QJ Motor SRC 500 mileage and running cost

SRC 500's claimed mileage is 31.5 kmpl, and unusually, owners and our own riding land right on it: expect 29–33 kmpl in everyday use. Few bikes get this close to their brochure figure.

Among the 51 cruisers we have reviewed it ranks 13th for mileage, 6 kmpl above the group average of 25 kmpl.

At Delhi's petrol price of ₹94.80 a litre and a real-world 31 kmpl, the SRC 500 costs about ₹3.06 per km in fuel. Ride 30 km a day and that is roughly ₹2,385 a month, or ₹28,623 a year, before servicing.

The 15.5-litre tank gives a realistic range of about 481 km, so a 30 km commute means a fill-up every 2 weeks.

Spread over five years and 46,800 km, the SRC 500 works out to about ₹9.4 per km all-in, of which 33% is fuel and 57% 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 500 in its torque band rather than revving it, and the highway figure will beat the city one by a wide margin because 205 kg costs fuel every time it stops and starts.

Filling only to the first click and keeping the 15.5-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 481 km, so on a 30 km commute you will fill up roughly every 2 weeks.

At 205 kg the SRC 500 feels a pillion more than a lighter bike does. Two-up in the city, budget for 4–6 kmpl less than the solo figure.