ALL the bikes in this list come with over 60kmpl mileage!
With petrol prices rising everyday, riding a motorcycle is becoming increasingly expensive.
For those who commute daily, the expenses start piling up. With this concern in mind, we've put together a list of five commuter bikes that are not only affordable to buy (all under Rs 1 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi) but also economical to ride.
Do note that this list is arranged from the lowest to the best mileage, and we have obtained these numbers by testing the bikes out in the real-world:
TVS Raider 125
Average Mileage: 68kmpl
Starting Price: Rs 82,000
The TVS Raider not only looks youthful, offers great performance, but also doesn't compromise on outright mileage. Its 124.8cc engine feels refined and peppy, which helps overtake slow moving traffic with ease. More importantly, it returned a tested mileage of 65kmpl in city conditions and 71kmpl on highways.
What's also interesting is that it comes with as many as seven variants, that too at different price points and features to suit customers wanting different features at different budgets. Here's a detailed explainer about the TVS Raider 125 variants.
TVS Radeon
Average Mileage: 70.5kmpl
Starting Price: Rs 55,400
The TVS Radeon is a simple, no-frills commuter bike that's designed to rival the iconic Hero Splendor. In fact, its design is also somewhat similar to the Splendor, while having a bigger engine. That said, despite the larger engine, it returned an impressive 73kmpl in the city, and riding it on the highway gave us 68kmpl. The icing on the cake is that the 109cc engine is one of the peppiest motors we've ever tested. If you're looking for a 110cc commuter bike that's great on mileage and also performance, the Radeon is the one to go for.
Hero Xtreme 125R
Average Mileage: 71.25kmpl
Starting Price: Rs 89,000
Commuter bikes don't always have to look sober and boring. The Hero Xtreme 125R carries a distinctly sporty design while also balancing mileage. It delivered an incredible 81.5kmpl in the city and 61kmpl on the highway in our test - excellent figures for a sporty 125cc bike. What's more, the engine is powerful enough to let you comfortably cruise at 85-90kmph on highways.
It even gets the safety quotient right with either a single-channel ABS or a dual-channel ABS. Granted, the dual-channel ABS variant costs more than a lakh rupees (Rs 1,04,500, to be precise), but we think it's well-worth the premium as none of the other bikes in this list come with the safety of dual-channel ABS.
TVS Star City+
Average Mileage: 74.65kmpl
Starting Price: Rs 72,500
The TVS Star City Plus is a no-nonsense commuter motorcycle that takes you from point A to point B at the lowest possible cost. In our tests, it delivered an impressive 83kmpl in city conditions and 66.3kmpl on the highway. It may not be as feature-packed as the higher variants of the TVS Radeon, nor the refinement is on point. However, it does the job well as far as pocket-friendly commutes are concerned.
Hero Splendor Plus Xtec
Average Mileage: 89.5kmpl
Starting Price: Rs 77,678
The Hero Splendor Plus is often referred to as 'Lord Splendor' by netizens, and that's for a good reason. In our tests, it delivered 83kmpl in the city and an unbelievable 96kmpl on the highway. This means its 9.8-litre fuel tank can offer a range of nearly 900km on a full tank!
The Splendor has been on sale for over 30 years. While it has been modernized internally over time, it still retains the original Splendor charm on the outside.