While talking about the Bajaj Dominar 400, we like to mention the fact, mostly against it, that it’s a “Bajaj bike” or it uses a copied engine from KTM. Among all those people, you can easily include me as I have spent hours, writing paragraphs about how the service offered by Bajaj’s showroom makes the experience of owning a Dominar almost not worth it. But lately, I have come to realize this fact that, the Dominar, despite its faulty branding, is the most excellent product to have ever come out of Indian market. I will explain why.Most advanced engine design:
The Engine of the Dominar may have been ripped apart from KTM but it has been worked thoroughly by Bajaj to develop an entirely different character of its own. The Triple spark 4-valve engine compliments the cruiser nature of the bike by offering plenty of torque in a thick powerband and more than enough usable power. The triple spark technology allows for a cleaner burn for the fuel and produces far fewer hydrocarbons and CO (Carbon mono-oxide) compared to a single spark plug engine.The tuning of this engine is according to the last gen KTM 390 engine, as it produces almost the same torque (35 NM @6500 RPM). The power of the engine is reduced to 35 PS @8000 RPM to ensure that it remains stress-free under long riding conditions. Many people are also angry about the rev limiter being placed just at 9500 RPM, but slow engine speed increases the interval between two service period. Thus giving you a torquey engine with usable power and long life. Not to mention a fuel economy of 25-30 km/l.
Complimentary features:
Here I would like to mention the Slipper Clutch which comes standard on the bike. As the weight of the Dominar is 182 kg (dry), it tips the scales towards the heavy cruiser territory. Also taking into account, its ability to easily cruise at 130 to 140 km/h, a sudden engine braking can very easily break traction in the bike. Bajaj knew this very well, so they decided to install the Slipper Clutch on both the Variants of Dominar as standard feature. Speaking of Variants, the ABS on this bike has a superb sampling rate. Even if the brakes are pulled on a dirt filled road, the front doesn't lock easily leaving the rear tyre to roll down and lock for short intervals. The ABS version is not so expensive at Rs 1.58 lakh ex-showroom when you consider the pre-installed Slipper Clutch.
Complimentary accessories:
The seat is firm and wide, the center of gravity is low and the seat height at 800 mm, is adequate for tall and short people. The front headlamp is bright enough that you won’t ever need to install additional lights on your bike, the lights are LED too, meaning the AHO won’t suck the life out of your battery. The seating position is comfortable and your knee remains high enough to be dropped into light corners. The bike is not meant for ultra sharp cornering but considering the genre it finds itself in, an average rider like me can easily find himself, tipping in several shallow turns.
Bajaj Dominar is such a bike which can impress even a premium bike owner. It's not just the ABS and the triple spark engine, but how all of it comes together in just under Rs 2 lakh. With its versatile nature, super affordable price tag and consumer-friendly build, one can easily live with the Dominar 400. Sure, it uses cheap plastics here and there but it just means that they will be easy to replace if you break them.
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By: Yetnesh Dubey
