Motorcycle Fuel Range Planner
Range to reserve, range on reserve, and fuel stops for a route — with economy falling the way it actually does as speed rises.
Fuel stops for this route
What speed costs you
| Speed | MPG | Range to reserve | Time for the route |
|---|
Time assumes riding the whole route at that speed. Compare the time saved against the range lost — going faster often buys less than an hour and costs a whole extra fuel stop.
Drag goes as the square of speed
Some of what an engine burns is roughly constant with speed — rolling resistance, driveline losses, simply turning over. The rest is pushing air aside, and that grows as the square of velocity. Split the burn between those two and you get the shape of the curve: economy falls off sharply above about 70, and it falls fastest on the least aerodynamic bikes.
On a naked bike, going from 60 to 80 mph costs about a third of your range — while saving only a quarter of the time. That trade is worse than it sounds, because the lost range often adds a fuel stop, and a fuel stop is fifteen minutes.
Things worth knowing
- Drag grows as the square of speed, so fuel used per mile does too. Going from 60 to 80 mph can cost a third of your range on a naked bike, and the trip takes only a quarter less time.
- Reserve is smaller than it feels. On many bikes it is under a gallon, which is thirty to forty-five miles — enough to reach a station you know about and not enough to go looking for one.
- A bike without a fuel gauge has a trip meter instead, and it only works if you reset it at every single fill. Miss one and the number is meaningless exactly when you need it.
- Headwind is a speed increase as far as the engine is concerned. A steady 20 mph headwind at 60 mph costs what riding at 80 would.
- Luggage and a top box hurt economy more than their weight suggests, because they add frontal area and disturb the air behind the rider. The penalty shows up at speed, not around town.
The economy figure is a model, not a measurement. Calibrate it by resetting the trip meter at a fill and dividing miles by gallons at the next one — two or three tanks of that beats any calculator.
How to use
- Enter tank size, reserve, and your economy at 60 mph.
- Pick the bike shape and set your cruising speed and any headwind.
- Read range to reserve, and the fuel stops your route needs.
Frequently asked questions
How much range do I lose by going faster?
More than you would guess. On a naked bike, going from 60 to 80 mph costs about a third of your range while saving only a quarter of the time — and the lost range often adds a fuel stop, which is fifteen minutes back.
Why does speed matter so much?
Drag grows as the square of velocity, so the aerodynamic share of fuel burn does too. Below about 50 mph most of the burn is constant; above 70 the squared term dominates and economy falls off sharply.
How far will I go on reserve?
Less than it feels like. On many bikes the reserve is under a gallon, which is thirty to forty-five miles — enough to reach a station you already know about, and not enough to go looking for one.
Should I plan fuel stops to the full tank?
No, to the point you hit reserve. Planning to the full range means arriving everywhere on fumes, which works until one station is closed. Planning to reserve makes that an inconvenience rather than a walk.
Does a headwind really matter?
A great deal. As far as the engine is concerned a headwind is a speed increase, so a steady 20 mph headwind at 60 costs what riding at 80 would.
My bike has no fuel gauge — what do I do?
The trip meter is your gauge, and it only works if you reset it at every single fill. Miss one and the number is meaningless exactly when it matters. Two or three measured tanks will also calibrate your real economy better than any calculator.
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