which is more gas efficient: motorcycles or cars?

Answer 1

Motorcycles

Answer 2

What is the point of your question? Is it simply trying to determine whether motorcycles get better mileage than cars do, or really which one is more fuel efficient?

Motorcycles usually get 35-70 mpg, whereas cars are in the 13-35 mpg range. Even hybrids only get in the mid-40's, and a hybrid SUV still only gets about 26 mpg (and really sucks on long trips).

There's probably a formula involving displacement, horsepower, weight, etc. that will give the exact numbers, but remember that horsepower = total WORK done, and that cars weigh about 8-10 times more than a motorcycle (or twice as much as a Harley). So a car/SUV's engine does a lot more WORK per gallon of fuel burned than a motorcycle, and may, in fact, be more EFFICIENT than a motorcycle.

Answer 3

This question is pretty exact. It is asking which is the more efficient of two different types of machines in the use of a common energy source, gasoline. It is very close to the first exercises given in first semester mechanical engineering. The answer given by blitzpup is almost perfect. Efficiency is the absolute amount of WORK performed by a set volume of fuel (or value of energy) in this case a gallon of gas.

The automobile is without question greatly more efficient in the utilization of energy, the point cannot be argued in any logical or technical manner.

However, if you are answering a question that was NOT posed, then the motorcycle is much more ECONOMICAL in the course of delivering its load over a set distance, but that does not translate into efficiency.

Answer 4

Just me...duh...it's motorcycles, and Yes, you can ride them every day, just about anywhere, and in most types of weather.

Motorcycles make more efficient use of fuel. Who cares that a car's engine is doing 7.5 times the work?? It's also using MORE GAS to do it, hence, it's NOT as economical, not at $3/gallon.

I don't care how much a car weighs, I care about how far I can go on a gallon/tank of gas. My Elantra averages about what my old Radian did - 30 mpg. Great for the car but absolutely crappy for the bike.

Answer 5

Almost always the motorcycle, getting perhaps close to 50 mpg, although some ultra efficient cars are pushing the envelope. Consider the Toyota Prius for example with a 51 mpg rating in the city. See the 10 more efficient cars here: http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/108467/article.html.
Some cars achieve their efficiency due to being hybrids, i.e. using electricity, gas, or other fuel in conjunction with gasoline.

Note: The question "gas efficiency" is very well defined in common usage to be mpg. Other answers relating to "mechanical efficiency" are of engineering interest and not related to the common usage of "fuel efficiency."

Answer 6

Having had many of both, I think the car is more fuel efficient...my peugeot 406 (a large car with a 2 litre diesel) has no problem at all averaging 50+mpg on the motorway at 80ish fully loaded up with wife and kids ...my zx6r which makes similar power has to be ridden pretty sedately to get that kind of mileage and its a tiny thing compared to the car usually with only me on it. The only time I can beat the diesel is round the town or heavy traffic where there are lots of stops and starts. the light weight of the bike doesnt take much energy to get it up to speed compared to the weighty car.. The bike wins on smiles per mile tho and thats why I ride them.

Answer 7

hardship-unfastened experience might permit you comprehend motorcycels are greater gasoline useful. They way a ton or 2 under vehicles and SUV's plus they're smaller so there is way less wind resistance which additionally facilitates with gasoline performance. As for a manner gasoline useful motorcycles are a Ninja 250 in all risk gets 80 mpg, my Suzuki VS800 gets between 50 and 60. a huge Harley in all risk gets 40-50.

Answer 8

That's kind of like comparing apples to oranges. Most bikes are designed with performance (speed) in mind while more cars are designed with economy at the driving factor. There's plenty of small cars that get better mileage than sportbikes but of course they aren't even close to being as fast. The older BMW boxers were rather slow for the engine displacement but got 50-60 mpg from 750-1000 cc engines. A 1000cc Jap bike would leave them in the dust but got mileage in the mid to low 40's under identical conditions. Full dress Harleys aren't exactly a powerhouse but can carry everything including the kitchen sink and still get mileage in the upper 40's.

It all boils down to two things, the design of the engine (power or economy) and drag coeffecient. The latter is wind resistance and a flat sheet of plywood going down the highway against the wind is going to rate a 1. Semi's are in the .8 approximately, bikes .5-.6 and many sleek, new cars are down in the upper .2s and .3s. It had nothing to do with how big an object is, it's how much of the surface is pushing directly against the wind. Bikes don't have flat, smooth, slippery surfaces like cars do but instead have header pipes, fork tubes, front wheel and fender and so on exposed. Turbulance is formed when each of these objects moves through the air and causes resistance. So there may not be any difference in engine effeciency but there certainly is in wind resistance.

Answer 9

A motorcycle is more fuel efficient than a car, as it has less to move and a smaller engine.

Answer 10

depends on passenger needs/ such how many what are you carring? if just yourself then motorcycle is more efficent! gas mileage average for motorcycle carring one person better than a car for sure!
as gas keeps going up if you work in place you don't have carry alot to... then motorcycle is good investment at 50= miles per gallon...