In Saudi Arabia, where a gallon of gas costs 47 cents at the moment, nobody is having this conversation. Meanwhile, a gallon of super unleaded goes for $4.75 in Greater Los Angeles, and we're looking at four ways to make the most of it. After a little research and a lot of haggling, we chose a delegate from motorcycling's four major disciplines: the cruiser, represented by Honda's 250 Rebel; Kawasaki's new Ninja 250R for sportbike types; a Suzuki DR-Z400SM supermoto; and a Yamaha WR250R dual-sport.
Underwhelming? You obviously haven't basked in the smug satisfaction that only comes from covering 125 miles on 1.9 gallons of fuel and getting change back from a $10 bill when you top it off afterward. Still, that's not enough. Since we're all in this for more than the self-righteous joy of wringing 60-something miles from every gallon, all four of these motorcycles are capable of putting a smile on the right face. They're all freeway legal, reasonably affordable and fun. But aside from their admirably modest appetites, these are four very different motorcycles. Which one makes sense for you-if any of them do-depends on your personal approach to this two-wheeled pursuit of happiness.
Aside from the little miles-per-one-gallon challenge included to inject a little drama, there was nothing outside the normal testing bailiwick. The bikes were flung into the fires of Monday through Friday reality, followed by a little therapeutic fun on the weekends, with fuel mileage noted accordingly. It's all in the interest of science and the greater good. Some fared better than others. All of them made us slow down and think. Hopefully they'll have the same effect on you.