The KTM RC 125 fuel efficiency—what's the deal? Is it really that bad, like people say?

Question

On bike forums I’ve been lurking, and I keep seeing mixed reports about the fuel efficiency of the KTM RC 125. Some have sworn it's a gas guzzler; others have claimed pretty decent mileage. I'm trying to work out what the actual shenanigans are here. Is the fuel consumption as bad as people say it is, or is it just a case of aggressive riders using up lots of fuel? What I'm really interested in is the real-world numbers from daily riders. How does it drive in city traffic versus highway cruising? Are there any tricks to improving the mileage, or is it just down to riding style? But how efficient is it compared to other 125cc sports bikes? It's not going to be as frugal as a commuter bike, but I want to know if I'm going to spend all my money at the pump with one. Has anyone else noticed any change in fuel efficiency as the bike breaks in? So share your experiences and mileage figures!

@priyanka-k · Accepted Answer

Fuel efficiency is just okay, but then again you have a high-performance 125cc engine. It's a trade-off between performance and efficiency.

@barun-kuma · Answer

By avoiding sudden accelerations, keeping the RPMs low, and, by consequence, decreasing the amount of fuel consumed, I've been able to improve my mileage by about 10%. It requires some practice, but it can be done.

@kalika-dub · Answer

Its engine is performance-oriented. If you are on the lookout for a bike that will save you fuel, well mate, you’ve come to the wrong place.

@deepak-khu · Answer

With mixed city and highway riding, I average about 38 km/l. Not great, but not terrible. But don't expect scooter-like efficiency.

@abhinav-gu · Answer

Fuel efficiency is fine, but the small tank size means you’ll be filling up more often. Maybe that's why people think it's less efficient.

@shantanu-s · Answer

The RC 125 uses more fuel than my friend’s Yamaha R15. The difference isn’t huge, 5-7 km/l on average less.

@harish-kum · Answer

After the first 1000 km, I found the fuel efficiency to be improved. The engine is clearly in a break-in period.

@gaurav-ver · Answer

That really all depends on how you ride. You're going to drink fuel if you're always redlining and riding hard. It's not too bad with normal riding, though.

@vijay-kuma · Answer

But the fuel efficiency is pretty terrible when compared to other 125cc bikes. In city riding I'm lucky if I get 30 km/l. I guess that's the price you pay for that KTM performance.

@rana-arun · Answer

People make it out to be worse than it is. In the city I get about 35-40 km/l; considering it is a sports bike, it is decent. It’s even better on highway mileage.

The KTM RC 125 fuel efficiency—what's the deal? Is it really that bad, like people say?

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