How much fuel does a motorcycle use?
Fuel is your biggest daily cost. The number in the brochure is a starting point — here is how to understand it and how to find your real figure.
Claimed vs real
Makers quote fuel economy in kilometres per litre (km/L), measured in good conditions: one light rider, steady speed, good road. In daily work — a passenger, traffic, potholes, hills — you will usually get less. Use the claimed number to compare bikes, not as a promise.
What makes a bike use more fuel
- A passenger or a heavy load.
- Stop-go traffic and long idling.
- Riding fast and hard acceleration.
- Soft tyres, a dry or tight chain, a dirty air filter.
- A badly tuned engine, old oil, poor-quality fuel.
Measure your own consumption
- Fill the tank to the top and note the odometer reading.
- Ride normally for a few days.
- Fill to the top again and note how many litres went in, and the new odometer reading.
- Kilometres ridden ÷ litres = your real km per litre.
Do it two or three times for a reliable number. If it suddenly gets worse, the bike needs attention.
Estimate your monthly cost
Monthly fuel cost = (km per day × working days) ÷ km per litre × price per litre.
Example: 60 km a day × 26 days = 1,560 km a month. At 40 km/L that is 39 litres. Multiply by the pump price at your station. Every bike page with a claimed figure has a calculator that does this for you.
Thinking about electric?
Electric bikes use no petrol, but check the claimed range against your daily distance, how long a full charge takes, and whether you have reliable power to charge. A passenger, hills and speed reduce the range.