Aprilia Storm 125 mileage and running cost

Storm 125's claimed mileage is 36.5 kmpl, and unusually, owners and our own riding land right on it: expect 34–38 kmpl in everyday use. Few bikes get this close to their brochure figure.

Among the 34 scooters we have reviewed it ranks 32th for mileage, 10 kmpl below the group average of 46 kmpl.

At Delhi's petrol price of ₹94.80 a litre and a real-world 36 kmpl, the Storm 125 costs about ₹2.63 per km in fuel. Ride 30 km a day and that is roughly ₹2,054 a month, or ₹24,648 a year, before servicing.

The 6-litre tank gives a realistic range of about 216 km, so a 30 km commute means a fill-up every 1 week.

Spread over five years and 46,800 km, the Storm 125 works out to about ₹6.1 per km all-in, of which 43% is fuel and 48% is the purchase price itself. Resale value is not counted; expect roughly 50–60% of ex-showroom after five years for a well-kept example.

Three habits move the Storm 125's mileage more than anything else: keep the tyres at the recommended pressure, get into the top gear as early as the engine allows, and switch off at signals longer than a minute.

Filling only to the first click and keeping the 6-litre tank above a quarter helps in two ways: fuel that sloshes out of a brimmed tank is wasted, and a near-empty tank on a hot day loses more to vapour. Realistic range is about 216 km, so on a 30 km commute you will fill up roughly once a week.

Service on time. A clogged air filter, a tired spark plug or a dragging brake shows up in mileage before it shows up anywhere else, and each is a cheap fix at the 3,000 km service.