Today’s battle for motorcycles is very huge, especially when brands like Bajaj provides the riders motorcycles that are great value for money and brands like Royal Enfield assures great accessibility and riding comfort be it in the city or the highways. Royal Enfield launched their first off-roader the Himalayan which is a great tourer and is special for what it is-Off roading. Bajaj wanted to bring down this show of masterpiece, so they brought into play the Bajaj Dominar 400, which shocked the Indian market for they price Bajaj offered. So we at BikesIndia wanted to compare both the motorcycles and conclude which is the best among them.Design and Styling:
*** Royal Enfield Himalayan
Up front, the Himalayan is a very tall looking motorcycle, which looks like it is born to solve its soul purpose. The circular headlamp remains the same from the other Royal Enfield motorcycles. RE has given a pretty good windshield, that acts as a good wind blaster, it is just that material used is not very durable.The beak below the headlamp makes it looks like a bird. The headlight doesn’t get LED lights which are a bit disappointing. The indicators look bulky and rugged. The Himalayan sports a 21-inch front wheel and 17 inch rear wheel. Overall the motorcycle looks tall and well build.
*** Bajaj Dominar 400
The Dominar is a pretty good looking motorcycle from almost every angle. Bajaj has managed to make it look like the Ducati X Diavel. The mosaic shaped headlights with white LED lights provides one of the best visibility on dark roads. Bajaj claims that the Dominar is born to dominate the night roads and fares well in doing so. The chiseled tank and the canister exhaust give the motorcycle a beefy outlook.
Winner: Bajaj Dominar 400
Instrument Cluster:
*** Royal Enfield Himalayan
The speedometer cluster at Royal Enfield Himalayan includes a tachometer, gear indicator, compass, two trip meters, average fuel meter, side stand indicators, hazard lights, neutral position indicator, service interval, a clock, distance in kilometers or miles, tale tell lights, high beam indicator and the battery indicator too. The inclusion of the hazard lights is a very smart move by RE.
*** Bajaj Dominar 400
The instrument cluster of Bajaj Dominar 400 is split into two parts one in its normal position and the other on the tank. The first instrument cluster is a fully digital white backlit display that houses a Tachometer, Speedometer, Fuel level indicator, Two trip meters, and a clock. The second instrument cluster is placed on the fuel tank as seen on the Ducati Diavel, where the low battery, check engine, coolant warning light, ABS and side-stand indicators are displayed with the Bajaj emblem housed in the middle. The switchgear too is backlit for a better night time visibility. The buttons on the switchgear feel premium. The Dominar lacks a hazard light feature, which is kind of disappointing.
Winner: Royal Enfield Himalayan
Engine and performance:
The Himalayan is powered by a 411cc, single cylinder, oil cooled engine that delivers 24.5 BHP at 6500 RPM and 32Nm of torque at 4000 RPM. The Himalayan is mated to a 5-speed gearbox, whereas the Dominar gets a 6-speed gearbox and has its neck over the Himalayan. The Dominar 400 shares the same 373cc, single cylinder, liquid cooled engine based on the KTM’s Duke 390. The Dominar 400 out powers the Himalayan by producing an extra 10.5 BHP and 3Nm torque at 8000 and 6500 RPMs respectively. Up to 80kmph both the motorcycles feel good to ride, after which the Dominar does the job way better than the Himalayan in picking up triple digit speeds and better stability. The Dominar feels more refined and smooth over the longer run.
Winner: Bajaj Dominar 400
Suspension:
The Royal Enfield Himalayan needs a special mention for its suspension. The Motorcycle just eats up all the potholes and jerks with utmost ease, it feels like the ice cream melting in the mouth, that smooth in absorption. The front end gets a 41mm telescopic fork with 200mm travel. The rear gets a monoshock suspension with 180mm travel, being the first RE to get the mono-shock suspension system.Well, the Dominar gets a pretty decent suspension setup, good enough for the Indian roads, but it can't do what the Himalayan does- Amazing suspension quality even on the worst ever roads. The front suspension system has a 43 mm fork which is the largest in the segment and the rear receives a dual spring monoshock suspension system.
Winner: Royal Enfield Himalayan
Braking:
*** Royal Enfield Himalayan
The front wheel of RE Himalayan gets a 300mm disc and the rear gets a 240mm disc that provides decent stopping power. Bite and feedback on the Himalayan is pretty poor when compared the Dominar 400. The Himalayan lacks ABS, a must feature for all motorcycles above 300cc.
*** Bajaj Dominar 400
Dominar 400 gets both ABS and Non-ABS variants. I strongly suggest going for the ABS variant since Bajaj has integrated the dual-channel ABS system to the front 320 mm and the rear 230 mm disc brakes. The bite and feel on the Dominar 400 is so much better than the Himalayan. The motorcycle reacts quicker on damping the lever.
Winner: Bajaj Dominar 400
Verdict:
Both the motorcycles do their jobs perfectly in almost every aspect, but there is always one winner and the Bajaj Dominar 400 clearly is the winner in this shootout.
By: Rishath Suresh
