QJ Motor SRC 250 mileage and running cost

SRC 250's claimed mileage is 39 kmpl, and unusually, owners and our own riding land right on it: expect 36–41 kmpl in everyday use. Few bikes get this close to their brochure figure.

Among the 51 cruisers we have reviewed it ranks 4th for mileage, 14 kmpl above the group average of 25 kmpl.

At Delhi's petrol price of ₹94.80 a litre and a real-world 38.5 kmpl, the SRC 250 costs about ₹2.46 per km in fuel. Ride 30 km a day and that is roughly ₹1,921 a month, or ₹23,047 a year, before servicing.

The 14-litre tank gives a realistic range of about 539 km, so a 30 km commute means a fill-up every 3 weeks.

Spread over five years and 46,800 km, the SRC 250 works out to about ₹6.8 per km all-in, of which 36% is fuel and 50% 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.

Cruisers reward relaxed riding. Keep the SRC 250 in its torque band rather than revving it, and the highway figure will beat the city one by a wide margin because 163 kg costs fuel every time it stops and starts.

Filling only to the first click and keeping the 14-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 539 km, so on a 30 km commute you will fill up roughly every 3 weeks.

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 scheduled service.