With the Dominar 400 now powered by a smaller-capacity 349cc engine, Bajaj’s cycle of downsizing all its products, along with the Triumph 400s and select KTM 390s it manufactures, is now complete – an exercise undertaken to benefit from the lower 18 percent GST on two-wheelers under the 350cc threshold. But has this downsizing affected the Dominar 400 in any significant way, and who exactly is this bike for today?
Design and Features
It’s been nearly a decade since Bajaj launched the Dominar 400, and in that time, not much has changed visually. While you can call the Dominar a dated-looking machine, you certainly can’t accuse it of being a sparsely equipped one. I don’t mean fancy features and farkles like a laundry list of electronic rider aids or a huge TFT display; instead, the Dominar is well kitted out for its target audience. Things you usually have to purchase as extras on other bikes, such as a pillion backrest integrated into the luggage rack, a comprehensive engine guard, a big front windscreen and knuckle guards, come standard on the Dominar 400.
The biggest change from the rider’s POV is the new Pulsar NS400Z-sourced display and switchgear, which the Dominar received a year ago. With this update, it also got four riding modes (Sport, Road, Rain and Off-road) with distinct ABS calibration for each. One thing that remains exclusive to the Pulsar is the bidirectional quickshifter, which seems like a strange miss on the more expensive Dominar.
Performance and Fuel Economy - 8
The Dominar’s 373cc engine was downsized to 349cc by reducing the stroke from 60mm to 56.1mm while retaining the 89mm bore. Barring some essential changes necessary for the downsizing process to the engine’s head, the mill retains everything from before, including its compression ratio. While the Dominar and Pulsar NS400Z share this engine, there are some differences. Both have distinct mapping and tuning to suit their different roles, and the Dominar also has different camshafts and a heavier flywheel for a stronger mid-range.
In fact, the Dominar 400 is one of those rare cases where the same engine produces more power after being downsized! It never received the 43hp state of tune as the Pulsar did last year and stayed at 40hp, so now there’s a marginal 0.6hp improvement. Torque, however, has dropped from 35Nm to 33.2Nm on the 349cc version.
On the move, the 349cc Dominar 400 retains its predecessor’s relaxed character, although you do feel the drop in low- and mid-range compared to the 373cc version. Nevertheless, the Dominar 400 still has more than enough performance, and out on wide, open roads, sustaining 100-120kph in top gear is quite a placid affair, and commendable highway performance is one of its biggest USPs. Also worth mentioning is that its engine has a calmer and easier-to-use nature than the one in the NS.
Ride and Handling
What community is saying on the Dominar 400?
The Dominar 400 has never been about maximum thrills – look at the Pulsar NS400Z for that – and the engine’s relaxed demeanour carries over to the chassis front as well. This is a surefooted and predictable machine, but you wouldn’t call it a sporty one. Flowing through gentle corners is more up the Dominar’s alley than attacking fast switchbacks. Its foot pegs also touch down without too much effort, and it is best to ride this bike in a relaxed yet brisk fashion.
What will put you in that zone is the Dominar’s relaxed riding triangle, plush, well-padded seats for both rider and pillion, and a pliant suspension that rounds off all but the harshest of bumps our roads will throw your way. At 190kg, the Dominar 400 is a heavy machine, and you will feel that at low speeds, but the low 800mm seat height will help most riders get their feet down confidently and manoeuvre the bike as they like.
Price and Verdict
Summing up, of all the Bajaj-made bikes now downsized to 350cc, the Dominar 400 actually benefits the most because its key USP was scoring high on bang for the buck. That quotient has been further enhanced, and at Rs 2.04 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), it has very competitive pricing. As for outright performance, it has sacrificed some compared to before, but the big price advantage far outweighs the slight dip.
And when you look at the overall package as well as the standard equipment on offer, the Bajaj Dominar 400 is one of the most affordable and capable road-focused touring machines on sale at this price point.
Rishaad Mody
Azaman Chothia
