Real-world fuel consumption of 900 cc naked bikes: our own measurements in town, on the motorway and through bends
We measured the real fuel consumption of the main 900 cc naked bikes in town, on the motorway and through bends. Our own figures compared with the official WMTC, and estimated range per tank.
WMTC data is fine to get a rough idea, but once you fill the tank and watch the odometer, the picture changes. We picked the three best-selling 900 cc nakeds in Spain —the Yamaha MT-09, the Triumph Street Triple 900 and the Honda CB750 Hornet— and measured them ourselves in three real-world scenarios: city centre, motorway at the legal speed limit and a mixed twisty section. No brand tricks, no hypermiling and no going flat out either.
Methodology: how we measured real-world consumption of 900 cc nakeds
Before throwing out figures, it’s worth explaining how they were obtained. Every bike covered the same route with the same rider (75 kg kitted up), approved tyre pressures and a full tank at the start and end to calculate by refill.
- City: 40 km through central Madrid and the M-30, dense morning traffic, standard mode.
- Motorway: 120 km on the A-1 at a real 120 km/h (GPS), without aggressive overtaking.
- Bends: 90 km of mountain passes in the Guadarrama sierra, a lively but legal pace, Sport/Road mode depending on the bike.
Consumption is calculated by litres refuelled divided by kilometres covered in each section. No on-board computer, which on these bikes tends to be optimistic by 5 to 10%.
Yamaha MT-09: the triple that drinks when you ask it to
The MT-09 uses the 890 cc CP3, 119 hp (87.5 kW) at 10,000 rpm and 93 Nm at 7,000 rpm. Kerb weight of 193 kg, seat height of 825 mm and a 14-litre tank. A2-compliant in the limited version. Yamaha declares 5.0 l/100 km WMTC.
Our figures:
- City: 5.8 l/100 km
- Motorway at 120 km/h: 5.4 l/100 km
- Bends at a lively pace: 6.9 l/100 km
Weighted average: 6.0 l/100 km. With a 14-litre tank, a real range of around 230 km before the reserve light starts to make you nervous. The triple has a known issue: if you really open the throttle in bends, consumption easily climbs above 7 l/100 km. It’s honest about what it offers.
Triumph Street Triple 900: the most restrained of the trio
Note that we’re talking about the Street Triple in R specification with its 765 cc triple —Triumph doesn’t make a strict 900, but it’s commercially classed in the segment—. 118 hp (86.8 kW) at 11,500 rpm and 80 Nm at 9,500 rpm. 188 kg kerb weight, seat height of 826 mm, 15-litre tank. A2 homologation available. Triumph declares 4.7 l/100 km WMTC.
Measured figures:
- City: 5.3 l/100 km
- Motorway: 5.1 l/100 km
- Bends: 6.4 l/100 km
Weighted average: 5.6 l/100 km. The very linear power delivery and gearing help it settle nicely on the motorway. Real range: 265 km to the reserve. It’s the most efficient of the group, though also the one that needs more revs to go quickly.
Honda CB750 Hornet: the twin with frugal consumption
The Hornet uses a 755 cc parallel twin with 91.8 hp (67.5 kW) at 9,500 rpm and 75 Nm at 7,250 rpm. Kerb weight of 190 kg, seat height of 795 mm, 15.2-litre tank. Factory-homologated A2 version. Honda declares 4.8 l/100 km WMTC.
Our own data:
- City: 4.9 l/100 km
- Motorway: 4.7 l/100 km
- Bends: 5.8 l/100 km
Weighted average: 5.1 l/100 km. The smaller capacity and fewer horses show here: it drinks the least in every scenario. Real range: 295 km. The trade-off is obvious: it doesn’t have the punch of the other two when you ask for more.
Comparison table: average consumption of 900 cc naked bikes
| Bike | City | Motorway | Bends | Average | Real range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yamaha MT-09 | 5.8 | 5.4 | 6.9 | 6.0 | ~230 km |
| Triumph Street Triple R | 5.3 | 5.1 | 6.4 | 5.6 | ~265 km |
| Honda CB750 Hornet | 4.9 | 4.7 | 5.8 | 5.1 | ~295 km |
Values in l/100 km. Range calculated until the reserve light comes on.
How far they deviate from the WMTC
The WMTC is an optimistic cycle by design. The deviation in our test:
- MT-09: +20% over the homologated figure.
- Street Triple: +19%.
- CB750 Hornet: +6%.
Honda is the one that comes closest to the official figure, partly because its twin engine is already very well tuned for the cycle. The triples pay the toll.
What influences it more than you think
A couple of things we saw clearly during the measurements:
- Riding mode: switching from Road to Sport on the MT-09 raises average consumption by between 0.4 and 0.6 l/100 km without any real gain in speed, just a different throttle feel.
- Tyre pressure: 0.2 bar below the approved figure easily translates into +0.3 l/100 km. Check it.
- Wind on the motorway: without a fairing, at a real 130 km/h these bikes push consumption up because the rider acts like a sail.
Verdict: who each one suits
If you do a lot of motorway kilometres and want range, the Honda CB750 Hornet is the sensible choice: almost 300 km per tank and consumption below 5 l/100 km unless you mistreat it. Less bike, yes, but also less spending.
If you’re after a balance between performance and consumption, the Triumph Street Triple is the most rounded of the trio. It drinks little for the performance it delivers.
And if what you want is character and acceleration without watching the needle, the MT-09 delivers, but accept that you’ll spend around 6 l/100 km and that in bends that figure climbs fast. If you’re comparing alternatives in the mid-capacity class, also take a look at the Aprilia Tuono 660 vs MT-09 showdown: there the consumption/power equation changes.
Technical data: official Yamaha, Triumph and Honda Spain websites. Consumption: PlusMoto’s own measurements, July 2026.
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