One tank of fuel, 520 miles

Rider spends 18 hours on Chinese 125 at 30mph, to prove it will do 173mpg. We’d want to drink the remaining petrol, too.

THERE'S a point where the pain of saving fuel outweighs the gain.

And a Huddersfield man has galloped past it, by spending 18 hours riding a Chinese 125 at 30mph.

Jason Lodge, 52, did the 520-mile journey from Huddersfield to John O’Groats on one tank of petrol, with enough left to pour a trickle into a pint glass. We don’t know why. Perhaps he despaired at the futility of the exercise, and planned to drink it.

He says the Honley 125, which he sells from Earnshaws Motorcycles, did 173mpg and the journey cost £19.

He said:  “It was the longest 18 hours I have travelled in my life and at less than 30mph it was the slowest, too.

“But it proved the bike can do a crazy 173mpg.

“The first leg to Keighley seemed so slow and it was obviously going to be a long day.

“I tried speeding up a little bit to 45-50mph but noticed the fuel was going down so slowed back down again.

“It was a route off the motorways and luckily the weather was fine.

“It took an age to get to Inverness and there was a sign saying John O’Groats 120 miles.

“Thirty miles from the destination, the Honley spluttered to a halt so I knew I had only the reserve tank left but it made it all the way, with some to spare”.