Fuel range calculator
Your real range on a loaded touring bike, with fuel kept back for the unexpected. Not the brochure figure.
Rounded down, so you are never cutting it fine.
Starting with a full tank.
Work out your real mpg
Fill to the brim and reset the trip meter. Ride as you normally tour, then fill to the brim again. Enter the miles and the litres it took.
How the range is worked out
We take your usable tank size, take off the fuel you want to keep back, and multiply what is left by your economy. A UK gallon is 4.546 litres. The riding option then lowers the figure for luggage, a pillion or fast motorway work, because all of them use more fuel.
Keeping 20% back is a sensible default for touring. It covers a closed fuel station, a diversion or a headwind without you running on fumes.
Tips for planning fuel stops
- Use the usable tank size from your handbook, not the headline figure. Some of the tank cannot be reached by the pump.
- In remote areas, such as parts of the Scottish Highlands and mid Wales, fuel stations can be far apart and may close early or on Sundays. Fill up when you can, not when you have to.
- Your fuel light usually comes on with a few litres left. Treat it as your reserve, not as extra range.
This calculator gives an estimate. Your real range depends on the bike, the load, the weather and how you ride.