[aswin ajith]

Prologue

Before I begin, I must tell you all that this is my first ever ownership report here on Team BHP even though I have been a member for around 7 years. I do enjoy reading through the forum and do chip in with short posts once in a while as well. More than anything, who knew that some special people whom I got to meet through this forum would go on to become brothers for life. I have been really amazed with the quality of content on this forum and I hope I keep up with it here as well. And for those of you who have come in to read this, please do bear with my amateurish writing skills.

This report will be divided into 3 sections:
1. Prologue
2. The Shortlists, final choice and buying experience
3. The Review

And for those of you who prefer not to get bored with a li’l bit of history can jump right on to the meat of this write up at post #3.

And please do pardon me for the rather amateurish pics. They were all shot on my Samsung S7 Edge and One Plus 7.

It's been only a very few years since I got introduced to the world of two wheels.

Circa 2011, like any other kid who graduated from school I too decided to go for engineering, not that I had a clue of what I was doing. My parents suggested and I said I will do it. During those 4 years, thanks to a nice bunch of friends, I got to ride a variety of bikes right from a Splendor to a Bullet and everything in between including an R15 V2. Mentioning it specifically since I got to clock a good number of kms on it belonging to a close friend. The idea of a bike never appealed to my parents and they were happy zooming about in their peppy little practical scooters. Can't blame them can I? In a city like Kochi, two wheels with a manual gearbox never made sense, period.

Before joining college, I myself used to ride around in their scooters too. Long story short, towards the end of college, I too started dreaming about my own bike and was planning to talk to my parents about it. But, certain unfortunate circumstances at that point in time made me stay away from it and even if I asked, I was sure I’d face outright denial. You can buy one on your own when you can, they said when I mildly floated the idea. That was that.

Life went on and in 2015, I started working with a firm in Kochi. Our Ritz K Series which is now a decade strong, became my companion on long drives and I really started enjoying it, what used to be a weekend car of sorts for my parents became a daily driver for me and I started racking up miles on it like anything.

All this while I had completely forgotten about two wheels and didn’t even bother thinking about it for once.

Circa 2017, I quit my job, joined post grad and completed my MBA in 2019. I must tell you, during all these years, what never changed was the desire to own a set of wheels for myself and at the end of MBA, as soon as I got placed, about to kick-start my corporate career, this thought crept back into my mind and got hold of me.

I had no choice but let it out at home and my mom instantly told me “ninak oru car vangichude” meaning why not get a car. I knew in the back of my mind that would never be a practical option since I had already decided that I had bothered my parents enough and that I wanted to take up this purchase on my own through 100% finance.

It is at this point that the thought of two wheels about which I had completely forgotten came back into my mind. I started thinking hard, buying a bike was a big decision even though it was just, well, a bike. I had to be responsible, I would ride safely, I thought to myself. Certain past experiences started pulling me back and I started thinking even harder. I literally started having sleepless nights. This was all after I came back home from college for vacations before I joined my job. My parents started to notice my restlessness and were getting worried as well.

I tried to justify the idea of me riding my own bike. I will buy proper riding gear, I will always ride safe, I told myself. I tried hard to convince myself and finally, one fine morning, I made up my mind.


I am getting myself a bike. My very first bike!!!!!!

[aswin ajith]

The Shortlists, final choice and buying experience

I was home after college ended in March 2019 and I had a solid 2+ months’ vacation ahead of me. Within no time I was able to fix a budget for myself and with a bit of research, I narrowed down and found out what I wanted.

Source : Google

1. The 2019 TVS Apache RTR Race Edition 2.0 ABS.

Been a huge fan of TVS and their line up from the time my mom got herself a Wego. I remember I took a test ride of the Apache 180 ABS during the Wego delivery in 2012 and came out smiling ear to ear. It was 1.32 Lakhs on road Kochi, perfect fit for my budget, I thought. I did not TD this bike for some reason and I guess god almighty had other plans for me.

During this time I sat down to think again. Why not get something better? The intention of getting this bike was clear. I wanted to tour. And for touring long distances, I needed a capable machine. Something that will keep me safe, had good amount of power and riding comfort with minimal fatigue and solid tank range as well. It was also at this time that I figured out I could arrange more funds than what I thought and after doing a bit of math, figured out I could afford the EMI on it as well.

And so, during my second visit to the TVS showroom during last week of March, I happened to glance up on the all new Apache RR310. One look and I fell in love with it.

Source : Google

2. The 2019 TVS Apache RR310

Sat on it, and the rider’s triangle was a bit too aggressive for my build. I am 5’8” and slightly heavily built. Plus the pillion seat was just there for the sake of it. I wanted a comfortable pillion seat as well. Had read up a lot about this machine and even though it didn’t fit my requirements to the T, I still thought I could work something out because it simply had me hooked. The bike came to INR 2.32 Lakhs on road Kochi and it fell within my revised budget. And so, with high hopes, I asked for a TD.

The sales rep returned and told me that they didn’t have a TD bike as such, but there is a red bike waiting for me at their godown downstairs. I said fine, let’s do this… but wait, I stopped the guy and asked him whose bike this was. He sheepishly replied it was a customer bike waiting to be delivered the very next day. I refused to ride it and politely declined.

That was the end of the RR310, and a sad one at that. A combination of factors like a riding position that didn’t suit my build, an almost non-existent pillion seat, overall dealer attitude, expensive spares, poor service support in KL and potential engine heat management issues made me turn away from this otherwise brilliant bike.

It was at this time that the news about Bajaj coming out with the all-new 2019 Dominar UG 400 was doing rounds on the internet. It made me sit up and take notice. I then remembered visiting the Bajaj showroom here with my buddies and fellow bhpians vaisakhr, rajoy123 and speed.demon back in 2017 when Bajaj came out with the Dominar. The pricing was absolute master class and it was an extremely VFM package. However, at that time, all I could do was keep ogling at it.

The initial batches of 2017 were plagued with ECU issues, and many other complicated ones. Based on customer feedback, Bajaj launched the updated D400 in 2018 with new colour schemes and all previous reported issues fixed. This bike sells the most in KL and has a huge fan base here.

Why not? I asked myself.

This bike was perfect in every sense.

• Macho looks? Check,
• Powerful engine? Check,
• Loaded with features in 2019 version? Check,
• Comfortable seat posture and a pliant suspension? Check,
• A rumoured on road price of INR 2.15 Lakhs Kochi for the 2019 version? Double check.

Source : Google

3. The 2019 Bajaj Dominar UG 400

Sometime during the mid of April 2019, I along with rajoy123 and speed.demon paid a visit to the Bajaj showroom here. The experience at Popular Bajaj Palarivattom was very different in contrast to Cochin TVS. We were welcomed instantly and we jumped straight to the matter. They only had a blue 2018 version for TD and it was a proper TD bike. The folks there had no clue about when they would get their first batch of bikes and somewhere around May first week was the rumour doing rounds. We took a TD and left with the 2019 brochure.

What my SA pointed me to when I jokingly asked him to give me one reason to take this bike home.. Fair enough.

The following week the display bike was made available at the showroom and there was this new green shade (Bajaj says it was inspired by the Northern Lights) which had my folks interested especially my sister. I made a visit again with the folks at home and upon seeing the green shade which was put up for display, my sister was completely sold. I wanted the black since I hate attention but hey, we all know who wins this argument.

I must mention here that Bajaj took an awful lot of time to get the bike to the showrooms after they officially announced the bike sometime in early February 2019. It was unveiled here in Kochi during April last week and the first batch of bikes started coming in by May second week. I have no idea what they were doing in between but it was too much of a delay, and I can’t help but vent this out here. I came to know from the dealer that many prospective customers shifted to other options because of this rather stupid silence on their end.

Nevertheless, I made up my mind and finally booked the bike last week of April by paying an advance of INR 5000 with a promised delivery sometime around last week of May or first week of June. I was prepared to wait or so I thought. The showroom folks were very friendly and helpful and answered all my questions patiently.

A big shout out to my SA from Popular Bajaj, Stelone, who made sure my showroom experience was completely seamless with absolutely no botch ups. He frequently kept updating me about the status after I booked the bike till the time it reached the showroom, went through multiple rounds of PDI and till the keys were finally handed over.

Sleepless nights followed and I would call Stelone every 2 days asking for an update but would hang up disappointed. And after about 3 weeks of booking, during one fine morning on May 25, Stelone calls me and says, a customer is not able to make full payment and was backing out and that it was a green. I was sleeping before I answered this call and I remember jumping out of the bed and shouting on the phone, I am coming to get it!!! He called back 1 hour later to tell me it was re allotted in my name and gave me the VIN for it.

More than being happy, I was relieved. A 2 month ordeal was finally coming to an end. The very next day, I gathered all funds and fully settled the dealer by end of day. Morning of May 27 saw the bike go in for PDI and by noon I got a call from the dealer saying it passed theirs. I said I wanted to do mine and they happily obliged. Went to the showroom armed with the Team BHP PDI checklist and saw my bike in flesh for the very first time.

First look..!!

Did a thorough check and noticed fluid levels were low. Pointed out the same and they said there is another inspection just before delivery and all fluids will be topped up then. The following day, the bike was sent for temporary registration. RTOs were shifting to vaahan at this time and I must say that there was a 1 day delay in getting the bike registered because of portal issues. Nevertheless, the bike was registered morning of May 28 and I got a call from Stelone by evening that I can take delivery very next day. Had a quick chat with mom and she gave the go ahead.

May 29 5:30 PM it was !!!

I wanted my folks to take delivery and so they did. And that is my SA..


Finally Delivered !!!

The keys were officially handed over to my parents after all formalities were completed and I was out of the showroom in an hour. I was accompanied by a close friend and credits for the above pics go to him. Headed straight to our favourite tyre shop in town, DBS tyres and got the MRF Rev Z FC1 radials swapped with Pirelli Diablo Rosso II in stock size.

More on this later.

[aswin ajith]

The Review

Blessed..!!

And so here goes in typical Team BHP fashion...

What I like:

• Before anything else, a stress free, comfortable and fast mile munching machine. Coimbatore to Bangalore in less than 5 hours ? oh yes, Coimbatore to Kochi in 3 ? No problem, Cochin to Trivandrum in under 4 hours ? Absolutely.
• Macho and imposing look. Cant help but turn back and look after leaving it in parking. Glances guaranteed everywhere you go.
• Oodles of torque right down from 3000 rpm. Lightning fast at closing gaps in 1st and 2nd, superb outright and roll on acceleration from the 373.2 cc Kraftfahrzeuge Trunkenpolz Mattigofen (hope I got that right) sourced block. LOVES being pushed and at the same time a very calm and relaxed cruiser. Eats R15s, Bullets, Apaches and the likes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Loaded to the gills with features at the price point it comes at. USD forks, Dual channel ABS, 12 Matrix LED system for the headlamps, slipper clutch, multi function trip computer with tank mounted display.. you got it all.
• Comfortable and pliant suspension setup. More on the neutral side, slightly bumpy at low speeds, comes into its own as speeds build up. USD forks along with adequate ground clearance of 157 mm offer a lot of confidence.
• Affordable and cheap to maintain. Cheap servicing costs and most parts come in at cheap prices except for a few critical ones. 5 years/75,000 kms warranty and 1 year road side assistance standard. On top of this I have added insurance for 5 years having full B2B coverage complete with Zero depreciation, cashless facility, engine protect, all consumables coverage and an add on personal accident insurance policy worth 15 Lakhs for yours truly from New India Assurance Kochi for COMPLETE peace of mind. Guess that covers everything.

What I do not really like:

• Vibrations even though controlled can get annoying at times, easily felt mainly on handle bars and foot pegs at certain low rpms, results in sore bumps during long stints. Faster you ride, better it gets. Quite expected from a single cylinder high compression engine.
• Engine puts out a lot of heat at low speeds and in stop go traffic. After a point it starts getting to your lower legs and foot. Boots/shoes are MANDATORY. FE takes a major hit, drinks up coolant as well. Clearly not very traffic friendly.
• Pretty heavy. 184 kg of dry weight some times really gets to you, again, at low speeds and in traffic. Post 40 kmph, all is good. Huge size makes filtering through traffic difficult. Not really a problem once you get a hang of it.
• Poor fit and finish along with rough edges at many places like around headlamps, plastic panel behind the tank mounted display, around instrument cluster and so on. Poor quality plastic as well in many places. Reminds you it is built to a cost, every single time. Noisy stock chain is of below average quality.
• There is this notion that Bajaj bikes don't really age well back from the Pulsar days. I have a feeling this one wont either. That doesn't stop me from giving it my everything when it comes to upkeep. I'd be glad if proved wrong.
• Possibly defective engine head. A part called the shim which is kind of a valve makes this chil chil sound inside the engine as if something is loose. Raised during second service at 5500 kms, rectified, but back again after 3 rd service at around 12000 kms. Waiting to raise it or if needed escalate during 4 th service at 16,000 kms post lockdown. Many bikes in multiple batches affected.

First ride with some fellow owners, a short one..

Walk up to this green 400 cc beast, mount yourself on the rather comfortable and wide rider's seat, lean slightly forward to grab the handles and you see that the seating position is quite upright but not fully so. Handle bar risers are the way to go if you want to sit fully upright but I have heard the slight lean is helpful in not transferring those sudden jolts directly to your hips and lower back, do correct me if I am wrong. I don't feel the need to have these on as of now. Switch on ignition, and you are greeted with the all digital primary and tank mounted secondary contrast displays springing to life with the tacho and fuel gauge doing a full sweep. The first thing you notice is that the entire front is lit, cockpit style, thanks to the fully lit switch gear in a blue shade that is certainly soothing to the eyes too. Flip that cute, bright red colored engine kill switch and you hear the fuel pump priming fairly loud. Once done, thumb that starter with the engine coming to life idling at around 1500 rpm and the next thing you notice is that the sound made by the twin pod exhaust canister is loud and music to the ears. A big change from the earlier 2018 and '17 versions, this is my favorite part about the bike. An attention magnet, the exhaust note is simply FANTASTIC !! Pull up at those traffic signals, and you certainly have the attention of that chick next to you on her Vespa and you cant help but smile. Not that I like attention, but this is certainly a superb add on in the 2019 update with the owners of previous models running helter-skelter to get this installed on their rides. Downside ? Don't even think about sneaking out of your house with this one while your folks sleep inside in the middle of the night. Trust me on this, I know.

Starting it up post dusk..illuminated switch gear feels fairly robust and built to last. Note the really bright shift light which is prominent even during the day. . They start flashing fast as you approach the redline


Twin cylinder exhausts jut out a bit and you need to be careful in tight spaces..Note the polished, diamond cut alloy wheels as well. They come from Endurance Technologies India. They have a subsidiary in Germany too. Need to be careful with them since they come quite expensive at close to 9000 bucks a piece..


Note the all new die cast mirror stalks.. they are SOLID. Mirrors offer adequate rearward visibility even with my gear on..Earlier versions had lame mirror stalks that came loose every now and then. Well done Bajaj !! Also note how the engine is completely caged inside the Hyper Rider crash guards. Fog lamps mounted on the crash guards too. Tank pads come stock from the factory.

Now with that out of the way, engage the fairly light and user friendly slipper clutch, kick the gearbox down to first and you hear this loud but re-assuring and solid clunk from the gearbox, typical of big bikes, release the clutch nice and steady but wait.. surprise surprise.. I am used to giving it a little throttle when moving away from stand still, be it on any bike but here, I see that it is not at all required. The D400 despite all its weight willingly starts moving forward without any throttle input whatsoever and this is the only reason for me to take it out into maddening city traffic. Once past 40 kmph, you realize that things have settled down, the suspension is now doing its job very well keeping you well protected from those undulations on the road which otherwise got to you at low speeds. The 43 mm front USD forks while being firm are fairly pliant. That said, you really need to slow down for those bad and deep potholes and if you fail to do so, you do get a proper jolt on the handle bars. The rear Nitrox gas charged, adjustable, spring loaded suspension is much better in this regard. They keep your bums comfy at low speeds and the jolt felt in case you miss potholes are not as bad as the ones on the handle bars. I believe they are currently at the mid setting and I do not feel the need to make any adjustments there since I am happy with them. There is this nice thump while hitting those medium sized potholes and they are dismissed with aplomb. Just the way I like it.

The beefy 43 mm USD forks.. They come from Endurance as well. Note how the crash guards extend to the front in order to protect the radiator fans. Radiator guards come stock from the factory..Also note the panel gap on the corner of the headlamps. They are uglier than the pic suggests. Why Bajaj..why ?

The front brakes offer amazing levels of bite even with stock Bajaj pads and I have this feeling they are not really for noobs. The 2019 upgrade brought with it radially mounted front and back discs which is supposed to further improve braking. Nose dive is very minimal and I almost always use 90-10 front-rear formula for braking and it has been working perfectly. The same cannot be said about the rear brakes since they feel very spongy and not at all effective. I use them just to support the front brakes for slowing the bike down and for minimizing nose dive while braking hard. I try to stay below 60 in 4th gear at all times in city traffic.

During one of those unavoidable and tiresome city runs..

As you leave the city and traffic starts clearing up, you notice that there is this huge lorry in front of you on a 2 lane state highway ( typical scenario in KL). Bored and ambling along at 40 in 4th at under 3000 rpm, you suddenly realize the opposite lane is completely empty a long way ahead. Quick shift down to third and the engine which was sleeping all this while just came to life with an arrogant growl from the exhaust. Quick 2 flashes using the powerful Matrix LED headlamps and the driver in front has already noticed your presence, steadily open throttle and post 4500 rpm, the D400 starts sprinting. The acceleration will not blow your pants off like in the old Duke 390, it is linear but very strong. Within no time, you are past 80 and shift to 4th at 7000 rpm. The bike continues to sprint and in a flash, you are onto 3 digit speeds in 5th cog. It does not want to back off and begs you to open throttle further and before you know it, you realize that you are well on your way to the 9500 rpm red line and have reached unmentionable speeds while about to shift to 6th, before its time to hit the ABS enabled brakes really hard and at the same time downshift fast putting the slipper clutch to good use for added engine braking and come to a safe stop for that next signal.

Damn you pointless flyovers (we are possibly the only state in India where there is a traffic signal right before and just after a flyover, beat that).

You turn back and realize there is not a single soul behind and have come a long way.

Damn !!! That was fun, I tell my pillion raising my helmet visor who was hanging on to me tight during this madness giving me an acknowledging nod.

I also get this remark that the rear seats aren't too comfortable for long stints and sitting on it in one go for more than 150 kms tends to get tiresome when the bums start getting sore. I guess I cant help but acknowledge it since I am in no position to talk about it. Never sat pillion on the bike till now and I don't intend to do it. Vibrations at certain rpm's till 90 kmph on the pillion seats and foot pegs do not help matters either. My usage pattern involves 75% highways and 25% city which is mostly inside Coimbatore and Kochi.

During one of those Coimbatore Kochi late night sprints..My usual stop

I cruise at around 90 kmph which is the legal limit on KL highways. No matter what, this bike can keep doing this all the time while keeping you comfortable. Well paved 4,6 lane highways are where the D400 truly shines. On my recent trip to Bangalore which was my first ride to KA, I discovered that the NVH and riding comfort start improving post 100 kmph. Till then I was riding inside KL so this was kind of a revelation for me. Post Coimbatore you get fairly empty 6 lane highways. On such roads, this bike can cruise comfortably at 120+ kmph without even breaking a sweat at around 6000 - 6500 rpm. With full gear on(which I will talk about in a separate section), including helmet with visors shut, riding jacket, gloves and riding boots, you are fully protected from wind blast and outside noise. There are hardly any vibrations felt anywhere. The engine is truly happy sitting in its power band above 5000 rpm. The beefy front USD forks play a major role in keeping the bike absolutely stable at triple digit speeds with little to no abrupt rebounds felt on the handlebars while passing through undulations too. This has been playing a major role in boosting my confidence while maintaining good speeds out on highways. They ensure you never feel out of control. Some parts of KL highways can spring major surprises on you especially at night with deep potholes right in the middle of the roads when you are least expecting it. I have fallen in many of those from considerable speeds and not once have I lost control of the bike. The rear gas charged mono shocks also work well in keeping you comfortable at such speeds.

During a Bangalore ride, while passing Erode, a jaywalking pedestrian managed to completely catch me off guard as he came right in front of me with me having only few seconds before I crashed into him. It was pitch dark and I had the headlamps in high beam, for some reason I spotted the guy late and I had no choice but grab the front brakes with all the strength I had and stand on the rear brakes as well. Thanks to the Pirellis, ABS, powerful front brakes and some luck I avoided crashing into the guy. I was also lucky to have not been maintaining high speeds since I had eased off the throttle while entering Erode. The ABS however kicked in later than I expected it to while making a screeching sound. Still, it managed to save me and that's what mattered. The rear brakes are still slightly disappointing owing to lack of bite. I heard from fellow owners that upgrading to DOT 5.1 brake fluid from the current DOT 3 grade solves this. Can't wait to do this post lock down. Apart from this, I am very happy with the brakes.

A weekend dash to Coonoor


Another weekender with the folks from work.. Somehwere near Nilgiris biosphere, Anaikatti, Coimbatore. Note the evident Pulsar lineage


Somewhere near Thiasholai organic tea estate enroute Carrington Estate and Kinnakorai....in search of the unexplored !! I also got to drink the best tea I have ever had in my life from here. An amazing and memorable 400 kms trip..


A lazy Sunday evening trip to the church..

As you might have already guessed the D400 is not really a corner carver. I have had a fair amount of fun on the rare occasions when I took it up the mountains of Ooty and Coonoor. However, owing to the lack of proper weight distribution, one has to be very careful while throwing this into fast and sharp corners. If you lean too much in, there is a fair chance of losing control and messing it up on exit. Happened to me already a few times especially while going up and coming down the sharp and narrow ghats of Ponmudi. It can still be fun if you stay in the right gear and maintain optimum throttle, something which I really struggled at in the beginning.

Up the roads of Ponmudi, Trivandrum..


Riding with the Cochin chapter of Dominar Owners Club (DOC)

The 12 Matrix LED headlamps are great to look at and is something very unique in this segment. They are placed in sort of a matrix arrangement with 3 LEDs on each sides 2 on the top and 4 in the middle. It mainly has 3 modes namely day, night low beam and night high beam. There is a switch just above the starter button to switch between day and night mode. In day mode, the 6 LEDs on each sides and the two on top remain on to function as DRLs. It is extremely powerful and you are noticed pretty easily from far away. They are focused straight at oncoming traffic and even though powerful, you will not be able to see the roads at night in this mode. During late evenings just before dusk, it rather gets blinding and irritating for oncoming motorists. Thus I make sure to switch to night low beam and in this mode the 4 lights in the centre light up along with the two LEDs at the top. Flip to high beam and you go full blast, they offer a fairly nice spread at night with the immediate corners of the bike being well lit. The cut off offered in low and high beam is also satisfactory.

However there is a problem. They fare really poorly in the rains. LEDs have a white hue and I believe their colour temperature is 6000K. As a result the beam fails to cut through the rain and it is as good as being blind. I resorted to using fog lamps which improved matters a bit. However the situation got even worse to the point of being really dangerous during blinding rains. There were times when I wished the bike had normal halogen lamps. I find all reviews praising the headlamps but nobody mentioning this point. Not fair and it is certainly bad.

Low beam..


Low beam + fogs..


High beam..


High beam + fogs..Full blast.. This is only for those late night open highway sprints..

With the 2019 update, Bajaj fixed something which owners were complaining about, a lot. The instrument cluster.

The earlier 2017 and '18 versions had a primary display which had nothing but the usual, odo and tripmeters along with a clock, fuel gauge and tacho. Then there was a secondary tank mounted display which displayed various warnings like ABS, side stand etc along with an always lit Bajaj logo at the centre of the display.

Come to the 2019 version and everything is changed. Now, the secondary tank mounted display is a proper one wherein the gear position, odo and two trip meters along with clock is shown. The primary display works in tandem with the tank mounted one. Each trip meter, TRIP 1 and TRIP 2 has a separate average fuel efficiency , trip time, average speed and Distance-to-empty counter. Once you switch to TRIP 1 on the tank display, the primary display shows all the above counters for this trip and you can cycle between each of them using buttons on the tank console. In case you dont want to ride with the trip counters on, you can switch to the normal odo mode and in this case the primary display shows the Dynamic fuel consumption counter. Cycle through in odo mode and you find that there is a gear position indicator with a clock in the primary display too (added at second service through a software patch release from Bajaj) and then a distance to next service counter as well. Note that trip meters run till 999.9 kms and do not reset on their own. A manual reset is required for both trip meters.

The various counters available with the tank mounted display in Odo mode..


The various counters available with the tank mounted display in Trip mode..As you can see, this is for Trip 1. Also note the yellow notification light..it stays on because 4th service is due


Close up of tank mounted display..

The warning lights for ABS, high beam, neutral, turn indicators, check engine and shift light have been moved to the top just below the primary display. Additionally the 2019 update also brought with it a notification light (yellow triangle with an exclamation mark inside) which when it comes signifies that there is a message/problem/notification. This is a new system where all warnings related to the bike are now displayed as messages on the primary display along with the average FE and other counters. For example, the fuel gauge has 8 bars for 13 litres and when there are 5 more litres remaining with 2 bars on, a Low Fuel Level message is displayed. Or when the distance to next service counter reaches 0, a Service Reminder message comes on. When the bike overheats or there is low coolant, an Engine Overheat and Low Coolant messages come on respectively. Additionally, these warnings along with the yellow notification light come on while riding and keep cycling one by one, you can dismiss them if you think they aren't critical and look at them later through another INFO mode on tank mounted display which brings together all these warnings in one place.

Nice touch !!

FE and tank range

This bike completely beat my expectations on this front. I expected nothing more than 20 odd kmpl in the city and 30 kmpl tops on the highways at purchase. However, I am getting anywhere between 25 to 28 kmpl in the city depending on traffic conditions and 32 to 35 kmpl on highways, depending on my cruising speed. Cruising at 90 kmph on highways, I always manage anywhere between 33 to 34 kmpl on the average fuel efficiency display. As cruising speeds climb this figure starts to drop gradually. Cruising at around 100 - 110 kmph gets me around 32 kmpl almost all the time. Post 110 kmph FE starts to drop further. During my Bangalore ride, maintaining 120+ consistently got me around 29 to 30 kmpl. Ride like a saint at 75 kmph in 6th gear for a long time and you can see the average FE counter well on its way to 40 kmpl. I have got a maximum of 39 kmpl riding like this. I have fellow owners claiming they have got 45+ kmpl riding at 60 in 6th. However I dont subscribe to this kind of riding style with short shifting involved. Two things, one, that is not how this bike is meant to be ridden, at such speeds in top gear, the bike is completely out of its power band and it is certainly not good to lug the engine in the long term. Second, this kind of riding style puts the gearbox and chain sprocket under a lot of stress. What you save in fuel, will vanish into thin air on account of part replacements. 6th gear is a true blessing and I use it as a cruising tool on the highways above 75 kmph.

I use the Fuelio app on Android to log all my bike related expenses including fuel. I must say that the instrument cluster is about 95% accurate which was another pleasant surprise. Most of the time, the reading I get on the app coincides with that on the instrument cluster. I have the habit of tanking up the bike fully during fuel stops. In city rides gives me a tank range of about 220 - 250 odd kms before the Low Fuel Level notification comes on. On highways, depending on the FE, I get a tank range between 250 and 300 kms. Another habit I have is to fill up the tank as soon as the Low Fuel Level message comes on with 5 litres and 2 bars remaining. The fuel pump is extremely sensitive and I was told at pre-delivery briefing to never let the tank go below 3 litres.

FE trends..

Service and Maintenance

I would divide this section into 4 parts:

• Chain sprocket and Tyres : Change every 12,000 to 15,000 kms
  
  Straight after delivery I got the stock MRFs changed to Pirelli Diablo Rosso II in stock spec. The MRFs on the Dominar were on the receiving side of brickbats from owners. Honestly, the moment I realised I will be getting MRFs I had made up my mind to just throw them out. I had lost my trust in all Indian tyre brands by this time possibly due to the bitter experiences I had with JK Tyres on my Ritz. Dont get me wrong, MRF tyres are very good but only in the 150 to 200 cc segment. I believe they were incapable of putting down the entire 40 PS and 35 Nm on to the road the way I wanted it to, considering my riding style which is not exactly sedate. From my research I narrowed down to 2 options for upgrade. The Pirellis and Michelin Pilot Street 2 radials. Digging further, I got to know from a few owners of Michelins that the tyres even though comfortable are very skid prone. When I heard this from around 4 different sources, I lost my enthusiasm for the Michelins. On the other hand, I had only heard good things about the Pirellis as a solid, grippy and comfortable highway tyres. Without thinking twice I managed to source 2 latest manufactured pieces in stock size of 110/70 R17 for the front and 150/60 R17 for the rear through DBS tyres Kochi even before delivery.
  
  
  
  This is some sticky rubber.. An uncle of mine asked me whether these have any grip seeing the very less number of grooves on it.. Notice the well lubed and new Rolon BPR kit.
  
  A word on this set of rubber. There was a running period of 500 kms on the tyres and 2000 kms on the bike and hence I never opened throttle during this period staying below 4500 rpm. Once done, I slowly started opening throttle on the highways and I realized that these stick on to the tarmac like leeches do, once sufficiently heated up. They did fairly well in the monsoon as well with me not losing grip even once during cornering too. Once rains dried out, I had gained immense confidence and started trusting these so much so that I started enjoying it even more by throwing them into random corners. During my Ponmudi ride, I had a ball of a time going up the ghats. Where my fellow riders with stock MRFs hesitated, I followed the formula of going hard on the brakes from high speeds and downshifting to 2nd going wide into corners, let go of brakes, leaning as much as possible at entry, hitting the apex, weight transfer to opposite side and powering out with full throttle at exit. I could keep doing this all day and not once did they give up or complain.
  
  DBS Tyres told me I would get about 10,000 kms from this set. By taking extremely good care of them and with just 1 puncture, I got close to 14,000 kms from the first set. I was so satisfied DBS Tyres got me another set and I have completed close to 2500 kms on the same and they look as good as new.
  
  The stock chain started to get noisy post 5000 kms and would require adjustments every 1000 kms. Sometimes it got really annoying and got worse when my service centre over tightened the chain during 3 rd service at 10000 kms. The chain started overlapping and would lose tension every 500 kms. They also went completely toothless at 12000 kms. It was so bad that the instant power I got in first and second gear to close gaps went missing too. And finally post 13,000 kms they started to get disturbingly noisy and that was the final nail in the coffin.
  
  I had already decided by then that I would get it replaced with Rolon BPR Brass kit 42 T, X ring chain and sprocket. I sourced this from LRL Motors Kochi, also an expert specialist in the servicing of D400.
  
  I have completed 3500 kms+ on the this set with zero adjustments and lubing them every 1000 kms using Putoline Tech Chain dry ceramic wax and Wurth Chain cleaner. They are yet to lose tension and supremely quiet with synthetic rubber in between every link.
  
  Note that the stock chain is also Rolon branded but the rubber on links were removed and quality reduced by Bajaj to cut costs.
  
  
  
  Chain and sprocket care..
  
  
  
• Regular service with oil change : Every 5000 kms.
  
  The very next day after taking delivery, I took the bike for a ride to Trivandrum, simply to get accustomed with it. That plus a few short rides meant the bike was up for 1st free service at 650 kms in just 2 days.
  
  Did it with oil change at Popular Motors Kochi and the bill came to 1229/-.
  
  The second free service came in at 5000 kms and I did this in August at Aadithya Bajaj Coimbatore. It was during this time that the extra chil chil noise inside the engine started getting annoying. Asked around and I got to know that there are multiple bikes affected with the same issue. Complained and it was rectified by them with the adjustment of some valve. The sound disappeared post service and I must say I had an extremely good experience with Aadithya Motors. They are one of the first dealers for Bajaj Auto in TN and their dealing was extremely professional. It was my first ever servicing experience outside of my state and being my first visit, the service manager there himself attended to me, made me comfortable and listened to me patiently after which he promised to fix it. They have a servicing team specially for the Dominar which is cool. The overall experience was extremely satisfactory and I came out with the bike feeling fresh after paying a bill of 1534/-.
  
  The third free service which was the last free service was also done at Aadithya Motors in end of November. I had zero issues to report and it was just the usual oil change. The bill came to 1797/-. I was in and out in a day.
  
  The D400 comes with fully synthetic oil from the factory and is of SAE 10W-50 grade. The oil was Bajaj DTSi branded. It was pathetic to say the least with the engine starting to get rough and vibrations seeping in as early as 3000 kms. Just after 2nd service, I got the oil changed to Liquimoly Street Race from LRL Motors Kochi and difference felt was like day and night. NVH drastically improved and engine felt absolutely smooth and revv happy. At third service, since Liquimoly wasn't available, I had to use Motul oil. Even though it is not as good as Liquimoly, it does the job well and I have been using it for the past 5000 kms. During the upcoming 4th service I plan to change it to Addinol Pole Position fully synthetic oil. I got to know from a few fellow owners that this turns the Dominar into a new animal all together. Cant wait to pour this in.
  
  Two little issues worth mentioning here:
  
  1. The stock crash guard bolts : They were faulty right from the start and used to break every now and then. This was also being reported by multiple owners and clearly, it was a manufacturing defect. I am currently on the 4th set of bolts and Bajaj says they have fixed the issue by changing the vendor and that it would not happen again. I will have to wait and see how that goes. Things are fine for the past 5000 kms.
  
  2. The instrument cluster : After each service, the folks at service plug their scan device into the OBD port to reset the service reminder message. Every single time, right from the first service, this has been messing up the entire cluster with all the readings being lost including avg FE, DTE, trip time and the likes. The trip meter also resets on its own each time the ignition is switched on. Then they re flash the latest patch again and re start the bike. This fixes it. I am pretty sure this will happen at the upcoming service 4th paid service as well.
  
  
  
  From Bajaj's official Android app. You can see I was charged the first time the crash guard bolts gave away by Popular Bajaj Kochi..Subsequent ones were changed by Aadithya Bajaj Coimbatore and they didn't even bother putting it on the bill.
  
  
  
  
• Suspension check, brake pads and conset : Check and change if required every 15,000 kms.
  
  Currently running on stock Bajaj pads and they do their job well considering the cheap price it comes at. The odo is currently nearing 16,500 kms and brake pads and conset are doing just fine.
  
  I plan to to put in Vesrah branded ceramic pads at next change for that extra stopping power.
  
  
• Other issues (leaks etc) : Check every 3000 kms
  
  Absolutely trouble free as of now. *Touchwood.

Accessories installed

• Touring windshield from Carbon Racing : Something I got even before I brought the bike home. While on the look out, I came across the Instagram page of a bike accessories manufacturer by the name Carbon Racing. They were based in Bangalore. Went through their web page and saw a few reviews which gave positive feedback. Checked with them directly and they had windshields for the D400 in stock. They also claim that they have wind tunnel tested the windshield and that it is made from some unbreakable plastic compound material.
  
  Placed an order for a fully smoked one and they delivered it to me in a week's time via DTDC.
  
  It was DIY fix and I mounted it right after I got the bike registered with the help of a video they uploaded on Youtube.
  
  
  
  Touring windshield from Carbon Racing. They provide me with superb wind blast protection up to speeds of 100 kmph..A worthy investment.
  
  
• Type 2 crash guard with frame sliders from Hyper Rider Bangalore : Even before getting the bike, I had made up my mind to get proper crash guards that would protect the bike and engine as well for complete peace of mind. It was at this time I came across their page on Instagram and they had a video posted there of a Dominar which crashed into a median at 120+ kmph. All that happened was the frame slider broke with a few scratches on the crash guard and the bike. I was impressed. Ordered 3 pieces for myself and two other fellow owners and they delivered it to me sometime in July via DHL. This again was a DIY fix but this one was tricky. I fixed this with the help of the 2 others . We didn't have the right tools and as a result spent around 4 to 5 hours getting this installed on both sides when it should have just been a 1 hour job. It is fairly heavy at a total close to 5 kg and this made mounting the pieces on even harder. The bolts used are heavy duty ones and they were really long.
  
  
  
  Type 2 crash guards with integrated frame sliders from Hyper Rider.. provides complete peace of mind. Notice the fog lamps as well.
  
  I put the bike down once enroute Coonoor when the tyre skidded while I was pulling over. It was a wet and thick grass patch and I failed to notice this and applied front brakes. Lost control of the bike with it leaning to one side.I had no choice but drop it since I found it difficult to lift it back because of the weight. The bike landed on the frame sliders. Killed the engine immediately and lifted it back up with the help of my pillion. Not even a scratch anywhere.
  
  
• Handguards, Fog lamps and mobile phone holder from Bandidos Pitstop, Thrissur, Kerala : Bandidos is said to the bike accessories capital of Kerala. They have a fairly huge customer base from across the state and even outside.
  
  Handguards installed were from Acerbis, 6 LED foglamps from JB Racing USA and the mobile phone holder from a brand I dont remember. Planning to shift to RAM mounts once budget permits since I use a pretty expensive smart phone.
  
  Also planning to add a carrier from Lluvia Industries to increase luggage carrying capacity, fork sliders from retro cross too as and when time and budget permits.

My Riding Gear

• Helmet : It was during the search for riding gear that I came across the website of Spartan Pro Gear.Within no time I narrowed down on the helmet I wanted. I chose the Binomy green from MT Revenge series with pinlock added to the visor.
  
  
  
  My crown.. The MT Revenge Binomy. Co-incidentally, the helmet also came in green
  
  This helmet is DOT and ECE R 22.5 compliant just like most helmets in this range. What sealed the deal for me was that it also had a 5 star SHARP rating. It promises real world crash protection at speeds up to 120 kmph.
  
  
• Riding Jacket : I got the Aspida Nemesis 2. This is an all weather jacket with armors at the chest, back, elbows and shoulder. It comes with rain and winter liners too and it has various pockets for all your devices and knick knacks.
  
  
  
  The Aspida Nemesis 2 L2. Source : Google
  
  This jacket is also Level 2 certified.
  
  
• Gloves : They are Scmitar branded Stunt short cuff gloves. They are not rain friendly but do the job well and keep my sweaty palms comfortable too.
  
  
• Riding boots : All weather and with steel inserts all round, I found the perfect pair from Orazo Motorcycling Gear. Got them off Amazon.
  

Riding pants, knee and elbow pads are pending and I wlll add them as and when time and budget permits.


On the whole, the Bajaj Dominar completely fits my requirements of being a comfortable, powerful and reliable highway tourer or as Bajaj likes to call it, a sports tourer. And it does those things flawlessly. There are a few short comings, something that I can and will have to live with. Being the first bike I own, it completely meets and sometimes even exceeds all my expectations from it. Being a noob at riding, I look forward to clock more miles and make full use of the bike. Make no mistake, I am still learning and hope to keep doing it. Its been almost a year since I have started riding and I hope to keep the momentum going. Currently, as we all know, there has been a pause because of a stupid virus that is now making us sit at home.

I am sure we will all get through this and I cant wait to gear myself up and hit the highways again.


Cheers... And stay safe !!!

[aswin ajith]

A few more clicks..

During the last Christmas eve.. Kochi guys would know this. Fort Kochi is absolutely LIT during Christmas..


Out for a midnight stroll..with my friend's Yamaha FZ 150 v3.. We took delivery around the same time.


Parting shot..

The smaller yet significant things

• After completing 6 months, I got the bike detailed with Superbee Automobile Union Kochi. They used compounding and waxing products from Menzerna Germany. I was extremely satisfied and you can see the outcome in the pic below.
  
  
  
  Also notice the Ducati Monster in the background.. Belongs to the owner.
  
  
  Products used..
  
  
• Even though this comes from Bajaj and is their flagship offering, there are hardly any Bajaj logos anywhere on the bike. There is one on the left side of the engine block and another one while you switch on ignition during the initializing sequence.
  
• Bajaj has provided a touring stand this time with a claimed payload of close to 300 kg. Want to get on the bike, tourer style ? Absolutely no issues. Engage side stand with engine in gear and it shuts down. It will not start with stand down and in gear either. Nifty feature.
  
• The instrument cluster dims itself out at around dusk to keep your eyes comfy. Reason ? There is an ambient light sensor hidden somewhere around the primary display.
  
• Almost the entire bike is made of plastic. Helps to keep weight in check and of course aids in cutting costs too.
  
• Due to government regulations, dealers now have to provide helmets with each vehicle sold. Imagine my shock when the lady at the showroom, with a smile, handed me with a toy like plastic helmet when I walked in to take delivery with my MT Revenge. Some things are better avoided if they cant be done or implemented properly.
  
• Serving him for close to 2.5 decades, my dad's first ride was also a 1988 Bajaj Chetak of which, I have fond memories. Like father, like son.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[mallumowgli]

Excellent write up Aswin. Detailed and well written. Wishing you many wonderful trips once the lock-down gets over

Originally Posted by aswin ajith

Plus the pillion seat was just there for the sake of it

Psst...happy to note you did not use the word 'namesake' like many of us here

[dhanushmenon]

Amazing write up Aswin. Doesn't look like this is your maiden effort! Precise and threadbare. Many kudos to the way you structured the thread and pacing it optimally, holding the grip of the readers intact from the word go.

Evidently, much effort has gone in the background to bring it to this shape, I am sure. Well, be sanguine that the time you fruitfully dedicated to this thread will be more than beneficial for many in the forum. With the analysis, replete with the Goods and Bads thrown in, this report surely is a contender for being the "Go to" reference thread for anyone in the market for a Dominar; and for some undecided souls too.

Thoroughly enjoyed the read and time very well spent. Looking forward to many more reports from you.

Originally Posted by aswin ajith

Damn !!! That was fun, I tell my pillion raising my helmet visor who was hanging on to me tight...

I think it should be reworded as :
"I tell my pillion, or whatever was left of him..."

Originally Posted by aswin ajith

Damn you pointless flyovers (we are possibly the only state in India where there is a traffic signal right before and just after a flyover, beat that).

Bang on! You took the words out of my mouth buddy. I seriously wonder what those engineers were smoking when they put pen to the drawing board.

[rajoy123]

Absolutely Peppy thread, just like the bike! Bajaj has improved an already-capable tourer with the 2019 model, and your observations are spot-on. I have ridden the dominar couple of times, and loved the stability it offered, which was comparable to the bullet 350.

This thread is genuinely going to help others who are considering a touring bike! The narrative was engrossing and kept me glued till the end! Happy to see that you have invested in safe riding gear.

well deserved 5 stars. Ride safe buddy!

- Rajoy.

[07CR]

Congratulations on the Hyper riding machine! It certainly is a attention magnet in the ninja green colour, however, it blends somewhat in the violet and white colours. As many have said, always go green!

There is this notion that Bajaj bikes don't really age well back from the Pulsar days. I have a feeling this one wont either. That doesn't stop me from giving it my everything when it comes to upkeep. I'd be glad if proved wrong.

It all depends on the care and maintenance buddy. We have had two Bajaj motorcycles till now (Dad's XCD125 and my Pulsar 180), both have been near flawless and never visited the service center apart for general servicing.


Attaching a recent pic of my March 2013 steed.

[jacs]

Enjoyed reading motorcycle ownership after a long time, that is some serious miles on your odo and the testimony for Domnar's riding comfort I guess.

Got a shock seeing the throw of the LED headlights. Seems your Fog lamps are also LED which makes me wonder how it helps on rainy weather conditions. Had LED for lamps on my TB50 which was useful only in dry weather. Are they having a warmer colour temperature? Anyways the light setup of Domnar is really intimidating on the rearview mirrors and not just you, we car drivers also wish if it was a normal Halogen

Great to see the passionate maintenance and the responsible choice of safety gears. Keep it up.

Safe ride brother

[aswin ajith]

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

Excellent write up Aswin. Detailed and well written. Wishing you many wonderful trips once the lock-down gets over



Psst...happy to note you did not use the word 'namesake' like many of us here

Thanks for the kind words Praveen. Yes, cant wait to get back on the roads soon.

Originally Posted by dhanushmenon

Amazing write up Aswin. Doesn't look like this is your maiden effort! Precise and threadbare. Many kudos to the way you structured the thread and pacing it optimally, holding the grip of the readers intact from the word go.

Evidently, much effort has gone in the background to bring it to this shape, I am sure. Well, be sanguine that the time you fruitfully dedicated to this thread will be more than beneficial for many in the forum. With the analysis, replete with the Goods and Bads thrown in, this report surely is a contender for being the "Go to" reference thread for anyone in the market for a Dominar; and for some undecided souls too.

Thoroughly enjoyed the read and time very well spent. Looking forward to many more reports from you.

Thank you for the very kind words Dhanush. Coming from you, it is certainly encouraging. With lock down in place and having a considerable amount of spare time, I thought this would be the best time to finish this.

I couldn't find any ownership reports of the 2019 version on the forum. So yes, if this very little effort of mine helps someone who is sitting on the fence with the purchase, I would be extremely happy.

Originally Posted by rajoy123

Absolutely Peppy thread, just like the bike! Bajaj has improved an already-capable tourer with the 2019 model, and your observations are spot-on. I have ridden the dominar couple of times, and loved the stability it offered, which was comparable to the bullet 350.

This thread is genuinely going to help others who are considering a touring bike! The narrative was engrossing and kept me glued till the end! Happy to see that you have invested in safe riding gear.

well deserved 5 stars. Ride safe buddy!

- Rajoy.

Like you mentioned, this should definitely be on the list of someone who is in the market for an entry level tourer. And yes, it is properly stable out on the open roads.

With respect to riding gear, I did not want to leave any stones unturned. I will looking to add to my gear soon as well. Always believe in the principle of ATGATT.

Glad you enjoyed going through the thread.

Originally Posted by 07CR

Congratulations on the Hyper riding machine! It certainly is a attention magnet in the ninja green colour, however, it blends somewhat in the violet and white colours. As many have said, always go green!



It all depends on the care and maintenance buddy. We have had two Bajaj motorcycles till now (Dad's XCD125 and my Pulsar 180), both have been near flawless and never visited the service center apart for general servicing.

Attachment 1999209
Attaching a recent pic of my March 2013 steed.

Hi 07CR,

Talk about this being an attention magnet. The green shade even after almost a year still manages to gather attention wherever it goes be it pump attendants, passers by. I am still a little apprehensive about leaving it in an open parking. Couple of times I have done it, I never had peace of mind till I got back.

Great too see your Pulsar 180 in mint condition. I hope I can keep mine the same way going forward.

Originally Posted by jacs

Enjoyed reading motorcycle ownership after a long time, that is some serious miles on your odo and the testimony for Domnar's riding comfort I guess.

Got a shock seeing the throw of the LED headlights. Seems your Fog lamps are also LED which makes me wonder how it helps on rainy weather conditions. Had LED for lamps on my TB50 which was useful only in dry weather. Are they having a warmer colour temperature? Anyways the light setup of Dominar is really intimidating on the rearview mirrors and not just you, we car drivers also wish if it was a normal Halogen.

Great to see the passionate maintenance and the responsible choice of safety gears. Keep it up.

Safe ride brother

Glad you enjoyed reading Jacs. I have enjoyed every single mile clocked on the D400 since I got it home, comfortably.

With respect to the lights, yes, the fogs are also LEDs however, like you said, they are of warmer temperature compared to the headlamps. The yellowish tinge you see in the pics is provided by the fogs. That greatly helps in rains.

Even without fogs, the headlamps are intimidating on RVMs. Most people give way.

And trust me, it also teaches those people out on the highways who refuse to dip for bikers, a lesson or two.

[aswin ajith]

Fourth Service update at Popular Bajaj Kochi : April 26, Sunday

Points that had to be covered:

• The usual service along with oil change and replacement of all filters including fuel filter.
• Horns not working intermittently.
• Check the condition of front brake pads.
• Coolant below minimum level, top up urgent.
• Raise issue with the engine head.

Being in lockdown period and as per government regulations, service centres were allowed to carry out urgent repairs while being open from 10 AM to 5 PM.

Fourth service was paid and supposed to be done at 15,000 kms. My odo was reading 16,448 kms. I was supposed to get this done before lockdown but couldn't partly due to my laziness and office commitments as well. The engine had gotten rough with vibrations clearly felt on the handlebars. D400 is very sensitive to oil quality. You can easily feel it when it is not at all happy with the oil inside. Also with the coolant tank going below minimum, I thought I would just call up and check if they could carry out routine service. To my surprise they asked me to come ASAP since they didn't have much bikes in and were planning to close early.

Reached at sharp 10:30 AM. Was promptly attended to by a service advisor, job card was opened and he started to go through all the important aspects that needed attention at 15k. I mentioned the above points to him as well. Being in lockdown, they were working at 50% staffing with only essential spares being available. So, they said they will be unable to address the engine head issue but promised to check post lockdown when they are up and running fully.

The bike went in by 11 AM, a water wash was done and all the jobs carried out. As expected, the front brake pads had almost worn out with only 10% material left on it. I asked for a replacement.

Popular Bajaj has a customer lounge from where you can watch your ride being worked on

The bike was ready by 2 PM with all points addressed except the noise from engine head. I will take it up with them post lockdown and the service manager confirmed it is not an issue to ride with it. I was anyway not going anywhere.

Damages as per below,

4th Paid service : 2900/- INR
Front brake pads : 1800/- INR

Total Bill : 4700/- INR.

Was out by 2:15 PM, tanked up at nearby IOC COCO pump and headed straight back home.

Important: Always keep your swing arm well greased along with adjusting chain slack.

PS: I will try to keep this thread fully updated at all times with all aspects related to ownership of the D400.

Cheers and stay safe !!

[jasjotbains]

Aswin, what is the service interval (months/kms/both) of your D400? Any difference between service interval of your D400 and the BS6 one? My nearest Bajaj showroom is down the street but shut since 23rd March

[ast.ggn]

Excellent review and congrats on your bike. 2nd gen Dominar is quite an improvement over previous one.

Thanks for sharing your experience with Chain wax and Rolon brass kit. I was searching for reviews on it some time back but couldn't find any proper feedback. Chain has been a pain to maintain on my 390 and is a source of trouble. I will try this once lockdown gets over.

[aswin ajith]

Originally Posted by jasjotbains

Aswin, what is the service interval (months/kms/both) of your D400? Any difference between service interval of your D400 and the BS6 one? My nearest Bajaj showroom is down the street but shut since 23rd March

Service interval for the D400 is 5000 kms/6 months whichever comes earlier. Nope, there is no difference in service intervals between models and it is standard.

Even here the sales division is closed, only service function is working.

Originally Posted by ast.ggn

Excellent review and congrats on your bike. 2nd gen Dominar is quite an improvement over previous one.

Thanks for sharing your experience with Chain wax and Rolon brass kit. I was searching for reviews on it some time back but couldn't find any proper feedback. Chain has been a pain to maintain on my 390 and is a source of trouble. I will try this once lockdown gets over.

Thank you so much ast.ggn.

Indeed it is a HUGE improvement over the earlier models.

Brass kit is going extremely smooth as of now. And Putoline was a recent discovery and it is simply amazing. Even though I lube it at 1k km intervals, there are people who claim it lasts thrice as much and it might as well be true. The bottle you saw will last you a very long time as well.

With regards to your 390, you just need to be disciplined when it comes chain and sprocket care. Get them lubed religiously at fixed intervals make sure you keep them as clean as possible always, especially during monsoons which is actually a pain. Also take care to keep a check on tension available and make sure to never over tighten them as well. You will do good.