Bajaj Platina

If your workplace is at a great distance from your residence and you want a bike but you just have a budget of 40-50 K, Bajaj has the perfect product for you. No, it’s not a scooter; it’s the Bajaj Platina Comfortec. The bike was introduced as a highly fuel-efficient and stylish-looking motorcycle and has now been around for quite a while. The 108 kg weight of the motorcycle does complete justice with the slim and sleek design.

The Bajaj Platina Comfortec is powered by a 4-stroke air-cooled engine like the Bajaj CT 100.  The SOHC unit with a digital CDI system puts out 8.2 bhp of power at 7500 rpm and peak torque of 8.00 Nm at 4500 rpm, giving the bike a top speed of 91 kmph. The rear gets the power via chain drive connected to a 4-speed constant mesh transmission. The engine on the bike is air cooled and the fuel system is a PTE 16 Manual Choke Carburettor.

The tagline of Platina is “WORLD’S MILEAGE CHAMPION,” which does complete justice to its 104 kmpl certified mileage tag. The Platina Comfortec features a spring soft seat absorbing jerks from the bottom of the seat, rubber footpads for superior grip, extra-long double spring suspension for easily conquering the potholes and electric start button as standard.The Platina, as mentioned earlier is supposed to be a product with an equal balance between style & substance. So what it means is a stylish low-cost product that does not hold back when it comes to providing high fuel economy. Bajaj ambitiously quotes an optimistic fuel economy figure of 80 kmpl. In reality, however, under typical Indian riding conditions, the bike does not live up to that claim & at best, in the city, you can expect a realistic fuel economy of 60-65 kmpl while on the highways, the figure will go up to 72-74 kmpl.  Still acceptable considering the vehicle is conceived for a different market segment altogether.

Head out on the road and the Platina shows what it is capable of. The front suspension features fork with 125 mm of travel and the rear suspension features the Bajaj proprietary SNS or 'Spring in Spring' technology offering better damping and comfort over rutted broken surfaces. The unique 'ride control' switch keeps the rider keep riding in the necessary rpm range, thus ensuring that optimal fuel economy is obtained from the bike. The front and rear drum brakes provide optimum stopping power, and the 1275 mm long wheelbase ensures better stability and safety as compared to its rivals.