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Design delight The new Bajaj XCD 125cc

Last month, 50,000 units of this bike were rolled out and this vehicle is considered by Bajaj to be the next big thing and also the platform for future bikes to be built on. The XCD looks compact and light and features distinctive body panels with smoothened lines that look friendly and at the same time; look rough enough to attract the hard-core alpha-male riders.

The black colour that seems to be the popular choice for bikes at present is carried forward on the XCD as well. The XCD’s alloy wheels, front forks, engine, rear struts, chain cover, swingarm and smartly-raked silencer are all adorned in the above theme. In addition, the XCD features prismatic pilot lamps inside its exquisite masked front fairing that house a halogen-powered clear lens headlight.

Also found on the new 125 are a foldable number plate that allows the front fairing to crouch low and an instrument cluster that has a cable-free speedometer, odometer, fuel gauge and low-battery warning icon set in an amber backdrop.

The fuel tank uses a polished stainless steel cap and two stylish panel protrusions in front. The attractive formation of the tail-lights that is used on the Pulsars has been copied with finesse on the XCD and the new Bajaj has an outstanding integrated LED-enabled tail light. The overall finish of the bike with regard to paint quality, panel gaps and fit is of high quality.

The Exceed uses a self-starter-equipped 124.58cc four-stroke, air-cooled single- cylinder engine with laborious engineering that ensures low friction from all reciprocating parts.

New DTS-Si (Digital Twin Spark-Swirl induction) tech is at work here. Swirl is a manner of introducing charge into the combustion chamber that directly benefits economy, and the new Exceed engine marries swirl with twin spark plugs and other extra benefits as well.

The XCD has been built to serve the purpose of good fuel economy. Its peak power output is 9.5bhp at 7000rpm and maximum torque is 1.1kgm at 5000rpm. The exhaust note sounds a bit like the Discover and though our ride was very brief to pass definitive judgment, the engine felt smooth, torque-laden in the right places and with ample poke in the low and mid-range sections of its power band. In addition, the clutch feels light and the four-speed, all-down shifting gearbox is shifts slickly and is easy-to-use.

The ergonomics on the bike are spot-on, given the upright seating position and high handlebars.

Its novel frame is welded together from rectangle section thin-wall steel, giving added strength, weight reduction and placing all welds on flat sections by default. Five-spoke alloys, 17-inch wheels and 130mm drum brakes front and rear come as standard. The tall and comfortable handlebar feels light and agile making it easy to flick the bike around.

Bajaj feels confident that the potential buyer, once offered the XCD, will forget all about 100cc bikes. The new Bajaj XCD 125cc bike might be more expensive than the other 100cc bikes but you get more for your money. It is available at Rs. 41,000 (ex-showroom, Pune). Of course, only a proper road test will give exact figures for fuel efficiency and then we’ll know for sure how well the new Bajaj can hold up against its rivals. However, the XCD seems to be a competent bike and might just be the next thing to sell big.

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