Vespa 125 mileage and running cost

125's claimed mileage is 38 kmpl, and unusually, owners and our own riding land right on it: expect 35–40 kmpl in everyday use. Few bikes get this close to their brochure figure.

Among the 30 scooters we have reviewed it ranks 28th for mileage, 9 kmpl below the group average of 47 kmpl.

At Delhi's petrol price of ₹94.80 a litre and a real-world 37.5 kmpl, the 125 costs about ₹2.53 per km in fuel. Ride 30 km a day and that is roughly ₹1,972 a month, or ₹23,662 a year, before servicing.

The 7.4-litre tank gives a realistic range of about 278 km, so a 30 km commute means a fill-up every 1 week.

Spread over five years and 46,800 km, the 125 works out to about ₹6.3 per km all-in, of which 40% is fuel and 52% 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.

The quickest wins for the 125: keep tyres at the recommended pressure (under-inflation by 5 psi can cost 2–3 kmpl), shift up early and avoid idling at long signals.

Short trips hurt most. A cold engine on a 2 km run can return half its normal mileage; if that is your use, expect the low end of the real-world band.

Service on time. A clogged air filter or old spark plug shows up in mileage before it shows up anywhere else.