5 Of The Most Fuel Efficient Yamaha Motorcycles In 2024

All of the major motorcycle brands have a wide selection of bikes to pick from, and their stables include bikes that value fuel efficiency over power. Riding around a Yamaha sports bike at high speeds is no doubt fun to do, but those aren't the bikes that provide the best gas mileage from the brand. All of the bikes on this list are strong commuters, so if you're looking for something you can ride to work without heading over to the gas station often, then these are good picks.

While we are focusing on five current Yamaha motorcycles with good fuel efficiency, other bikes that didn't make the list are still serviceable, and few bikes from the brand will have you needing to visit the gas station every time you go out for a ride. Keep in mind that while these are good bikes for fuel efficiency, it doesn't necessarily make them the best Yamaha motorcycles for beginners, but there is some overlap.

The Zuma 125 is a scooter that's a perfect option for commuters who don't have to hop on the interstate. The reason for this is that its top speed is just a smidge above 60 mph, so you're limited to areas with speed limits that top out around 55 mph. If that fits your criteria, you can enjoy a scooter that gets an estimated 101 mpg, according to Yamaha. Although the gas tank is just 1.6 gallons, this type of efficiency practically guarantees you won't have to stop for a fill-up for a long time if you're just driving around towns.

Unfortunately, the low top speed doesn't make it a great trip for road trips since you'll have to rely on lower speed limit back roads to travel around. To help soften that blow, the MSRP for the Zuma 125 is $3,799, so it's among the cheapest motorcycles available from Yamaha. If you're looking for fuel efficiency and not much else, this is an easy choice.

Yamaha's second scooter might not have the best fuel efficiency seen from the brand, but it's still highly competitive. The Yamaha XMAX has a beefier 292cc engine compared to the Zuma's 125cc option, but it comes at the expense of fuel economy. The XMAX gets an estimated 76 mpg, but with a 3.4-gallon gas tank, it can go quite far before having to fuel back up. The MSRP for this scooter begins at $6,199, making it an affordable option — despite being the more expensive scooter.

One area where the XMAX scooter comes ahead of the Zuma is its top speed. The XMAX can hit close to 90 mph, so you're able to take it more places than the Zuma, and that makes it a much better option for a commuter, if you can't always stay on city streets. This speed gives it more than enough passing power, so you don't have to worry about maxing out your motor on a highway.

The Yamaha V-Star 250 maintains the classic cruiser look while coming in at a far lower price than even the most affordable cruisers from Harley-Davidson. On top of that, the V-Star 250 gets an estimated 78 mpg, according to Yamaha, and it comes equipped with a 2.5-gallon tank. The V-Star 250's MSRP begins at $4,699. This figure puts it among the cheapest motorcycles on the list, and one of the more affordable picks from Yamaha. Keep in mind that on top of the affordability, it's also a bike that beginners can hop on and learn to ride with — something that's been true of the line for most of its life.

Its top speed is in the mid-80s, so while that's not the greatest, it's still usable on the highway, and gives you some juice to pass cars — even if it takes a while to work up to that. At the end of the day, the V-Star 250 is an approachable and affordable alternative for people looking for good mileage without going for a scooter.

The Yamaha TW200 is a dual-sport motorcycle, which means it's a good performer on dirt trails and paved roads. It's a good choice for people looking to get the best of both worlds with their motorcycle without breaking the bank. With an MSRP of $4,999, it's one of the best choices if you're looking to get some of the best gas mileage you can out of your motorcycle. According to Yamaha, the TW200 gets an estimated 78 mpg out of its 1.8-gallon tank. This capacity is just above that of the Zuma 125's 1.6-gallon tank.

Unlike the Zuma, the TW200 has a top speed of above 80 mph if you push it, so it can handle interstate riding. While the speed makes it a nice commuter, riders shouldn't ignore its ability to do some off-roading, as that's one of its big selling points. It can handle rocky terrain far better than a scooter or cruiser, and with the impressive gas mileage, there's a lot of value on display here.

If you like the idea of something that's good for hitting both the trails and paved roads, the XT250 is worth a look. Despite being an off-roading bike at its core, Yamaha's XT250 is still street-legal and boasts solid fuel efficiency. Although gas mileage might not be the first thing you consider when looking at a dirt bike, the XT250 boasts 76 mpg and a 2.5-gallon tank (2.2 in Canada).

While you can take your XT250 on the street, it's not something you can take on the interstate, thanks to a top speed in the 60s. Instead, this is a motorcycle you'll mostly want to use to drive to your next trail or a store, as long as you're staying on the city streets. That's fine for a lot of people's needs, but you'll have to look elsewhere if it doesn't work for you. At the very least, you won't have to be worried about running out of gas on a trail as long as you go in with a full tank. The XT250's MSRP begins at $5,499.

These five motorcycles are the ones with the best fuel efficiency from Yamaha, but that doesn't mean they're the only choice if you want something with good gas mileage. If you're committed to the tuning fork badge, but don't fancy any of the options so far, your next best choices are bikes in the 50-60 mpg range. This includes motorcycles like the Bolt-R Spec, MT-03, and YZF-R3. There's nothing wrong with those three bikes, and each of them gets more than 50 mpg, so it's not like you're suddenly going to feel like you're riding a gas guzzler.

The downside is that if you're looking for something like a sports bike, you'll have to sacrifice fuel efficiency in exchange for that extra speed and power. It ultimately comes down to what you're looking for in a Yamaha motorcycle, and if you value fuel efficiency more than the fastest Yamaha motorcycles ever built, you'll need to stick with the small displacement motors.