Bajaj Dominar 250 Launched; Rs 30,000 Cheaper Than Bajaj Dominar 400!

It makes 3PS and 0.5Nm less than its Austrian brother, the KTM 250 Duke

• The Bajaj Dominar 250 comes with a box-section swingarm and slimmer tyres.
• It also gets a smaller 300mm front disc, but with a radial caliper.
• Bookings are now open across all authorised dealerships.

The Bajaj Dominar 250 has been launched in India at Rs 1,60,000 (ex-showroom Delhi). This makes it Rs 30,002 more affordable than its bigger brother, the Bajaj Dominar 400 BS4. Bookings are officially open across all authorised dealerships and we can expect deliveries to start soon. The bike is available in two colours: Canyon Red and Vine Black.

The Bajaj Dominar 250’s engine is based on the KTM 250 Duke BS6. However, it is 3PS less powerful and 0.5Nm less torquey compared to its Austrian sibling. The motorcycle makes 27PS at 8500rpm and 23.5Nm at 6500rpm. In comparison, the Dominar 400 BS4 makes 40PS at 8650rpm and 35Nm at 7000rpm.

It is claimed to be capable of accelerating from 0-100kmph in 10.5 seconds (3.4 seconds slower than the Dominar 400) and can reach a claimed top speed of 132kmph. The bike comes with dual-spark plugs as opposed to triple-spark plugs in the Dominar 400. The powerplant works alongside a 6-speed transmission with slipper clutch like the bigger Dominar.

While Bajaj has made sure it gets a premium inverted front fork, it is a slimmer 37mm unit as opposed to the Dominar 400’s 43mm unit. The front disc is 30mm smaller in diameter, at 300mm, but it does get a radial caliper. The rear retains the same 230mm disc. The bike gets a proper dual-channel ABS; Bajaj hasn’t cheaped out here.

To save up on costs, Bajaj has equipped the motorcycle with a box-section swingarm as opposed to the stamped metal unit in the bigger bike. That said, the rear retains the same Nitrox preload-adjustable monoshock as its sibling.

Another cost-saving measure is the tyres. The 17-inch alloys are shod with MRF Nylogrip Zapper tyres, measuring 100-section up front and 130-section at the rear. They’re not radials like the Dominar 400. The motorcycle weighs 4kg lighter than the Dominar 400, at 180kg kerb. At 13 litres and 157mm, the fuel tank capacity and the ground clearance remain the same as the bigger bike.

Bajaj has made sure the design is similar to its bigger brother so that the premium quotient isn’t diluted. It gets an all-LED lighting system and a fully digital instrument cluster. Interestingly, the instrument cluster looks similar to the previous-generation Dominar 400, with the tank-mounted pod showing only the tell-tale lights. It doesn’t show the real time and average mileage like the new-generation Dominar 400.

The Bajaj Dominar 250 rivals the Yamaha FZ25, Suzuki Gixxer 250, Benelli Leoncino 250, and Husqvarna Svartpilen 250 in the quarter-litre naked segment.