Bajaj CT 125X First Ride Review: India’s Most Affordable 125 cc Motorcycle!

The 125 cc commuter motorcycle segment is one of the highest-grossing segments globally, & it is home to some prominent bikes in India, like the Honda CB Shine and the Hero Glamour. Bajaj also has an offering in this segment with the Pulsar 125, but recently, Bajaj also added the CT 125X to its range.

Also Read: Bajaj CT125X Launched In India; Priced At Rs. 71,354

Bajaj CT 125X Design:

The Bajaj CT 125X gets a rugged look, and it is aimed at the semi-urban & rural markets in India. Up front is a retro-esque round headlamp which also gets a grille, and the bike also gets an LED DRL on the small cowl, which looks out of place. The bike gets plenty of hard plastics, and while some of them add to the rugged appeal, the rest look like cost-cutting solutions. It does get a USB charging port which should come in handy, and even a standard-fit tail rack which can help with carrying luggage. But what was missing on the bike was a kill switch, which would've come in handy in stop-start traffic.

The CT 125X gets a grill on the round headlamp and an LED DRL on the cowl.

Overall, it’s a love-it-or-hate-it kind of design, which is borrowed straight from the CT 110X. I liked the design on both motorcycles, but looks are subjective, and I’ll let you be the judge of this one. It does get 3 colour options though, but they are all based on a base black shade, with different coloured stickers. Like Henry Ford once said, “Any customer can have any colour that he wants, so long as it is black”

It is available in 3 paint finishes, but all have a base shade of black.

Bajaj CT 125X Engine & Gearbox:

The CT 125X shares its looks with its smaller sibling - the CT 110X - so what's essentially new here is the 124.4 cc engine. The engine develops 10.9 bhp at 8,000 rpm and 11 Nm torque at 5,500 rpm. Both of these figures are either segment best, or at par with its rivals, but what’s noteworthy is that the engine gets a good spread of torque, and it is very similar to some of Bajaj's newer and larger engines in terms of tractability.

The 124.4 cc engine puts out 10.9 bhp & 11 Nm torque.

One thing that's instantly noticeable though, is the engine's refinement. Not only is it very quiet at idle rpms, but even at high revs, the vibrations are minimal, and are only limited to the handlebar. I managed to touch a speedo indicated 95 kmph on the bike, and even at that speed, the engine didn't feel out of breath. However, other auto-journalists who were also riding the bike on the same day noticed that they never crossed 85 kmph on their units, which makes me wonder if there was a speedo issue in mine, as I couldn’t verify my speed by other means on the short time we spent on the bike. Either way, Bajaj has done a really good job with this engine's refinement, and it doesn’t feel out of breath even at high rpms. It is paired with a 5-speed gearbox with an all-down shift pattern, which takes some time to get used to for someone who has only used a one-down-four-up style gearbox.

It gets a 5-speed gearbox with an all-down shift pattern.

Bajaj CT 125X Suspension, Ride & Handling:

In terms of the suspension, the CT 125X gets a pair of 125 mm telescopic forks up front, and 100 mm coil springs with nitrox at the back. The bike rides on 17-inch wheels, which are a size smaller than most of its rivals, but regardless of that, the bike handles broken roads and potholes well, and while I couldn't put it through any mud or slush in the short first ride, the bike had no problems handling loose dirt & rocks, which form most of the terrain in India. 

The CT 125X rides on 17-inch alloy wheels, shod in Eurogrip tyres.

The suspension is on the comfier side, and doesn't provide that much confidence in corners; and its case isn’t helped by the Eurogrip tyres the bike rides on, which could have been grippier. Overall, it’s a decent trade off for someone looking for a comfortable commuter, as its comfort levels are also aided by its upright and neutral seating position.

The CT 125X's suspension is tuned for comfort.

Bajaj CT 125X Variants:

The CT 125X is offered in 2 variants. The base variant gets 130 mm drum brakes on both ends, while the top variant gets a 240 mm disc brake up front. It also gets a combi-braking system. We rode the disc-brake variant, and its brakes had decent stopping power.

The top variant of the CT 125X gets a disc brake up front.

Bajaj CT 125X Pricing & Verdict:

The Bajaj CT 125X is considerably cheaper than its rivals.

The Bajaj CT 125X is priced starting from Rs. 71,354, going up to Rs. 74,554 (Ex-Showroom). At this price point, it undercuts its rivals by a decent margin, and for many buyers that would make this an obvious choice right there. Its rugged looks may not be for everyone, but if you do like the way it looks, the CT 125X can make for a good daily commuter, given its refined engine, comfortable ride, and decent luggage solutions.

(All prices are Ex-Showroom)