Unless your city has widespread, efficient public transportation — basically, if you live in New York City, San Francisco, Washington DC or Boston — then a motorcycle is the most practical, economical option for commuting available. Which ones use the least amount of gas? These are the best fuel-efficient motorcycles for commuting available today.
Rather than rely on manufacturer claims or our own, often unrepresentative testing (we’ve got heavy throttle hands), we’ll instead turn to the crowd and use average, real world fuel economy reports from real riders on Fuelly. And, instead of simply listing the most fuel efficient bikes, we’ll be editorializing a bit and bringing you the ones we think make the best options for commuting, combined with that reported fuel economy.
The Best There Is
Honda CB500X — 66 mpg
Wow, we wouldn’t have guessed it, but Fuelly users report higher MPGs from their CB500Xs than they do for the more high-tech, supposedly more efficient NC700X. That makes this $6,000 bike a winner. It’s all-day comfortable, light, slim and easy to ride, too.
The Maxi-Scooter
Suzuki Burgman 400 — 60 mpg
Maxi scooters maximize comfort, ease of use and weather protection. They’re also cheap to buy — this Burgman is just $7,999 — and incredibly practical thanks to all that onboard storage. This 400 is totally comfortable on the highway and just blitzes city traffic.
The First Bike
Honda CBR250R — 65 mpg
You won’t find anything easier to ride (particularly for short riders) than the CBR250R. It’s incredibly fun in the city and fast enough for short trips on the highway, all while returning seriously good fuel economy.
The Retro
Triumph Bonneville — 49 mpg
Go for the base Bonnie; its 17-inch wheels accept the best rubber and Fuelly users report decent fuel economy. It’ll look good parked outside your office, too.
Continue Reading: The Most Fuel-Efficient Commuter Motorcycles Available Today >>
The Sportbike
Honda CBR600RR — 42 mpg
Already our pick for comfort in the 600cc supersport class, it turns out the CBR600RRreturns the best fuel economy too. If you can only have one bike and you want that bike to be on something fast, look no further.
The Exotic
Ducati Monster 696 — 50 mpg
Want that most recognizable of exotic badges? The Ducati Monster 696 is the most accessible model in the range, it works great in city traffic and returns fuel economy equivalent to a Toyota Prius. Really!
The Cruiser
Star Bolt — 50 mpg
Are you bad to the bone? Not only is the Star Bolt a superior ride to the Harley-Sportster, but it returns 4 mpg more. Its higher quality suspension equals much greater comfort over city streets and it is not quite as terrifying on the highway either.
The Supermoto
Suzuki DR-Z400SM — 55 mpg
Want to enjoy your commute? There’s no better way to do so than on a DR-Z, which wheelies all the way to 55 mpg.
The Distance Bike
Suzuki V-Strom 650 — 50 mpg
Need to ride a long way on the highway each and every day? You can’t find more comfort than you can on the V-Strom 650 and it’s pretty manageable in city traffic too.
Do you disagree with any of these picks? Tell us your choice for best fuel-efficient bike. Do you commute by motorcycle? What do you ride to work everyday?