[Shekhar2509]

The Bajaj Dominar was bought at an OTR of Rs. 1,89,850 (Bangalore). Thanks to @IronH4wk for the detailed review, which convinced me further for the purchase.

What I liked:
• A smart looking Power Cruiser (as Bajaj calls it), that gives a big bike feel! IMHO is VFM in the segment.
• Good ride quality and handling balance along with 157mm of Ground clearance, which helps pass big-ish speed bumps and rough (or no) roads without scraping the cat con placed at bottom.
• Feature loaded. (Digital speedometer, sub-console atop the fuel tank, Full LED headlamps, ABS etc.)
• The ready-to-run enthusiastic 373.3 cc SOHC Triple Spark 4-valve liquid cooled DTS-i engine.
• The fabric seats are adequately cushioned. The pillion seats are comfortable too.
• Side stands get engine kill switch. The engine won’t start if the bike is in gear with the side stand extended.
• The stance, which is subtly aggressive. Makes its presence felt (I like it when people turn to notice it!)
• The wide MRF Revz FC1 150/60 R17 rear tyres. They inspire confidence on corners.
• The 17" smart looking diamond-cut alloys.
• The dual-channel ABS setup.

What I didn't like:
• The rearview mirrors (almost half the mirror is covered at my riding position)
• Shares the switchgear assembly with the pulsars. Gives an average feel.
• Vibrations from the tank cover region at 3.5k-4.5k rpms.
• The tank pad looks cheap. Needs to go.
• Bajaj’s A.S.S is a pain.

I am a Newbie, hence might have made a few technical errors. Kindly excuse them and correct me.
Nandi:

[Shekhar2509]

Prelude: Earlier this year, I had been to Bajaj showroom (Kalyani Bajaj, Mekhri Circle, Bangalore) for the delivery of a friend’s Avenger 220 street, and that was the first time when I saw Dominar 400 in flesh (P.S. I had been following the Dominar since its pre- launch days), and boy, I was sold on its looks! Few minutes later, I found myself taking a test ride, and that ride was pure bliss.
Of late, my trusted and beloved workhorse, the Red Monster (2014 Honda CB Trigger) had been giving signs of trouble, and thus the thought of getting a new ride kept hovering my mind! Amidst all this, the itch to have a big bike set in, and the test ride played a catalyst. But then, convincing my parents for a bike this big was a task. Somehow, pieces started setting in their place and I was set to have my Dominar.

Alternatives considered: None. I was completely sold on this bike, and had made up my mind to get it.

The booking and delivery process:

July 1
Here I was at Kalyani Bajaj to have a detailed test ride and book my Dominar. There was no doubt about the colour, Twilight Plum it would be. Upon inquiring with the SA, I was told that they have a Dominar in the colour of my choice, and can deliver to me immediately, something that brought an ear-to-ear grin on my face; though this grin was short-lived as the SA clarified that by immediate delivery he meant delivery by Tuesday at the earliest if I paid the booking amount right away and made the rest of the payment before Tuesday. I knew those 3 days would feel as 3 years to me, but then, as if I had an option! I agreed and made the payment. Thus began the long wait (3 days long ).
Upon reaching office on Monday, the first thing was to convince boss for a leave on Tuesday, and I was quite successful at this feat! Monday passed with loads of work owing to the leave next day, and so the day passed pretty soon! (though the night seemed to be long and un-ending!) Got the copies of all the required documents, i.e. Id proof and address proof done on Monday itself, to avoid any confusions and lapses on the day of delivery.

July 4
Come Tuesday morning, and the first thing I do is to call the SA at Kalyani Bajaj to get the bike ready for delivery, but that call became a disappointment as the SA informed that they can deliver the vehicle minimum 3 days after the full payment! (I had transferred the remaining amount on Tuesday morning.) I try my best to convince him and in turn get an assurance that he will try his best to figure some way out and arrange for the delivery on the same day! Suddenly, at 10:30 am, I receive a call from Sharath (the SA at Kalyani Bajaj) and he asks me to come to showroom at my convenience, and that the bike is ready for delivery!

Headed to showroom without any delay with my elder brother and I see Nandi ready for delivery. My joy knew no bounds, and I was having a hard time convincing myself that this beast is going to be mine in next few minutes! Some paper work and the keys are handed over without much of a celebration!Headed to the temple to get the bike and myself blessed before riding any further! I will let the pictures do the talking!

With my brother


Odo read 1.5 km at the time of delivery


Nandi gets blessed


Nandi comes to home


Passing the baton


Best angle to drool at


On- road price: Rs. 1,89,850 for the ABS version.
Mode of Payment: Cash for the entire amount (yes..that did hurt)
Discounts offered: None

Booking and Delivery Experience (on a scale of 10): 7.5

[Shekhar2509]

Ownership experience:

Initial impressions

Nandi turns 2 months today has munched 1273 kilometers till date. The experience so far has been pretty awesome and almost trouble-free, except for one niggle (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...ml#post4263099).
It is fun to ride and responds immediately to commands. Have taken it to Tumkur highway (Doon Dhaba) and Mysuru highway (CCD Madduru) for late night rides, keeping it well under the prescribed run-in limits! It was just flawless and stable on highways. The LED headlamps are a boon; they light up a good distance, making night rides blissful! It surely Dominates the night!

Day- to- Day usage experience

My typical daily usage is a run from home to office and back, clocking a total distance of 20 kilometers daily. This consists of both B2B traffic, as well as some free stretches, where I can unleash the throttle! On weekends, Nandi gets to stretch its legs on the highways. In the 1273 kilometers clocked, I have been getting a F.E. of 28.5 kmpl in city and 31 kmpl on highways. I prefer to feed Nandi strictly on Shell petrol!

Engine and Performance

The Dominar is powered by a 373.3cc SOHC Triple Spark 4-valve liquid cooled DTS-i engine, that churns out a peak power of 35 bhp @ 8000 rpm and a peak torque of 35 Nm @ 6500 rpm. I find the engine to be rev-happy. From in-city commuting to highway touring, Nandi happily does it all. The exhaust note of the Dominar has quite some bass. Sounds pleasing to ear at high revs!
The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox, where the 1st and 2nd gears are short, 3rd-5th gears keep you in the power band, and the 6th gear is for cruising! Keep the right rpm at right gear and the engine stays happy, but a slight mismatch and the engine gets cranky! I used to get the engine stalled the all the time during initial days; getting used to the frequent shifts required in city driving to keep the bike in power band.
Dominar comes with slipper clutch- a very welcome addition to the list of features of this bike. A slipper clutch (also known as a back-torque limiter) is a specialized clutch with an integrated freewheel mechanism, developed to mitigate the effects of engine braking when the rider decelerates. It helps in quick and safe shifts, not allowing the rear wheel to lock up (in case of downshifts).
The engine heat is managed and dissipated very well in the Dominar. Having ridden a Duke 390 on a long-ish ride, I know how painful it is to get your legs grilled!

Suspension & ride quality

The front suspension is a 43mm telescopic unit. It’s a bit on the harder side. The rear suspension is a dual-spring mono-shock unit and is 10-step adjustable. When I got the bike, it was set at 4. Got it adjusted to 3 for a softer and more comfortable ride quality.
Coming to the vibrations, yes, there are vibrations felt on the rider’s foot pegs and some on the handle bar as well, but are not a trouble! The handle bar dampers do their job to eliminate most of the vibes.

Braking

The dual-channel ABS on Dominar enables it to be safely maneuvered under hard braking conditions. Both wheels have their own sensors and the setup controls braking on each wheel individually. The front wheel has 320mm single disc, while the rear has a 230 mm disc. The brakes are by Bybre.

Side Stand check- A welcome safety feature

As a safety feature, Dominar’s engine will not fire up if the side stand is extended and the bike is in gear. So, no more embarrassing prompts for the side stand from the bystanders! The side stand also gets the engine kill switch which turns the engine off after a delay of 2 seconds if side stand is extended while the bike is in gear. The sub-console also has a side stand warning light.

Seating position

The seat height on Dominar is 800 mm. At 5’9”, I can comfortably plant my feet on ground. The seats are contoured and appropriately cushioned, and have a fabric finish, adding a premium touch to the bike. The handlebars are wide and offer a very comfortable riding posture.

Upkeep, Maintenance and Bajaj A.S.S.

Got the first service done at 740 kilometers, and the cost of service was Rs. 1350/-. Although Dominar is a great bike, Bajaj A.S.S is something I’m worried about. Delayed turn-around times and inability to diagnose the problems completely are some of the problems I have faced till date.

Overall fit and finish

I find the overall fit and finish quality on Dominar to be good, but surely not the best out there. There is some vibration in the tank setup, which gets quite gross at times! Need to do the DIY with some double-sided tapes to fix it. The instrument cluster, though rich in features, feels fragile when pressing those trip meter adjustment buttons! The buttons too are on the stiffer side; could definitely be a notch softer! Also, on some rough patches, I get some rattling sound from the rear, probably from the under-seat compartment!
The paint quality on Dominar is superb. A plain wash and some polishing makes the bike shine as new!

Will let some pictures do the talking now!


Yes, we live to Drive


The 373.3cc, SOHC, Triple Spark, DTS-i powerhouse


The milestones: Century


The milestones: And a Thousand


The prominent Dominar logo on the tank


The radiator and coolant reservoir


Stares hard (courtsey- Full LED Headlamps)


Stares hard (courtsey- Full LED Headlamps)- 2


The low beam..


And the high beam


Slim, yet effective turn indicator


Cheap looking tank-pad, this needs to go


Prepared to dominate the night


And this is what craters on Bangalore roads do to it


This protects me


Yours truly

Owner’s take:

I find Dominar a quite good bike overall. It suffices my need of daily commute as well as highway touring. Coming from an Indian automaker, and priced strategically, I find it a good VFM. Yes, there are a few things on this bike that Bajaj should have taken better care of- the ugly and cheap looking tank-pads, the vibrations that arise from the tank cover assembly at 3.5k-4.5k rpms, and the switchgear assembly. There are some niggles here and there, but the bike brings an ear-to-ear grin on my face. This bike grows on you, and you start loving it the way it is! I am, overall, a satisfied chap!
That's all from my side folks; still have much to learn about it! Please excuse me for missed details and correct me at places where I am wrong! I will keep updating more details in future!

Best!

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorcycle Section. Thanks for sharing!

[kailashnj]

Congrats on your new beast and also on starting your ownership thread. Hope to see you keep on adding more posts to this thread and keep it alive till you enjoy your "Nandi". Nice name by the way.

Love your writing style and skills.

[KK_HakunaMatata]

Quite a detailed & nice review there Shekhar2509, wishing you to have a nice time with you Nandi.

Don't forget to gear up. Hoping to meet you soon on a DOCB ride.

KK

[Shekhar2509]

Originally Posted by kailashnj

Congrats on your new beast and also on starting your ownership thread. Hope to see you keep on adding more posts to this thread and keep it alive till you enjoy your "Nandi". Nice name by the way.

Love your writing style and skills.

Thanks kailasnj! Will surely keep the thread updated!

Originally Posted by KK_HakunaMatata

Quite a detailed & nice review there Shekhar2509, wishing you to have a nice time with you Nandi.

Don't forget to gear up. Hoping to meet you soon on a DOCB ride.

KK

Thanks KK!
Couldn't join on the previous DOCB rides due to some work and family commitments, but yes, will surely join in coming days!

Cheers!

[kaushikduttajsr]

Congratulations on your new acquisition mate. I've been looking forward to reviews from fellow bhpians, and this surely is a great addition to IronH4wk's review. Great work on the review, quite detailed.

Since you're upgrading from a commuter segment bike (I ride a Bajaj Discover 125 since 2006), you're certainly in a good position to answer the long standing question about vibrations. Can you give a perspective on the NVH issue that has been repeatedly highlighted for the Dominar?

[Shekhar2509]

Originally Posted by kaushikduttajsr

Congratulations on your new acquisition mate. I've been looking forward to reviews from fellow bhpians, and this surely is a great addition to IronH4wk's review. Great work on the review, quite detailed.

Thanks a ton Kaushik.

Originally Posted by kaushikduttajsr

Since you're upgrading from a commuter segment bike (I ride a Bajaj Discover 125 since 2006), you're certainly in a good position to answer the long standing question about vibrations. Can you give a perspective on the NVH issue that has been repeatedly highlighted for the Dominar?

As far as the vibrations are concerned, and as I have already mentioned, they do exist! Once you cross the 4.5k mark on the tacho, a buzz can be felt on the rider footpegs and the handlebar! Although, vibes on handlebar are well handled by the dampers, some amount of it is still felt! The vibrations are tolerable, and coming from a commuter segment bike, the change feels good! I didn't find the amount of vibes to be a deal breaker!
Cheers!

[kaushikduttajsr]

Originally Posted by Shekhar2509

Thanks a ton Kaushik.


As far as the vibrations are concerned, and as I have already mentioned, they do exist! Once you cross the 4.5k mark on the tacho, a buzz can be felt on the rider footpegs and the handlebar! Although, vibes on handlebar are well handled by the dampers, some amount of it is still felt! The vibrations are tolerable, and coming from a commuter segment bike, the change feels good! I didn't find the amount of vibes to be a deal breaker!
Cheers!

Thanks for the update, that's all I wanted to hear. I don't hear as many NVH issues highlighted on an RE as the Dominar these days .

No offense to fellow bulleteers, I'm a big fan of the heritage too. I hope that Bajaj has given our kind a great substitute if not a replacement, the kind that always dreams of an RE but aren't really the DIY guys.

[mohansrides]

Very well written. Thank you for the effort. Great color too. Enjoy!!

[Shekhar2509]

Just a quick update; have clocked 2500 kilometers on the odo, and the bike rides like a breeze! All the more fun was unlocked as soon as 2000 km appeared on the odo. The issue which i mentioned earlier was resolved at the service center, and post that, the bike is niggle free! Some pics-

The milestone


Proudly donning the TBHP sticker


Another shot


And one more..


Dare to stare!


Our workhorses


Cheers!

[Neeraj1903]

Very nicely written user experience sir. I had been following your thread even when i was not a member. I have observed that vibration issue post 4.5k rpm has vanished for me and some of the other people i know from our Dominar Owner's Club. Habe you experienced the same?

[Shekhar2509]

Originally Posted by Neeraj1903

Very nicely written user experience sir.

Thanks much! Glad that you liked it!

I had been following your thread even when i was not a member. I have observed that vibration issue post 4.5k rpm has vanished for me and some of the other people i know from our Dominar Owner's Club. Habe you experienced the same?

Can't say that the vibrations have vanished completely, but the situations are better now!

Cheers!

[goandude]

Nice detailed write up and pictures. My Domi is 7 months old and I have done about 5k kms so far. As for the vibrations, they reduce a lot as the kms on the odo increase, but but do not dissappear, not a deal brraer. My only issue is the hard front suspension. Otherwise I like the brakes on this bike which are really sharp and effective.