two. This additional weight is felt when you are trying to move the bike around with your feet and the taller seat height makes it quite apparent.

The Splendor Plus on the other hand features a slightly stiffer suspension setup, which is not the best when you’re riding alone. You will end up feeling the bumps and potholes, plus the light weight of the bike (112kg kerb) will make it bounce around a bit. With a pillion or heavier loads placed on the back, the suspension setup feels a bit more balanced. 

Coming to the brakes, the Freedom 125 that we tested was the NG04 Disc LED variant and it gets a 240mm front disc and a 130mm rear drum. The front disc has a good initial bike and offers great feedback.

During my long rides in the city, having a disc brake at front really did inspire confidence and help be out during emergency braking situations in stop-and-go traffic. But what I didn’t like about the bike is that Bajaj is not offering single-channel ABS, something which should have been offered as standard at least on the top-end variant.

The Hero Splendor Plus on the other hand gets 130mm drum brakes at both ends. The brakes don’t inspire much confidence. The front brake feels lacking both in bite and feedback, and you’ll find yourself using both the brakes for most stops.

Also there’s always the fear that you might end up locking the front when emergency braking and the wheel could slide, making things worse. Hero MotoCorp has now released a new variant of the Splendor, with a disc brake at front and this is a welcome addition to the lineup.

Comfort

The Hero Splendor Plus, with its thick looking seat and lowered seat height may appear to be more comfortable than the Freedom at first glance. But in this case, looks are deceiving and the Freedom 125 manages to offer a more comfortable riding experience.

The long single-piece seat is very roomy and allows you to move forwards on or backwards on the seat, depending on your preference. The cushioning on the seat is really well done, and you won’t feel any discomfort even when riding the bike for longer durations. I had instances where I rode the bike for almost 2 hours in the city and didn’t feel uncomfortable during the entire journey. 

That said, the seat height on the Freedom is 825mm which is quite tall, but the narrow profile of the seat makes it easy to deal with. For shorter riders like me, with a height of 5’7, getting my foot down was not always easy and I had to tiptoe to move the bike around.

The seat used on the Splendor Plus, is a bit softer and this is good for short commutes in the city. But sitting on it for a longer duration of time, like when you are stuck in traffic, becomes uncomfortable as you sink into the foam of the seat. Add in the stiffer suspension you’ll end up feeling a lot of the bumps and potholes.

Coming to the riding position, both bikes offer a relaxed and upright riding position typical of commuter bikes. But the Freedom 125 with its longer seat makes it really easy to adjust your position and offers more room than what the Splendor Plus does. Overall in terms of comfort, the Bajaj Freedom 125 manages to outshine the Splendor quite well.

Features

The Hero Splendor Plus XTEC 2.0 offers a simple LCD instrument console, with smartphone connectivity and related features such as call/SMS alerts. The console has a clean layout and is easy to read, while also displaying all the important information you’ll need. 

Hero has also added in a USB charging port and their i3S technology, which is an idle-start-stop system. This system turns off the bike while the engine is idling and the rider can turn it back on by pulling the clutch. This is a nice addition and does help in conserving fuel to a great extent when you’re stuck in traffic.

Freedom on the other hand, gets a more premium looking negatively lit LCD console with Bluetooth connectivity for call/SMS alerts. The console offers regular readouts like speed, time, odometer and tripmeter readings, along with mileage readouts as well. Now, coming to the fuel gauge, although the bike offers CNG level readouts, it misses out on a petrol level gauge.

Many would say, given the small size of the petrol tank (2-litres), having a separate fuel level readout for it won’t make much sense. But I personally think having one is important, as the petrol tank is sort of like a life-line when you’re low on CNG. The last thing you want is to not be able to know for certain whether or not the bike has enough petrol left to get you to the nearest CNG pump. 

Now, coming to the other features the Freedom has to offer. There are useful bits like the USB charging port and some quirky ones as well, such as the ability to change the console’s angle. This is a neat addition and makes it easier for tall and shorter riders to adjust the console to their convenience. 

Features wise, the Freedom does offer a more premium-looking instrument console but it doesn’t feel like a major upgrade over the Hero Splendor’s rather simple looking console.

Should You Buy The Hero Splendor Plus Or Get the Bajaj Freedom 125?

Answering this question is not easy as both the bikes have something interesting to offer. The Hero Splendor Plus is a no-nonsense commuter that can take you from point A to point B without any fuss and is a product that has been tried and tested for years. Making it India’s highest selling motorcycle. 

Whereas, the Bajaj Freedom 125 represents something unique, something which has never been tried before. It is able to offer a perfect middle ground between petrol powered bikes and electric bikes, with its low running costs and versatility. The bike is really comfortable and the riding experience is really refined, making it quite enjoyable to ride.

To many, choosing between these two comes down to either saving money now with the Splendor Plus or saving money down the line with the Freedom 125. But it isn’t that simple as the price difference between the two is massive.

The Freedom 125 is offered in 3 variants: 

The Splendor Plus Xtec is offered in 3 sub variants: 

The difference between the top of the line Splendor Plus Xtec Disc variant and the base Freedom 125 NG04 Drum variant comes to Rs 11,534, which is a massive premium. Now, if you want to experience the bike at its full potential then you’ll end up paying Rs 26,536 more to gt the top-of-th-line NG04 LED Disc variant.

Sure the Freedom 125 does manage to justify this premium in some ways with its good looks, well-refined engine, the low running costs and most importantly the relaxed and comfortable riding experience.

But if you’re expecting to save money down the line by buying the Freedom, it doesn't really make much sense to spend Rs 26,535 extra and hope to break even in 3-4 years. Afterall, both bikes are able to offer similar per-kilometre running costs and you won’t notice that much of a difference.

In conclusion, if you are someone who is looking for a simple and affordable no-nonsense commuter bike then the choice here is obviously the Splendor Plus. The bike will be able to handle most of your commuting needs without much trouble, while also offering good mileage and low running costs. Compared to the Freedom, it is able to offer better performance despite being a lower capacity bike, while also having the same levels of features.

The Freedom 125 is a more expensive bike, and sure the good looks and premium feel can justify it to a certain extent. But compared to the Splendor, it doesn’t feel like a real upgrade, be it in terms of performance, running costs or features. The only reason why you would want to get one is because it is a unique product in the market. But outside this novelty factor, it doesn’t have anything substantial to offer.