Generally speaking, the average motorcycle can go about 150-250 miles on one tank of gas. Even the lowest-range motorcycles can cover 100-150 miles without refueling. In contrast, many touring and adventure motorcycles can reach a remarkable fuel range of 300-400 miles thanks to their huge fuel capacities!
If you want to compare motorcycle fuel range figures by category, this post is for you.
We at PowerSportsGuide have done the research and compiled the ranges of 50 different models into one chart!
But first, let’s start with the main factors that affect the available miles on a motorcycle.
Factors That Affect a Motorcycle’s Fuel Range
When it comes to motorcycle fuel range, it’s impossible to give a fixed number for each model. Why?
This is because as you’ll see, countless factors affect a bike’s fuel range. What’s more, many of them, like environmental conditions or your riding style can vary from one ride to the next. Consequently, you can virtually expect different fuel economies and fuel ranges with each ride.
Without further ado, here are the main factors that have the biggest impact on a motorcycle’s fuel range.
- The type, performance, and condition of the motorcycle
- Gas tank size
- Environmental conditions
- The attitude of the rider
Let’s take a closer look at each!
Features on the Motorcycle
It’s safe to say that the main factors affecting the available miles on a motorcycle are its features, like type, design, and engine performance.
Touring and adventure motorcycles are designed to cover long distances, so you can expect these machines to have the best fuel range.
In contrast, the fuel range of sportbikes is notoriously bad, and this is no accident. These bikes are powered by powerful engines to provide the best acceleration and top speed available.
But the higher performance a motorcycle provides the worse fuel economy it has, which ultimately results in poor gas mileage.
Besides engine power, many other factors play a role, such as the features of the transmission, drivetrain, wheels, and so on. But when it comes to fuel range, the key specification is always the size of the gas tank.
That’s why we’ll discuss it separately!
Gas Tank Size
From the smallest 50cc bikes to huge cruisers, the gas tank size of different motorcycles varies widely.
And the fuel capacity of a motorcycle affects its range to a large extent. For instance, if your bike gets 50 MPG, this means you can ride 50 miles on one gallon of gas. If your bike features a 4-gallon gas tank, its fuel range would be 200 miles but with a 6-gallon tank it would jump to 300 miles.
For a better comparison, just take a look at this basic chart, which shows the available fuel ranges of a 50-MPG motorcycle depending on the fuel capacity.
| Gas Tank Size (Gal.) | Fuel Range of a 50-MPG Bike (Miles) |
| 2 | 100 |
| 3 | 150 |
| 4 | 200 |
| 5 | 250 |
| 6 | 300 |
| 7 | 350 |
| 8 | 400 |
No surprise here, the more fuel your motorcycle holds the farther you can travel!
Environmental Conditions and Your Riding Style
There is no question that a motorcycle’s performance and fuel capacity have the biggest impact on its fuel range. However, we shouldn’t overlook the other influences, which are as follows:
- Road conditions (city/highway/dirt, etc.)
- Weather conditions (temperature, wind, humidity)
- Other environmental conditions (altitude, terrain)
- Your riding style
As these change from one day to the next your bike’s fuel range is virtually different on each of your rides. If you would like to find out more about these factors, don’t miss our post about the fuel consumption of motorcycles.
Average Motorcycle Fuel Range
Even if the riding habits or environmental conditions have an effect on it, the fuel range of each motorcycle falls within a well-defined range.
For your convenience, we’ve gathered and sorted the average motorcycle fuel ranges by engine category!
Motorcycle Fuel Range Chart
| Motorcycle Category (cc) | Average MPG | Average Fuel Range (Miles) |
| 50 | 100-150 | 150-200 |
| 125 | 90-120 | 150-400 |
| 250 | 50-90 | 150-300 |
| 300-500 | 50-80 | 150-350 |
| 600 | 30-50 | 150-300 |
| 700-950 | 30-80 | 150-350 |
| 1000+ | 30-50 | 150-400 |
For informational purposes only!
If you do extensive research, chances are you can find a few motorcycles that offer a better or worse range in any given category. But based on our research, you can expect pretty similar fuel ranges across these classes.
Average Motorcycle Fuel Range by MPG
As a rule of thumb, the majority of motorcycles get about 30-80 MPG and have a fuel capacity of 3-5 gallons. Therefore, it makes sense to multiply these numbers in one chart to get some average fuel range figures:
| MPG of the Motorcycle | Fuel Range With a 3-Gallon Tank (Miles) | Fuel Range With a 4-Gallon Tank (Miles) | Fuel Range With a 5-Gallon Tank (Miles) |
| 30 | 90 | 120 | 150 |
| 40 | 120 | 160 | 200 |
| 50 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| 60 | 180 | 240 | 300 |
| 70 | 210 | 280 | 350 |
| 80 | 240 | 320 | 400 |
Again, these are only average figures so please consider this chart as general information!
Still sticking to charts, we’ve also listed the average fuel range of 50 popular motorcycles into one chart.
Motorcycle Fuel Range List of 50 Popular Models
| Model | Average MPG | Average Fuel Range (Miles) |
| Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight | 48 | 100 |
| Kawasaki KLX250S | 50-70 | 120 |
| Aprilia SX50 | 70-80 | 143 |
| Honda CRT250L | 60-80 | 147 |
| Honda CRB1000RR | 30-40 | 151 |
| Suzuki GSX-R600 | 30-40 | 158 |
| Yamaha YZFR1 | 30-40 | 158 |
| Harley-Davidson Iron 1200 | 48 | 158 |
| Harley-Davidson Roadster | 48 | 158 |
| Harley-Davidson Softail Standard | 47 | 165 |
| Harley-Davidson Iron 883 | 50 | 165 |
| Ducati Desmosedici 800RR | 25-35 | 171 |
| Suzuki GSX-R 750 | 30-50 | 180 |
| Suzuki GSX-S1000F | 35-50 | 189 |
| KTM 390 Duke | 50-60 | 193 |
| Harley-Davidson Street Rod (750cc) | 55 | 193 |
| Honda Grom | 134 | 194 |
| Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R | 40-50 | 203 |
| BMW G310GS | 65-75 | 203 |
| Aprilia RS4 50 | 50-60 | 209 |
| BMW S1000XR | 30-50 | 212 |
| Boss-Hoss bikes (6000-7500cc) | 20-30 | 213 |
| Harley-Davidson XL1200C Sportster | 48 | 216 |
| Kawasaki W800 Café | 50-60 | 220 |
| Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa | 35-45 | 220 |
| Honda CBR300R | 60-70 | 221 |
| Honda X-ADV 750 | 60-70 | 221 |
| Honda Rebel 300 | 70-80 | 225 |
| Harley-Davidson Street 500 | 65 | 228 |
| Harley-Davidson Sport Glide | 47 | 235 |
| Harley-Davidson Fat Boy 114 | 47 | 235 |
| Honda CBR250R | 60-80 | 238 |
| Yamaha YZF-R250 | 60-70 | 241 |
| Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide | 41 | 246 |
| Yamaha FZ6 | 45-55 | 255 |
| Honda NC750X | 60-80 | 259 |
| BMW F750GS | 60-70 | 260 |
| Kawasaki Ninja 500 | 50-60 | 264 |
| Harley-Davidson Road King | 45 | 270 |
| Harley-Davidson Street Glide | 45 | 270 |
| Suzuki DR750 | 35-40 | 293 |
| BMW R1200RT | 40-50 | 297 |
| Honda Africa Twin 1100 | 50-70 | 300 |
| Yamaha YZF-R125 | 100-110 | 320 |
| Benelli TNT 600GT | 40-50 | 321 |
| Honda CBR500R | 70-80 | 338 |
| Honda ST1300 Pan European | 40-50 | 347 |
| Honda CB125F | 100-120 | 374 |
| Yamaha YS125 | 100-120 | 407 |
| BMW R80 G/S Paris Dakar | 50 | 423 |
These figures are for informational purposes only! Don’t forget that the fuel range of a bike varies and depends on many factors, meaning that you may get more or fewer miles on any of these bikes.
How Far Can a Motorcycle Go on One Tank of Gas?
Lightweight Motorcycle Fuel Range
Lightweight motorcycles are powered by frugal, 50-400cc engines. Combined with their lightweight body, these machines have very good fuel ranges, which usually means 150-400 miles depending on the make and model.
The smallest 50cc motorcycles can typically cover 150-200 miles on a tank of gas, as most of them are manufactured with a 2-gallon fuel tank.
Unlike their smaller brothers, the fuel range of 125cc motorcycles is from 150 up to 400 miles thanks to their larger gas tanks.
How far can a 250cc motorcycle go? Surprisingly, 250cc motorcycles have a lower fuel range compared to the 125cc, as they can typically cover 150-300 miles on a tank of gas. Are you wondering why?
This is because although these categories share similar tank sizes, the 250cc machines are powered by much thirstier engines.
Fortunately, you can expect to see better figures on 300-400cc motorcycles.
Middle-Weight Motorcycles
From the long-distance runner BMW R80 G/S Paris Dakar (range: 420 miles) to the Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight (range: 101 miles) the fuel range of middle-weight motorcycles varies widely.
In general, touring and adventure motorcycles offer the best fuel ranges in this class. Many of them feature a fuel-efficient engine and a bigger, 5-8.5-gallon fuel tank. This is why these motorcycles can cover 300-400 miles, or even more.
In contrast, 600cc, 4-cylinder sportbikes are legendary for their poor fuel consumption and smaller (4-5 gallon) gas tanks. This is why many of them can only reach 150-200 miles on one tank of gas.
Regarding cruisers, they typically offer a fuel range of 100-200 miles in this class.
Heavy Motorcycle Fuel Range
Just like their smaller brothers, the fuel range of heavy motorcycles is also strongly dependent on the type of bike.
Sadly, you will never get 300-400 miles on a 1000cc sportbike. These machines typically get 30-50 MPG and have a fuel capacity of 4-5 gallons, so they can typically only cover 150-200 miles.
In contrast, adventure bikes not only have better MPG figures, but many of them also feature a 6-8-gallon fuel tank. Thanks to these features, the fuel range of these motorcycles can exceed a generous 250-300 miles.
Which Motorcycle Has the Longest Range?
If you are looking for motorcycles with the longest range, you should first take a look at 125cc street motorcycles. Thanks to their small and fuel-efficient engines, many of these bikes can run 200-400 miles on a tank of gas. But if you are looking for a bike for longer tours, you can’t go wrong with a touring or adventure bike, as these motorcycles have the longest range among the big boys.
For instance, one of the highest-range motorcycles on the market is the BMW R80 G/S Paris Dakar. This bike gets about 50 MPG and features an 8.45-gallon fuel tank, which results in an outstanding 423-mile fuel range.
Conclusion
Based on our research, the fuel range of most production motorcycles is about 100-400 miles.
Lightweight motorcycles are powered with low-consumption engines, so they can cover very long distances on one tank of gas.
Regarding bigger machines, you can expect the worst fuel ranges to be on the middle-weight and heavy sportbikes, as many of them can only cover 150-200 miles. (Or even less if you ride very hard!)
You can see similar figures on many cruiser motorcycles, but some of them can even go 300+ miles without refueling.
When it comes to full-sized motorcycles, the ones with the highest fuel range are the touring and adventure models, as their fuel range can reach a whopping 300-400 miles.
