Top 5 Things You Need To Know Before Buying A Bajaj Dominar 400

While the Dominar 400 is a viable option as a sports tourer in the middle-weight segment, here’s all you need to know before bringing one home

Bajaj Auto was one of the biggest names in the performance-oriented 150-odd cc segment. But as Indian customers gradually started shifting towards mid-size capacity bikes (350 – 500 cc), Bajaj realized they didn’t really have a product in this category. Well, having gained experience producing the single cylinder KTM street bikes, they launched a completely new bike in its portfolio – the Bajaj Dominar 400, that drew inspiration from the KTM 390 Duke, back in 2016. 

Over the past 6 years, the Dominar has been well received by Indian bikers, which has prompted Bajaj to deck the Dominar 400 with touring accessories, giving its sports tourer more cred. However, like every other product, it has its share of pros and cons. Hence, we list the top five points that you must know about the Dominar 400, before finalizing it as your next purchase.

1) Attractive Price

The biggest plus point of the Dominar 400 is the price point at which it is being offered. Currently, the Bajaj Dominar 400 is available at a price of Rs 2,22,386 (ex-showroom Delhi). This makes it Rs 71,696 cheaper than the KTM 390 Duke, with which the bike shares its powertrain. 

Other bikes in the segment also cost a lot more than the Dominar 400, some of which even offer fewer features. This high value-for-money (VFM) package of the Bajaj Dominar 400 is essentially its biggest strength. The Dominar makes perfect sense for riders who want to join the performance bike craze, but aren’t willing to shell out huge lumps of cash to do so.

2) Loaded to the brim with features

If the aforementioned price tag isn’t enough to entice you towards buying the Dominar 400, its feature list surely will do the job. While being cheaper than all its direct rivals, the Dominar 400 is offered with truck loads of features. Some of these include full LED lighting system, all digital twin instrument cluster with range and mileage indicator, dual-channel ABS with disc brakes at both ends, upside down fork and slipper clutch. 

Additionally, the 2022 iteration of the Dominar 400 called the UG2 comes equipped with a whole range of touring accessories like visor, GPS mount, saddle stay, new crash guard, USB charger, pillion backrest, knuckle guards, bash plate and top rack. Hence, the Dominar 400 offers plenty of features for the buck, even in comparison to bikes of a segment above!

3) Average build quality

A comparatively lower price point will obviously result in some limitations in the product, and in the Dominar 400’s case, this is apparent in the bike’s build quality. The overall fit and finish of materials used in the bike feel a notch lower than what is available on the KTM 390 Duke or other direct rivals. 

4) Comfortable Ergonomics

Living up to its sport touring persona, this bike offers rider focussed ergonomics, which coupled with a comfortable seat, go a long way in allowing you to much those miles without straining yourself quite a bit. The handlebar is positioned in a way to allow you to sit upright, thus offering an optimal rider triangle. 

The taller touring windshield goes a long way in toning down wind blasts at speed while touring, and the pillion comfort is enhanced thanks to the rear backrest. As the bike comes with saddle stays and a top rack, mounting your luggage is also now hasslefree. Having these parts fitted from the factory gives peace of mind, when compared to aftermarket parts.

5) Potent Engine

In the middle-weight bike segment, the engine plays a vital part of how appealing a motorcycle can be. The Dominar 400 has nailed this aspect by using KTM 390 Duke’s engine as a base and giving it Bajaj’s triple spark flavour. 

The result is a 373.3 cc, single-cylinder, 4-valve DTS-i engine that comes with liquid cooling and fuel injection which produces 40PS and 35Nm mated to a 6-speed gearbox. That’s only 3.5PS and 2Nm less than the KTM 390 Duke. It’s got a smooth and linear power delivery across the powerband, without any major vibrations even at triple digit speeds.