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A Comparison Of The Most Fuel Efficient 125cc Bikes In India
Featured Stories by Team Drivio | 21 Mar 2023
While 125cc motorcycles cater to the sporty needs of individuals as well, they must get their basics right too, which in India’s case, is fuel efficiency.
125cc bikes are durable and provide riders with a premium experience. But, especially in our price-sensitive market, they must absolutely nail fuel efficiency. Given our rising fuel prices, it's a no-brainer. So, if mileage is your primary concern, let's look at which bike you should buy:
Brands Focusing On Fuel Efficiency
Given our diverse market today, there are obviously multiple brands trying to get their share of the 125cc segment pie. But unfortunately, not all of them are mileage-oriented. So here we’ve curated a list of 125cc bikes that are specifically aimed towards mileage, and you’ll hence not see bikes like the KTM 125 Duke and the RC 125 in this list.
Hero MotoCorp
| Specifications | Super Splendor | Glamour |
| Engine | 124.7cc air-cooled 4-stroke, single-cylinder | 124.7cc air-cooled 4-stroke, single-cylinder |
| Maximum Power | 10.7 BHP @ 7500 rpm | 10.7 BHP @ 7500 rpm |
| Maximum Torque | 10.6 Nm @ 6000 rpm | 10.4 Nm @ 6000 rpm |
| Fuel Efficiency | 55 kmpl | 64.10 kmpl |
Let’s talk about the highest-selling brand in India and globally, Hero MotoCorp. While the brand has as many as three bikes in the 100cc commuter segment, it’s lineup in the 125cc segment is a tad bit less flattering. For now, the company has the Super Splendor and the Glamour for this space.
Both bikes, unfortunately, in quite atypical Hero fashion don’t boast of mileage figures that are extraordinary. The Super Splendor is able to return only close to 55 kmpl, which is slightly disappointing. Especially because its younger sibling, the Splendor Plus is know for its frugality. The commuter returned us more than 83 kmpl in our city run when we tested it last year. And the nearly 30 kmpl drop for a slight bump in displacement makes the Super Splendor and even the Glamour sound underwhelming.
That said, if features are your thing and you don’t mind compromising on frugality, you could have a look at the Xtec trims of both the bikes, which are loaded to the T with top-notch, segment-leading features.
Bajaj Auto
| Specifications | CT 125X | Pulsar NS125 | Pulsar 125 |
| Engine | 124.4cc 4 stroke, Air cooled Single cylinder engine | 124.4cc 4 stroke, Air cooled Single cylinder engine | 124.4cc 4 stroke, Air cooled Single cylinder engine |
| Maximum Power | 10.75 BHP @ 8000 rpm | 11.83 BHP @ 8500 rpm | 11.6 BHP @ 8500 rpm |
| Maximum Torque | 11 Nm @ 5500 rpm | 11 Nm @ 7000 rpm | 10.8 Nm @ 6500 rpm |
| Fuel Efficiency | 59.6 kmpl | 64.75 kmpl | 51.46 kmpl |
Bajaj boasts of the most bikes in this segment, with all of them obviously sharing the same engine. In our tests, the CT 125X averaged slightly less than 60kmpl in the city.
By using an e-carburettor for fueling, Bajaj has managed to meet BS6 standards while keeping costs low. However, it will never achieve the same efficiency as a proper fuel-injected system, which would raise the cost of the bike though.
The Pulsar NS 125, on the other hand, is one of the most cost-effective 125cc bikes we've tested. As you can see, the tractable nature of the engine meant that at city speeds, one didn't have to shift through the gears as much, and thus fuel efficiency was extremely high.
In terms of fuel economy, the Pulsar 125 returned almost 51.5kmpl in the city. The figures are slightly lower when compared to its traditional 125cc rivals. The baby Pulsar, though, has a slightly larger tank capacity than its competitors, at 11.5 litres.
Honda
| Specifications | SP125 | Shine |
| Engine | 123.94cc BS 6-compliant engine | 123.94cc BS 6-compliant engine |
| Maximum Power | 10.7 BHP @ 7500 rpm | 10.6 BHP @ 7500 rpm |
| Maximum Torque | 10.9 Nm @ 6000 rpm | 11 Nm @ 6000 rpm |
| Fuel Efficiency | 65 kmpl | 62 kmpl |
The SP125 and the Shine are very closely-specced in terms of their specifications, while sharing the same engine. It was hence, a no brainer that Honda was able to extract very similar fuel efficiency figures for both of them. The Shine’s slightly sportier nature with a bit more torque on tap means it was marginally behind its sibling in terms of fuel efficiency.
TVS
| Specifications | Raider |
| Engine | 124.8cc air- & oil-cooled engine |
| Maximum Power | 11.22 BHP @ 7500 rpm |
| Maximum Torque | 11.2 Nm @ 6000 rpm |
| Fuel Efficiency | 71.94 kmpl |
What definitely came as a surprise though, was the TVS Raider. You see, it’s hands down the best 125cc bike we’ve ridden so far and we thought that peppy engine and all that sportiness would come at a cost but no! TVS has pleasantly surprised us.
The highlight of the TVS Raider 125 has to be its engine. The 124.8cc single-cylinder three-valve engine may resemble the NTorq 125, but TVS assures us that it’s new. It has the most power and torque among its competitors as well! But it was still able to return us the maximum fuel efficiency, mainly because of its super tractable engine.
Which Is The Most Fuel-efficient Brand In India?
This comparison has made it clear that the TVS Raider is a wonderful motorcycle. Be it spirited, sporty riding or slow, hypermiling, the bike can do it all. TVS, is hence, the clear winner of today’s comparison.
