Bajaj CT 125X: a sturdy bike, sans the frills

With its rugged and tough nature, a few design tweaks, the bike does add value to your riding experience

The Bajaj CT 125X is the manufacturer’s new competitor in the 125cc commuter space and is the new, bigger sibling of the existing CT 110X motorcycle. The Pune-based manufacturer has stayed away from the 125cc segment for a while, and now, the bike has its work cut out with established rivals including the Honda Shine and Hero Glamour to contend with. Let us see what it is like.

In line with its utilitarian nature, Bajaj has done well to give the CT 125X a rugged and tough appearance. Elements such as the fork gaiters, the beefy metal belly pan, engine guard and the luggage rack not only look nice, but are functional as well, and this is something that will be appreciated by its target audience. The small headlight grille, black alloys, engine casing and body panels also help to make it stand out from other commuters. 

Build quality is also acceptable for this price point. The material does feel a bit built to a cost, but feel solid, which helps exude that sense of toughness that Bajaj is going for. The switchgear too looks basic, but is nice to operate and Bajaj has also given it a pass switch. 

The CT 125X is rather basic when it comes to features, with a few nice touches for the price. The larger CT sibling makes do with a simple halogen headlamp and analogue instrumentation, but it does get an LED DRL, a conveniently-placed USB charging port and tubeless tyres (unlike the CT 110), which buyers will like. 

The 124cc engine found in the CT is new to India, but Bajaj has been using it in export models for a while. This unit puts out 10.9hp and 11Nm, which is 2.3hp and around 1.2Nm more than the CT 110X. Much like Bajaj’s other commuters, it uses an e-carburettor, which is something unique to Bajaj products in the Indian commuter segment. The company says that it has worked on creating a flat torque curve, so much so that 90% of peak torque is available from 3,500rpm all the way up to 8,000rpm. And this is something you actually feel once you get going.

The CT 125X feels tractable and builds speed in a linear manner, with no real flat spots in the powerband. You can even potter around in fifth gear as low as 40kph and the CT will accelerate without much complaint. Bajaj claims the CT 125X will deliver between 55 and 60kpl in the real world. However, refinement is an area where this motor falls short of the 125cc segment benchmark. It is smooth enough at normal speeds, but feels gruff at high revs, which also bring in some buzz in the handlebars and foot pegs.

The gearbox is a 5-speed unit with an all-down shift pattern, which will take some getting used to if you are coming from the now conventional one-down four-up format.