Bajaj readying TVS Raider, Hero Xtreme 125R rival

A new Bajaj motorcycle has been spotted testing and we believe this is a new model that is being developed to rival the likes of the TVS Raider and Hero Xtreme 125R. 

1. Front disc doesn’t have ABS ring which suggests sub-125cc engine
2. Same wheels, display as Pulsar N150, indicators same Freedom
3. Gets a new headlight, tail-light design

New Bajaj 125cc bike: what can be seen?

From the off, this new bike can be confirmed as a Bajaj product. The wheels, rear subframe design and the indicators are all borrowed from various other models. But the biggest giveaway is the Bajaj badge on the digital display - which is the same unit as seen on most Pulsar models nowadays. The bigger Pulsar models which employ this display get Bluetooth connectivity but the smaller ones don’t, which suggests that neither will this bike. 

This is because the size of the engine seems smaller compared to the mill powering the Pulsar N150. Another thing to see is that the front disc brake doesn’t get an ABS ring and the rear brake is a drum. All these signs point to the fact that the engine powering this model displaces less than 125cc, which removes the mandate for ABS.

The design of this upcoming Bajaj bike is a bit of a mixed bag, with familiar elements like the tank extensions, swingarm and rear subframe bundled in with new bits such as the LED headlight and tail-light. The overall design appears to be quite youthful and sporty like a Pulsar. It remains to be seen what Bajaj calls this bike, but given the established nature of the ‘Pulsar’ line-up, this could be positioned under that umbrella. 

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Bajaj has a few different 125cc engines powering different models such as the Pulsar NS125, CT 125X and the Freedom CNG bike. The Freedom’s engine is ruled out because it is a ‘sloper’ and this bike uses a vertically mounted mill. Given the sporty styling of this bike, the CT 125X’s utilitarian motor doesn’t seem like a good fit here. That leaves us with the engine in the Pulsar NS125 but the kick-starter on that motor doesn’t match the one seen here. It remains to be seen what motor powers this bike and perhaps it could be a sleeved down version of the mill found in the Pulsar N150. 

Under the heavily camouflaged exterior, the fundamentals of this bike all seem to be in place and there don’t seem to be any stray wiring or rough surfaces visible here. All this points to a motorcycle that is close to being production-ready and is undergoing final tests. 

The Bajaj Pulsar NS125 is priced at Rs 1.01 lakh, while the Hero Xtreme 125R and the TVS Raider command Rs 95,000 - Rs 99,500 and Rs 95,439 - Rs 1.04 lakh, respectively. Expect this sporty Bajaj 125cc model to be priced around this ballpark upon launch. 

All prices ex-showroom, Delhi

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