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-   -   Ridden: Bajaj Dominar 400 (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/183778-ridden-bajaj-dominar-400-a-33.html)

With due respect, apart from the marquee Bavarian brand and good paint job, for the sticker price BMW is not offering any worthwhile features to go ga ga over the bike. Indian auto journos will typically praise to the heaven any foreign brand though it might be the most basic level of automotive thing abroad, which gets introduced in india

I totally agree with you here. Features wise yes quite a let down especially at the launch price. Build quality from what I've read and heard from friends, who have seen the bike is top notch. Built to last

Considering it is made in India, this should have been priced between the Duke 250 and 390. Internationally too, in most countries the Baby Beemer undercuts the Duke 390. Then why not here :eek:

That is because to most of these foreign companies think, they can make fools of us Indians and not give a damn; because some of us are willing to pay the premium just for the badge. IMHO 1 lac is just for the BMW badges on the bike. I'm sorry if I have offended anyone here, that is not the intention; just giving my opinion on this topic because it is quite annoying and frustrating to see companies do this.

On the other hand, I also think BMW have done this on purpose because they don't have a large dealer network. Maybe to keep the demand in check and gauge and see response first hand before investing more and spreading the dealer network then and maybe reduce prices ahead. But unlikely BMW will ever reduce their prices.

Not to forget the running costs which are very low on the Dominar. For Eg. Checking the front and rear brake pads on my bike at 13K kms revealed that they need replacement. The front pads are for Rs. 238 while the rear are around Rs. 200. Remaining cycle parts replacement also does not pinch the pocket that bad!

I just wish if they bring in the Dominar Adventure version soon. The reason GS has got more bookings is because of the clear market trend towards adventure versions. Himalayan sales are a proof too.

This exactly is their biggest problem and the main reason for failure to capitalize on the market with the Dominar. A great product in Dominar, stupid stupid marketing to put it against the RE. Even their "Dominate the Nights" ad campaign was a clear failure to understand the target customer.

I remember the Pulsar CS prototype concept was huge exciting news back when they showcased it.

While as a customer / end user we can gauge this, but sadly the marketing force has managed to ruin the image of Dominar.

There was or rather is a huge potential in that segment. It ticks most of the boxes but the beating that Dominar brand has taken already is ruining its position further.

And I don't understand why these morons will not stop those "Haathi Mat Paalo" ads. Rather than showcasing the strengths of Dominar (which on paper look fantastic), they are showing the negatives of RE. And Negative marketing for the competing product in my opinion brings a negative aura to the buyer. It is actually helping RE sales all the more because they chose to ignore the ads and never replied to any. Which makes them more of a mature choice in peoples minds no matter whatever the shortcomings.

Is there any concrete news till now, about the development of an Adventure version?

While its still not concrete sir, but the rumours do suggest that Bajaj is readying an adventure which we can hope is a Dominar / 390 engined Adventure.

Source 1

Source 2

Source 3

Good luck with your search. I quite agree with your assessment about the BMWs. I really see no point in paying a bunch of money for a 300 cc BMW or Kawasaki. If one wants to buy an imported brand, it's better to stick with 600 CC and above. That is where one really gets the differentiators; be it in the mechanicals or the brand value of the bike.

In the 8 months that I have had my Dominar, we have seen a slew of new launches. The RR310 from TVS, the BMW 310s, the Triumph 800s, the Ninja 300, and like N variations of RE. Being the motorcyle enthusiast that I am, I paid attention to each launch and I am super glad that I chose the Dominar. It really is a wonderful motorcycle for the money. It does so many things well and with very little fuss. And there have been no major quality issues such as the ones that have plagues other brands.

Incidentally, if you are planning on going to Sai Service in Andheri, I can give you the name of the sales manager there. He knows me well by now. Him and everyone else there :)

I will PM you the details regarding the equipment. That way, I am not blatantly promoting a commercial establishment on an open forum.


You are welcome to join us. I will ask our admins to include you once your bike situation is sorted.


Thank you. Here is another short review for you; in case you are also considering the Himalayan which I got to ride for a good 30 KMs.

Quick impressions:

1. Riding position and seat comfort are great. Very sorted ergonomics for long rides. Seat cushioning is excellent.
   
2. Very torquey engine. Has torque in all gears. Even in 5th gear the bike accelerates quite a bit. Quite useful in traffic.
   
3. Suspension. There's a lot written about this. Frankly, I don't have an opinion because I simply don't know how to evaluate the suspension. On a granular level, I did feel the bumps and the pot holes in the road. Straight line stability was perceptibly lower than Dominar. Cornering is also less confidence inspiring than on the Dominar.
   
4. When cruising at 80 to 85 kmph, the bike is totally at home. Very nice. Over that, the engine sounds strained as it pulls in excess of 95 kmph. Lots of noise. But no proportionate forward movement.
   
5. Over 80 kmph, the speedometer isn't very legible. The small amplitude vibrations make the speedo and the rear view mirrors hard to read.
   
6. On that note, it should be said that right from the start, the dash console vibrated with an annoying, highly audible noise. I checked and rechecked to see if there was a loose item caught in the gaps of the console. There wasn't. It was the dash assembly and windscreen that was poorly put together. Sounded like having a couple of coins loose in the cup holders in your car while driving over rough pavement.
   
7. Oh, and the fuel gauge didn't work.
   
8. The bike is generally excellent to ride in the city traffic in slow and medium speeds. Highway riding is also good as long as you are not in a hurry. Plus the upright position means a whole lot of wind buffeting. Whole upper body gets pummeled by the wind at high speeds.
   
9. Clutch is HARD. The showroom guy said that that was due to the bike being a demo used by lots of people. But it had only 1800 kms on it. So I didn't buy his explanation.
   
10. The gearing also is a bit hard compared to the Dominar. But I didn't have any issues changing gears or in finding neutral.
    
11. Engine heat management is poor. Lots of heat on legs. By the end of the ride, even my upper thighs that were hugging the tank (and therefore not exposed to the engine) were getting very hot.
    
12. I really liked the engine note.
    
13. If you like to go distances without really needing to speed to get there, and / or you need an off road capable machine for adventure riding, this bike fits the bill.

Thank you Mohan

Sure, would love that. Will ping you when I am planning to go there if the Borivli Sai Service doesn't give me a long TD.



Got your PM. Replied to it, thank you do much.




Thank you so much




Thank you Mohan for takin time out to reply to all my queries and going one step ahead by including a comparison with Himalayan

Hello Dominar BHPians... I am planning a ride from Mumbai to Mysore in the last week of August. Looking for company (on 2 wheels or 4 :)). Please PM me if you are interested.

I was quite interested in the latest print advert from Bajaj in this month's Fast Bikes magazine. Bajaj is playing to their strengths (after taking many wrong turns since the product launch!) and promoting year long hyper tours, riding sessions, dominar rentals, bike shipping assistance and merchandize. Good show Bajaj, I like how they are putting really getting behind the product. And then I noticed someone in Bajaj accidentally approved usage of an image that shows a Dominar rider wearing a Benelli jacket :D

Hi all,
Have done 19k+ kms till date in a year. Given for service at Midday Automobile facility at Andul road Howrah. It's a pleasure journey till now. I had requested them for an ECU 117 reflux/update. Just now the workshop manager said that 117 is no longer rather 105 is the current version so they had updated it to 105. I want to know from gurus if they can enlighten me on this regard. Thanks in anticipation.

Dead Dominar & pathetic service response is another hallmark of this "Premium Bike" from the stable of Bajaj.

My Brand new Dominar is standing dead for last 45 days with no service support in site & that too in NCR area.

Local Bajaj service centre is not equipped to service Dominar & next one is 25 kms away . I had registered my complaint twice to Bajaj helpline but in vain. Helpline Centre gave issue report to 3 centres but all 3 has refused to respond to the issue !

Hence a dead Dominar is decorating my parking ! I am trying my level best to stop anyone to make same mistake to buy Dominar or trust any high end bikes from this brand ! Shame Rajiv Bajaj !:Frustrati

Can you please elaborate on the issue you are facing instead of simply stopping people from buying the bike. Have been using one for the past 8 months everyday, and know many more who stand by the product.

So please do not put down a brand without any detailed information.

My rental Dominar slid down a dirt road and also got swiped by a Splendor in BLR. Not once did it die or crap out.

Bike is not taking self start all of a sudden - battery change has also not helped .

Issue is 3 service centres are not listening to the complaint - Bajaj needs to pull up it socks to listen & respond to customer grievance .

This may be a good bike but wrt what ? My TVS max didn't died a single time for 5 years under any weather conditions . Does that make TVS more value for money or Dominar ? I had bought Dominar for peace of mind & not for running around asking for solution.