Bajaj Platina 110 : It was Friday and the morning rain had just let up, I kickstarted the new Bajaj Platina 110 and the engine purring into life was a more refined version of the familiar hum.
Puddles were mirrors of the motorcycle’s fresh Ebony Black with Blue decals on my way through Pune’s Yerwada neighborhood — a place where when a motorcycle like the Platina is more than just a machine but a virtual lifeline for commuting families.
Having spent four full days on the company’s new bike in the ultra-competitive 110cc commuter space, riding up some 300 kilometres across all kinds of riding conditions.
I am able to vouch for what the company has been touting incessantly in the media: the bike delivers real 70 kmpl economy and that is combined with a price string that keeps ownership of the bike possible for a price conscious middle and lower-middle class India.
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Bajaj Platina 110 The Price That Turns Heads
First, let’s take the brightest spot – the price. Priced aggressively at ₹59,949 (ex-showroom Pune) for the drum brake version and ₹63,554 for the disc version, the new Platina 110 is a whole lot more affordable when compared to most of its rivals.
As I spoke to prospective buyers at a showroom in Pune’s Kothrud adorned with dozens of Dominars, this aggressive pricing is the first thing that struck them.
“I was thinking about the CD 110 Dream, but this is almost ₹8,000 less with more features,” observed Ramesh Patil, a 38-year-old who works in a factory as he prowled around the show model of the bike. “For my money, that difference is the cost of a good helmet with money to spare.
Clearly, by pricing itself the way it does, it’s targeting those buyers on a budget who do the sums and where every rupee saved is important.
In a category where every rupee counts and even a marginal difference in pricing could very well determine future sales, the Platina 110 makes a strong case for Bajaj.
“We know who is our customer base,” said Vikram Kulkarni, a Bajaj dealer I have known for years. This allows them to get a premium device without having to cut corners on any of the essentials.
“Being a price conscious market, there will always be demand for a product which is an affordable yet reliable product and the Platina 110’s pricing approach caters to that need.
Bajaj Platina 110 Testing Mileage Claims
The attention-getting 70 kilometers per liter charge had to be inspected. Manufacturer mileage ratings tend to be optimistic under real-world conditions, so I undertook my tests with plenty of skepticism.
During four days of mixed riding, from bumper-to-bumper city traffic, to moderate-speed suburban roads and even a bit of highway riding between Pune and Lonavala, I meticulously recorded fuel consumption.
The results though, were amazing – an overall average of 67.3 kmpl.
In strict city usage, the number came down to approx 63-65 kmpl, but steady riding at 50-55 km/h on open roads took the number higher to over 70 kmpl, with occasional 72 kmpl on the clocks.
These are some of the best fuel efficiency numbers in its class, if not the best.
“This mileage is lot saving in monthy contention,” said Sunil Gaikwad, a Platina owner I encountered at a fuel station near Shivajinagar. He’d traded in his older 100cc model three months previously.
“I commute about 40 kilometers to work every day. On the old bike, I had to refill it every four days. Now, I can last almost six days on a tankful. That saving adds up.”
The efficiency is the result of various technical optimizations rather than revolutionary technology.
The 115.45cc long-stroke engine boasts an optimized combustion chamber design to maximize power output while being mindful of fuel economy, as well as a high reduction ratio for enhanced engine ‘ in-gear’ acceleration characteristics through improved areas of finishing in the valvetrain system, and electronic fuel injection offering excellent fuel supply even under changing road conditions.
Bajaj Platina 110 Comfort That Surprises
Economy motorcycles are not meant to be comfortable motorcycles, but the Platina 110 has made that a hallmark even with the previous model sharing a similar “ComforTec” philosophy which has been one of the hallmarks of the brand.
The new approach is a refinement of this with some important enhancements.
The most obvious of these is the exceptional length of seat – at 774mm, one of the longest available in its class, giving plenty of room for both rider and pillion.
While at my disposal, it shows how good the generous seating is not a marketing talking point but serves more than that especially when you have a colleague as a pillion to be taken for a ride of 25 kilometers in pune roads full of potholes!
“The seat counts a lot on long rides,” said Mohammed Shaikh, a food delivery worker who bought a Platina to replace another company’s motorcycle six months ago. “Your body feels the difference after 8-10 hours on the bike,” he said.
Special mention has to be made for the suspension, which is surprisingly well tuned.
The telescopic front forks and Nitrox rear shockers ( which are now standard across all its variants) offers a ride quality that’s great for a bike that is much cheaper than its price point.
On my test ride around some particularly serious roads around Pune University (where a lot of construction leaves it looking more like an off-roading track), the suspension soaked up impacts that would be teeth-jarring on many rivals.
Bajaj Platina 110 It does what it’s made for well
The Platina 110 was never meant to drag against anyone or be quick off the blocks. It exists to serve as a dependable, economical form of conveyance, and its performance traits mirror this goal.
The single-pot motor makes 8.6 PS at 7,000 rpm and 9.81 Nm at 5,000 rpm – not particularly impressive numbers on the spec-sheet but enough to serve the bike’s purpose.
On the street the torque gives a sense of being well able to cut through traffic, yet with plenty of acceleration there should you need to pass in a hurry.
The Platina is really at home in the gear 2 40-60 km/h range that comprises the majority of real world commuting.
Here the engine comes across as free revving and willing, and pulls cleanly even when there’s a pillion on the back.
The 4-speed transmission clicks into one gear then the next with a good, but not great, mechanical action that provides flatting without a false neutral, which is a bit of a rarity in this market.
On the freeway section leading to Lonavala, the bike cruised comfortably at 70-75 km/h; going faster produced vibrations in the handlebar and footpegs.
This is definitely a bike built for the city and suburban cruiser, and that’s pretty obvious.
Bajaj Platina 110 Features Useful to Daily Riders
Apart from the headline efficiency and comfort features, the Platina 110 gets some thoughtful additions that make for a more appealing offering for the daily commuter.
The standardisation of the LED headlamps across the range is good news because it blows away the dull yellow low beams offered in halogens that most of its rivals come with.
When the last-minute traffic hold-up forced me onto the road after dark, I appreciated the increased visibility on dimly lit suburban streets.
Instrumentation is semi-digital and has a gear position indicator – not particularly common at this price point, it’s actually rather helpful when you’re navigating city traffic and want to make sure you’re in gear at a glance without having to depend on feel alone.
And, for safety, what is probably the most important is the addition of a combined braking system (CBS) in all variants (the top variant gets the choice of front disc brakes too).
When I had to really slam on the brakes at the end of the straight stretch of quiet road, the system also delivered smooth, stable deceleration even on slightly damp surfaces.
“These are the features that are bigger selling points to a first-time motorcycle owner like the suspension system,” Kulkarni said at the dealership.
“A lot of our customers are moving up from a bicycle or public transportation. This breed are increasingly running with intuitive braking systems and clear instrumentation to instil confidence.”
Bajaj Platina 110 The Competition and Market Space
The commuter motorcycle segment is still the largest by volume in India and faces intense rivalry from established brands such as Hero MotoCorp and Honda, and resurgent manufacturers including TVS.
The Platina 110 sets itself as a value-minded option, undercutting most direct rivals on price while meeting or exceeding them in terms of efficiency.
Prospective customers are then redirected to the manufacturer’s official website for more information related to the Platina ES followed by other models.
The Platina offers really good value – way better than the segment-leading Honda CD 110 Dream (about ₹8,000 more expensive) and the Hero Splendor Plus that costs a premium of close to ₹5,000.
Although both rivals have good reliability records, neither can beat the Platina for the money and the performance.
“The market is changing,” said Vikram Gour, an automotive analyst I reached out to for perspective. “A few years ago, buyers within this customer segment were mainly looking at brand reputation.
That’s not the case today — with economic stresses and climbing fuel costs, these real-world factors are driving decisions more directly.”
Bajaj Platina 110 The Real-World Impact
What dawned on me more and more as I spent more time on the Platina 110 was how important these little advantages can be for its intended buyers.
For budget conscious families, the lower cost of purchase combined with the improved mileage would be the difference between ‘dreams of a bike’ and actual motorcycle ownership.
As Rajesh Kumar, a Pune apartment complex’s security guard, so aptly put it, “I used to spend two hours every day in buses to get to work before I bought my Platina.
Now my ride to work takes 30 minutes, each way. Two hours a day that I can spend with my family rather than on a packed bus. How do you charge that time?”
For millions of Indians like Rajesh, commuter motorcycles are not status symbols or pleasure ride vehicles — they are practical tools that help expand opportunities and improve quality of life.
Catering to the values which matter most to these customers – cost, fuel efficiency and basic comfort, the Platina 110 goes about its business with single-minded focus and ruthless efficiency.
In a scene where evolutionary baby steps are the rule and revolutions are rare, Bajaj has come up with something interesting not by re-inventing the very wheel, but by cleaning it up and pricing it aggressively.
What you get is not a show dog of a motorcycle, but a show pony where it counts.
