The affordable performance motorcycle segment of India is slowly evolving with time. With each passing year, the capacity of the affordable motorcycles is increasing. In the modern time, India got its first above quarter-litre inexpensive product in the form of the KTM 390 Duke. Of course, the Royal Enfield motorcycle will not be included in the list as they are not performance machines. Now, Bajaj has launched the Dominar 400 in India, which is very affordable and also has the right amount of power. Here is everything that you should know the Dominar 400.
Looks
The Dominar looks different from from all the other motorcycles in the Bajaj line-up. It has a very broad pose with sculpted fuel tank. The design of the motorcycle looks very much inspired by the Ducati Diavel. The main highlight of the motorcycle is the full-LED headlamp set-up that always stay on due to Automatic Headlamp On (AHO) feature.
The Dominar feels very premium, it has raised logo and a lot of machined alloy parts like the handlebar mounts, footrests and its mounts. It gets a full LCD console stationed on the headlamp unit while there is another panel of indicators on the 13-litre fuel tank. The LCD console uses white digits on black background, making it much easier to read, even in direct sunlight. The other console is situated on the tank has warning lamps of ABS, side-stand down, battery, and check engine.
The Dominar also posses some beautiful looking machined alloy wheels, that make it look more expensive. The exhaust is sleek while the tail lamp unit is also full LED. Overall, even though the Dominar 400 gets few price saving bits like conventional front suspensions, the motorcycle does not look cheap at all.
Engine is performance
The Dominar 400 gets the same 373.2cc engine block that powers the KTM 390 Duke and RC. The engine has been tuned for the Dominar and gets different fueling system. The engine feels very refined and sounds smooth. The engine produces a maximum of 34 bhp and 35 Nm of torque. This engine is tuned for rideability instead of performance.
The riding position is very relaxing. The seat of the Dominar gives a lot of support to the rider and the upright position makes sure that the rider stays comfortable even over long distance rides. The Dominar 400 feels vibration free through the rev range. It comes with 6-speed manual gearbox and cruises at 100 km/h in the 6th gear with rpm hovering over 6,000 rpm.
Along with great highway cruising ability, the Dominar 400 has exceptional handling abilities inside the city borders. Even though it has a long wheelbase that keeps it stable during straight lines, the Dominar is quite nimble in the city traffic. The motorcycle changes direction easily and does not feel like a big bike.
Should you buy it?
The Dominar 400 has all the right things ticked against it. The price starts at just Rs. 1.36 lakh for the non-ABS version and Rs. 1.5 lakh for the ABS version. The motorcycle is just Rs. 17,000 more expensive than the Yamaha FZ25 and Rs. 7,000 cheaper than the KTM 200 Duke. The Dominar comes with all the bells and whistles and there is no doubt that the motorcycle has brilliant quality too. If you are looking for a touring machine that can be used as commuter motorcycle too, this is it! There are always choices in the form of Yamaha FZ25 and recently launched KTM 250 Duke if you do not like the styling but the Dominar 400 is an all-rounder that you will love to have in your garage!
