10 Touring Bikes That Balance Fuel Economy And Good Performance

Touring motorcycles have a difficult job. They’re expected to achieve the opposing targets of good power for overtaking on the highway with a pillion and luggage, while offering decent fuel efficiency as well. The latter is important, because no ride is fun when you’re worrying about whether you’ll make it to the next gas station. Manufacturers have to walk this fine line between the two, and depending on the product, they offer better fuel efficiency or more fun.

Some just have a big ol’ tank to extend the tank range, but emission requirements mean that better efficiency is the only way out today. Not to mention, a fuel guzzler will put a big dent in the trip budget! To this end, we’ve curated a list of 10 touring bikes that do a great job of balancing fuel economy as well as performance. They all have large displacement engines, as the torque and power mean safety as well as comfort at highway speeds, but they’re also quite efficient for their displacement and weight.

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10

BMW K 1600 GTL

Fuel Economy: 40 MPG

We’re taught that more cylinders equals worse fuel economy. Well, BMW must have missed that memo, because it somehow manages to offer decent levels of consumption even with a six-cylinder engine in the K 1600 series. It doesn’t skimp on the power, either. 160 horses are available, should you choose to open the taps all the way. That isn’t its only trick, either. It has a massive almost-8 almost-8-gallon tank for an excellent tank range as well. Additionally, BMW has thrown all of its tech at it as well, which makes for one of the most comfortable two-wheeled experiences in the market.

9

KTM 1290 Super Duke GT

Fuel Economy: 41.2 MPG

The 1290 series from KTM is now long in the tooth and the 1390 series is ready to replace it, both in 1390 Super Duke GT and 1390 Super Adventure forms. Meanwhile, what we do have in America right now is the 1290 Super Duke GT. It might not be as comfortable as the other bikes on this list, but that’s not the point of this KTM.

It is designed to get you wherever you want to be so quickly that comfort won’t matter. It makes more power than the BMW above with a third of the cylinders, and yet manages decent fuel economy. A 6.1-gallon fuel tank on the 1290 Super Duke GT should give you decent range as well, although you’ll get slightly more fuel economy (41.3 MPG) but a slightly smaller tank (6 gallons) from the 1290 Super Adventure.

8

Honda Gold Wing

Fuel Economy: 43.6 MPG

Hondas have certain characteristics across the range, even if they retail for nearly $30,000 as the Gold Wing does. Despite its six-cylinder engine and luxuries, it manages to offer a commendable 43.6 MPG. One of those luxuries happens to be the world’s only seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission for a motorcycle. Another is airbags. The Gold Wing will cosset both rider and pillion while offering a ride experience like no other. The current-gen bike has major changes to feel easier with new front suspension, an actual reduction in weight, and for the first time, a freer-breathing engine with four valves per cylinder.

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7

Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide

Fuel Economy: 45 MPG

The CVO Road Glide and its twin, the CVO Street Glide, utilize one of the most advanced engines on the market today. They run water cooling for the cylinder heads, have variable valve timing, and a six-speed gearbox. This combined with the by-wire throttle not only means smoothness but also great efficiency. The advanced electronics mean that the safety net is on par with any modern premium motorcycle, in addition to the supreme comfort that a full-dress tourer from Harley-Davidson is a given.

6

Suzuki GSX-S1000GT

Fuel Economy: 46 MPG

Just like the KTMs, Suzuki has a pair of touring motorcycles with the same bones. The GSX-S1000GT is the sport tourer, while the GSX-S1000GX is the crossover with more suspension travel and ground clearance. We find this the most balanced tourer in 2025 because the sticker price is that of a value product, yet it offers features that are bang up to date. Suzuki has managed this by using a proven platform to save R&D costs. While this usually means less refinement, in the case of the GSX-S1000GT, that isn’t the case. Sometimes you really can have your cake and eat it too.

5

Ducati Multistrada V2

Fuel Economy: ~46 MPG

The new Multistrada V2 has taken a path similar to the Panigale V2: lose weight rather than gaining power. It has a new engine whose crank rotates the traditional way, it utilizes valve springs and variable valve timing on the intake valve, and a new aluminum monocoque chassis helps cut weight as well for a great 46.6 MPG figure (as claimed by MCN). It only offers a 19-inch front wheel, since the serious off-road middleweight Ducati ADV remains the DesertX. Still, if you want to stick to tarmac for the most part and turn heads, the Multistrada V2 should be on your radar.

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4

Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST

Fuel Economy: 47 MPG

Look carefully at the Low Rider ST’s engine specs, and you’ll notice that it makes just as much power – and twice the torque – as the Multistrada, but at half the revs. It’s the large Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine that’s responsible for the Low Rider ST being such a great touring bike. It has a large tank for a semi-tourer (5 gallons), which gives it an incredible tank range for its engine size. Harley-Davidson might not classify it as a tourer on its website, but we think it’s a great starting point for a tourer, with a little help from the aftermarket!

3

Yamaha Tracer 9

Fuel Economy: 49 MPG

Sadly, Yamaha’s latest Tracer 9 for the US market isn’t the GT+ with its camera-guided wizardry. But the regular Tracer 9 still employs a fair amount of technology. At its heart is the popular CP3 crossplane triple, which offers ride modes and is tied into a six-axis IMU for slide control, among other (saner) things. Tech like an offset crankshaft also helps it eke out a very good fuel economy figure, which coupled with the 5-gallon fuel tank, should make multiple-day rides a breeze. Goodies like cornering lights, standard hard cases, adjustable KYB suspension, Nissin radial brakes, and side cases are standard.

2

BMW R 1250 RT

Fuel Economy: 49.5 MPG

The R 1250 RT doesn’t get the love it deserves, because it doesn’t do things by the rules. It has a boxer twin engine from the R 1250 GS but in a sport tourer format. It has variable valve timing, which means it has good fuel economy and then BMW has given it an enormous 7.6 gallon tank. That means you’ll run out of patience before this bike runs out of fuel. It gets other BMW premium features like the Telelever front suspension and a single-sided swingarm, and what looks like a small television set masquerading as its instrumentation, at 10.25 inches.

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1

Zero DSR/X

Fuel Economy: 435 MPG city/208 MPG highway

We know, we started off talking about how range is important and that happens to be one of the biggest weaknesses of EVs, along with charging times. However, the DSR/X makes a good case for itself with a range of 179 miles city/107 miles highway, and that is before you boost the battery capacity from 17.3 kWh to 21 kWh with the Power Tank accessory. Zero also allows you to ‘overcharge’ it for 20 percent more range on a trip. So if our math is right, you can theoretically eke out 260 city miles using all these features. You’d have to plan your charging at the end of each day, though. Still, this is one touring motorcycle that has a mighty efficiency figure!