[BANDHAV]

Originally Posted by adrian

The half face helmet is issued deliberately so that the Dominar rider can scoff at the "HATHI" riders (# Hathi math palo !)

I can't even spot a visor on that helmet.

I would say this is irresponsible advertising on part of Bajaj. Even their recent advertisement of Avenger is in right direction but failed on same front with showing the woman rider in rather misfit clothing for the riding/biking purpose.

Any word on the launch date?

[am1m]

Originally Posted by BANDHAV

It is not that Bajaj is using a celebrity that showing the face is important.

From a purely ad film/psychology point, it doesn't even have to be a celebrity (though celebrity-driven advertising does work best in our market). If you need your audience to connect with the actor in the ad, they need to be able to see the actor's face. It's a basic human response to the eyes and face. Which is why car ads will also have close-up shots of the driver inside. Edit: I do remember one Bajaj ad a long time ago, for the Pulsar I think that just had riders fully suited up doing stunts on 3-4 Pulsars. One exception to showing the face.

Plus, the 'traditional' image ingrained through years of brand-building by cruisers implies this sort of helmet. Just look at all the Bullet riders on the roads, a lot have half-face and even those useless 'tin-hat' type helmets. Whatever the reasons, it appeals.

(I'm not getting into the safety aspects of a full-face vs half-face, or whether Bajaj should be 'more responsible' in their advertising; just explaining the advertising reasons.)

[BANDHAV]

Originally Posted by BANDHAV

I hope Bajaj will bring more color options this time.

I am glad white is making comeback, If I ever decided to go for this, this is the color I am going for.

Pic courtesy: Cartoq.

[payeng]

Looking Good in White and with the USD Forks.

Noticed the the bike in the Spy Photo doesn't have the belly Pan.. guess it was disassembled in the showroom.

[BANDHAV]

Originally Posted by payeng

Looking Good in White and with the USD Forks.

Noticed the the bike in the Spy Photo doesn't have the belly Pan.. guess it was disassembled in the showroom.

USD forks are doing wonders to that big bike feel.

Apparently these images are from service training, so removed belly pan makes sense.

I am still skeptical about the success of this product, I feel that after the initial euphoria of updated version, the monthly numbers would again settled down to whatever Bajaj was managing earlier.

[payeng]

Originally Posted by BANDHAV

USD forks are doing wonders to that big bike feel.

Apparently these images are from service training, so removed belly pan makes sense.

I am still skeptical about the success of this product, I feel that after the initial euphoria of updated version, the monthly numbers would again settled down to whatever Bajaj was managing earlier.

As long as the Product Ownership Feeling is Positive, the product should slowly gain more and more market acceptance.

Word of Mouth - That's how Splendor and Activa made themself as Automotive Legends.

[wangdu]

Originally Posted by payeng

As long as the Product Ownership Feeling is Positive, the product should slowly gain more and more market acceptance....

True that. I from once being a disbeliever in higher spec Bajaj bikes to now seriously considering one for myself can be one testimony. Really, the word of mouth and ownership reviews out there doesn't let it be ignored. Dominar is indeed proving out to be a very worthy jack-of-all-trades and that too at a sweet price point & affordable cost of ownership.

News: The production seems to have started and new model might also be launched here in a color typically "reserved" for Kawasaki

https://www.rushlane.com/2019-bajaj-...-12295348.html

[Geo_Ipe]

New colour on the 2019 Dominar!!

Source: https://www.rushlane.com/2019-bajaj-...-12295348.html

[payeng]

Two Videos of the 2019 Dominar Ride Experience:

Apparently shot in Leh-Laddakh by the Guys that feature in the TVC. Shot back in Sep 2018.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U6goigzXAk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mehZ4tuOW34

[Ironhide]

Originally Posted by payeng

Two Videos of the 2019 Dominar Ride Experience:

Apparently shot in Leh-Laddakh by the Guys that feature in the TVC. Shot back in Sep 2018.

Thanks for putting up the videos. IMO the videos are amateurishly shot and stand out for their lack of any perspective or detail.
All the same, what emerged from the videos (& what is already doing rounds on the internet) is

• Upside down forks
• DOHC
• Dual Channel ABS
• Smoother gearbox
• Better spread of torque.

These are only going to add to Dominar's established reputation of it being a fairly reliable, no-nonsense mile muncher - something on which one can comfortably tour at triple digit speeds all day long. Hope it translates into better sales for Bajaj.

Cheers !

[mohansrides]

Originally Posted by wangdu

True that. I from once being a disbeliever in higher spec Bajaj bikes to now seriously considering one for myself can be one testimony. Really, the word of mouth and ownership reviews out there doesn't let it be ignored. Dominar is indeed proving out to be a very worthy jack-of-all-trades and that too at a sweet price point & affordable cost of ownership.

Just go and buy one. It is by far the most VFM motorcycle out there. Barring a couple of people who seem to be justified in complaining about the bike (because their issues are quite substantial), most others who diss the bike are purely nitpicking in my opinion.

For example, I have seen pages and pages of ink devoted to vibes at 4k rpm; and honest to God, I did not even notice that in the demo bike which was from the first lot and was beaten to death. Certainly, it is not an issue on my own Dominar. At least not to any extent that bothers me. And yet, an acquaintance who's in the market for this class of motorcycle, TDed my bike and insisted that it has vibes at 4k. Frankly, I think I know my bike better than he does. And for what it's worth, he is still shopping for a 2 lac bike after almost 2 years of starting the search. It shouldn't be that hard really. Going by this example, I think that people are just being neurotic about minutiae that really do not matter in the long run.

All in all, here is a bike that looks sporty and yet is mostly comfortable; has great straight line stability with good solid road presence; can comfortably cruise between 100 and 130 kmph; has ABS and a slipper clutch; and now a gear position indicator, USD forks and a DOHC engine.

Seriously, what else does anyone want for 1.8 lacs?

A couple of other things to think about. If I had bought one of the imports at 5 lacs plus, I would be sweating 3 aspects.

1.) Given that we all live in housing societies (and not in individual houses with a driveway and a front porch), I would be worried sick thinking about whether the kids in the neighborhood are screwing around with my motorcycle in my absence. With this bike, I don't have to worry. It is not that expensive. So, I ride it when I can and leave it be most other times. I mean, I don't even give it a customary wipe once in a while. It is only on the night before a ride that I wipe it down. This usually happens once in 6 or 7 weeks. Other times, the bike just sits there. No cover. No CCTV camera. No nothing.

2.) If I had bought one of those 5 lacs plus bikes, I could not live with not riding it enough. I clock between 3000 and 5000 kms / year on a motorcycle and I cannot imagine sinking some 6 or 7 lacs on a bike that gathers dust 80% of the time. With this bike, it is a guilt free experience.

3.) If and when the day comes when I venture out on a ride longer than 500 km, I trust only Indian brands to have an adequate and cost effective support network around the country. I don't like RE motorcycles. So, Bajaj or Hero are the only options. I would have considered the Honda CB300R if it had been available at that time. But, I doubt if it would have been comparable in price to the Dominar.

Would I like a bigger engine with one more cylinder and twice the power / torque figures? Sure, absolutely. But, for the money I paid, this bike is totally not giving me sleepless nights.

[girishv]

Wow, one of the best compelling advice I have seen in a long time.

I am planning to buy a bike for my daily office commute to replace either
15 year old Eliminator or two year old navi.

Do no like a bike with angled seats as wife will be occupying HER seat sometimes.

Need advice on two things.

1. How good is the bike for daily commute in Bangalore city?
2. I am just short of 5 6'. How suitable is this bike for me? I am asking this because, today I saw a white Dominor next to me and it looked tall.

- Girish

Originally Posted by mohansrides

Just go and buy one. It is by far the most VFM motorcycle out there. Barring a couple of people who seem to be justified in complaining about the bike (because their issues are quite substantial), most others who diss the bike are purely nitpicking in my opinion.

[ar134]

Originally Posted by girishv

Do not like a bike with angled seats as wife will be occupying HER seat sometimes.

I had the same requirement as the one above and scouted for bikes upto 2 lakh price range and could zero in on only three bikes namely Avenger, RE and Jawa meeting this particular requirement. My personal experience of having ridden Dominar didn't tick this particular box for me.

[mohansrides]

Originally Posted by girishv

Do no like a bike with angled seats as wife will be occupying HER seat sometimes.

Need advice on two things.

1. How good is the bike for daily commute in Bangalore city?
2. I am just short of 5 6'. How suitable is this bike for me? I am asking this because, today I saw a white Dominor next to me and it looked tall.

- Girish

Let me say this first. Your height will not be an issue. Having said that and since you mentioned angled seats, let me lay it out for you a little bit.

The Dominar is not a pure bred sports bike. But, it is sporty in its stance and ergonomics. What that means is that the rider is going to be slightly pitched forward and that the pillion rider is going to be sitting higher than the rider while being angled down towards the rider. This means that, as opposed to a flat bench seat like in most commuter bikes, the rider on a Dominar (or even the Pulsar NS 200) is going to have to accept a bigger share of the responsibility in managing the pillion rider's weight. Still, this is not a deal breaker. People do it all the time. I myself have taken a pillion rider a few times. An hour or even two is easily manageable. But, the caveat here is that we were out on the highway with very little traffic; which I am guessing is not your typical use case.

So, if you are predominantly looking for a commuter bike for 2 people, I would say that you should look elsewhere. Now why do I say that? Let me explain.

Commuter bikes in our congested cities live between 20 kmph and 60 kmph. That's their existence. In the meanwhile, Bajaj is calling the Dominar a "Power Cruiser". I suppose that one could attribute such flashy tags to marketing hyperbole. But, trust me when I tell you that this particular tag is not at all far from the truth.

This bike's sweet spot is in between 60 kmph and 120 kmph. Keep it in 5th and 6th gears, and the bike is really happy. Try to ride it in slow moving traffic and you will not be that thrilled. For one thing the bike's weight and longer wheelbase make it challenging to weave it in and out of traffic.

Secondly, and this is the more important point, the Dominar does not want be in higher gears at lower speeds. You cannot be in 4th or 5th gear and hope to ride at 30 kmph. The engine kicks a lot and it gets tiresome quickly. You have to downshift and once you are in lower gears, you have to palm the clutch aggressively. Else, the bike will stall. They may have changed the gearing in the new 2019 version. You will have to check for yourself.

But, going purely by the existing version of the motorcycle, I would wholeheartedly recommend the Dominar if your commute will keep you at highway speeds for major stretches. However, if you are going to be in bumper to bumper traffic, trying to find small openings through which to get ahead, I would say that you should get a slim and lightweight commuter with a 100CC engine from Hero or Bajaj. Those will keep you comfortable and stress free inside the city. Additionally, if you are looking for a 2 wheeler that will truly be of use in the city in every possible way, then just dump the whole bike idea and get a gearless scooter with lots of storage space and a huge pillion seat. Those are flawless work horses that will never disappoint you.

Of course, if your purchase is more about buying what you like, then by all means go ahead and buy the vehicle you like rather than trying to map it to specific needs. Just for reference, that was certainly the case for me. I loved the Dominar from the moment I saw it, and so far, it has given me no reason to regret purchasing it. Also for reference, I don't use my bike for city duties at all. In the city, I want to be in my car with the windows up and the A/C on. It is only on the open road that I feel like being on two wheels.

If you want to read more about my purchase decision, you can follow the link in post number 372 on this page of the thread - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...-400-a-25.html (Ridden: Bajaj Dominar 400).

Also, read the bottom sections of this post to get a better idea about the Dominar's ride quality - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...-journeys.html (The beauty of 1-day rides! A worthy middleweight to breakfast rides & long journeys)

Best Wishes

[girishv]

Thank you very much for the reply and sorry for not writing all these days.

Originally Posted by mohansrides

Let me say this first. Your height will not be an issue. Having said that and since you mentioned angled seats, let me lay it out for you a little bit.

No, I am looking for a commuter vehicle for ONE and occasionally with pillion rider.

Originally Posted by mohansrides

So, if you are predominantly looking for a commuter bike for 2 people, I would say that you should look elsewhere. Now why do I say that? Let me explain.

As I mentioned in my mail, I have a honda NAVI which suits your description of an ideal commuter. For longer rides I can use an old Bajaj Eliminator or Triumph Bonneville. So, not looking for a bike just for longer rides.

Originally Posted by mohansrides

I would say that you should get a slim and lightweight commuter with a 100CC engine from Hero or Bajaj. Those will keep you comfortable and stress free inside the city. Additionally, if you are looking for a 2 wheeler that will truly be of use in the city in every possible way, then just dump the whole bike idea and get a gearless scooter with lots of storage space and a huge pillion seat. Those are flawless work horses that will never disappoint you.

Thanks again for your valuable inputs.

cheers,
girish