[shaikhmimran]

Thank you IronH4WK for this meticulously put together, painstakingly covered & unbiasedly written brilliant review.

This bike has been long time coming & a comprehensive review like this one answers so many questions from thousands of curious riders in India.

I have few follow up questions:
- what was the odo on the test bike?
- top speed (real world)
- cruising sweet spot (is it 80-100 kmph or 100-120 kmph etc)
- take on the tail lights

Thank you & safe riding!

[amoghchaphalkar]

Arguably one of the best and most practical review of the Dominar so far! One that appeals to both the layman and the enthusiast!

Rated 5*

I do not think any reviewer so far has picked this:

Originally Posted by IronH4WK

The reservoir for the rear brake is exposed and can be potentially knocked down by a careless pillion:
Attachment 1597054

Minute observations like these separate the better from the best!

[rk_sans]

Very crisp and informative review IronH4wk. After i took a small test ride, i was surprised by the braking capabilities and suspensions. It glided through the potholes very easily without much transferring the rattles to the rider. And off course the lighting is really good. My wife complained about the pillion seat height. Bajaj is improving technically but i guess their main concern is about the A.S.S which has not improved at all. The behavior of handling smaller CC bikes is still on them. They need to up their level of handling bigger CC bikes better.

[IronH4WK]

Originally Posted by Teesh@BHP

If I am not wrong, this is the first official team-BHP bike review no?

Edit: Actually, it's the third.

Originally Posted by Torino

The 2000kms running-in period sounds too long for a modern engine. Owners will have a hard time for the first 2000kms but the 73 and 85km/h limit does help a bit though.

The run-in period for my Ninja 650 was/is 1600kms. 4500rpm for the first 800kms and 6000rpm. Of course, on a 650 you can do higher speeds at those rpms.

I know one itches to open the throttle, but it is imperative to break-in the engine slowly as recommended.

Originally Posted by Motard_Blr

Excellent review! I had a very short test ride and came away with impressed with the Dominar.

I know Bajaj isn't selling this as a city commuter bike but 2 things about it are limiting its all-roundness: the very big turning circle and the high gearing. Both make riding in the city a less than optimum experience.

Unless you're in narrow alleyway, the turning radius doesn't affect really affect city riding. I took the bike through some very congested traffic and the bike was very well mannered. Didn't stall, didn't have a problem manoeuvring the bike and most importantly, I didn't end up with tandoori legs

Originally Posted by shaikhmimran

I have few follow up questions:

Here are your answers:
- what was the odo on the test bike? It had the one that came factory fitted (just kidding). IIRC, it was 320kms on the odometer
- top speed (real world) You can take the bike to the top speed indicated by Bajaj (and beyond if you really push it).
- cruising sweet spot (is it 80-100 kmph or 100-120 kmph etc) I would recommend 100-120km/h
- take on the tail lights They're more apart compared to a Pulsar's tail lamp, but functional and effective during daytime as well as night.

Here's a picture of it from the rear:

[bblost]

Absolutely brilliant review. Ended up reading it twice because the first time, I could not stop staring at the pictures.

Thanks a lot for what I consider one of the most compelling bikes in the market today.

[rideon74]

A meticulously detailed report of this new star on the horizon, IronH4wk! I think you'll this thread is beginning of a great one as the Dominar is sure to have enough takers soon. And as always, fellow BHP-ians will be adding their two-cents from their experiences to your wonderful start. Thank you and looking forward to more from your side!

[pradkumar]

Experts,

Will the slipper clutch become a maintenance headache over time? Will the "average Joe" mechanic at Bajaj know how to repair this if something goes wrong?

Thanks,

Pradeep

Originally Posted by IronH4WK

One of the important additions on the Dominar's feature list is the slipper clutch. A slipper clutch is a special kind of clutch with a freewheel mechanism which can reduce the effect of engine braking. It helps with quick shifting at any given revvs and safe downshifts, not allowing the rear wheel to lock up. To put it simply, imagine you're entering a corner and need to downshift. In a bike without a slipper clutch, sudden deceleration due to engine braking will make you lose the rear. On the other hand, with the slipper clutch installed, the clutch momentarily disengages, not allowing the engine rpm to climb drastically and transfer the sudden surge in revvs to the rear wheel, thereby allowing the rider to keep the bike in control.

[IronH4WK]

Originally Posted by pradkumar

Experts,



Will the slipper clutch become a maintenance headache over time? Will the "average Joe" mechanic at Bajaj know how to repair this if something goes wrong?



Thanks,



Pradeep

The idea of a slipper clutch is to match the engine rpm to the final drive. This would mean lesser wear and tear when compared to a regular clutch, especially when doing hard downshifts. Experts feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Regarding maintenance, I believe the mechanics at the Bajaj service centres will be trained in maintenance of the clutch assembly.

[payeng]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

It's the third one if I remember it right, first being the Ninja 650 review and the second one being the Harley Davidson Street 750 review.

Would be a good idea to have separate section for Official T-bhp Bike Test Rides similar to that of cars.

Would add more value to this forum

Originally Posted by Motard_Blr

Let's face it: most people buying the Dominar will use it mainly for riding in congested cities rather than on the highway.

I won't.

In fact planning to get a Navi for my "City + Milk and Eggs" roundabout.

I aslo have plans of picking a Dominar after 1-2 years, purely as an affordable Pleasure/Leisure ride

[landcruiser123]

Great review there. Going by your review, seems like there aren't many things which you won't like about the bike.

Is the gearing tall for the highway unlike the 200NS?

Also, were there any accessories on display? I'm specially interested to know whether there's a windscreen as an official accessory.

[finneyp]

Thanks IronH4WK for the detailed review with loads of pics!

Bajaj has a got a winner in 300cc segment, the build, specs, features & price is hard to beat! Kudos Bajaj

[payeng]

Although Exhaustive, a list of Likes & Dislikes would have been great

[amit_snk]

This is what is called a review, thanks for a fantastically detailed analysis of most talked about bike launched in India. From last 6 months I have been trying to find a replacement for my Bullet Electra-to be used mostly for touring, I have tested Himalayan and Mahindra mojo but didn't find them to be extraordinarily exciting over my Electra.

I was watching all those biased reviews of Dominar being uploaded on YouTube on daily basis and was waiting to get a hand on the real test ride bike to get a honest experience myself, but being in the B town city we didn't had the Bike in any of the showrooms, reading this review, I felt like i was actually experiencing the ride and what are pros and cons of the bike. Although a good product, I feel at 182kgs its a little heavy, makes me wonder, like middle aged Indian aunties, why shedding weight is not a priority for our home grown producers from Tata/Mahindra to Royal Enfield and now Bajaj.

Thanks again for this wonderfully detailed review.

[The Brutailer]

Great review of a game changer bike. All this at THAT price? Only Bajaj could do it. Makes me wonder how Honda is taking us Indians granted by selling Cbr250r at a very stupid price.

Make in India at it's very best. Kudos Bajaj! Finally, a proper big bike for the masses.

Edit : As mentioned by a bhpian, a list of Good and Bad would've been much appreciated!

[rvd8732]

Great write-up Anil!!

Although, the bike looks bigger but with a tall rider the bike does look smaller (possibly the picture was taken at an angle which makes the bike look small?).

How is the gear to gear acceleration with its detuned engine? Would you throw some comparison between Dominar and D390 in terms of acceleration?