[RD410]

Originally Posted by amit_purohit20

What is the weight of the bike? And can someone confirm whether the bike still has the heavy steering like Dominar?

It's 174 kg, which is almost 20 kgs lighter than Dominar. And no, it won't have heavy steering as the whole chassis is different (strengthened NS200 chassis) and wheelbase is much shorter. If anything, it should be way more flickable.

Originally Posted by Starkiller

We needed the 43mm USD front forks in the Dominar.

Dominar 400 has 43mm USD's. It's the Dominar 250 that gets the skinnier 37mm ones.

Originally Posted by payeng

I am curious how many Spark Plugs this 373 engine has. Wasn't mentioned anywhere during the launch.

With the Bs6.2 update, Bajaj had ditched triple spark tech on Dominar 400. As triple spark is not mentioned anywhere, this one should also have a single spark plug.

Originally Posted by mad4nfs

I wonder why they didn't use 400cc engine "jointly" developed with Triumph?

Yes, mainly to keep the cost lower. As of now, the 373cc engine is being used on 4 different motorcycles, so the economy of scale for that engine is really good. And currently, the Triumph TR400 engine with drive chain on rightside is exclusive to Triumph. With NS400, Bajaj's only aim was to keep the price as low as possible. So they used the body, wheels and chassis of NS200 (strengthened for the bigger engine), engine from Dominar, USD's and brake rotor from Duke 390, etc. As a result, this has turned out to be a Frankenstein mix of a bike. But the customers are benefitting here as the deal is irresistable. And though old, the 373cc KTM derived mill still is more potent and sporty than the Triumph 400 or TVS-BMW 310 engines.

[Starkiller]

Originally Posted by RD410

So they used the body, wheels and chassis of NS200 (strengthened for the bigger engine), engine from Dominar, USD's and brake rotor from Duke 390, etc.

Aren't the KTMs armed with WP USD forks while the Dominar is equipped with forks from Endurance? Also which brake rotors? The older ones or the newer ones? As far as I could tell, the rotors on the NS400 is similar to the Dominar and not the new Duke (which has a wheel mounted front rotor instead of a regular hub mounted one).

[Williams_f1]

Wow! What a great time for bikers in our country! The New KTMs (actually KTMs since they launched here), Triumphs, HD/Hero 440, RE on a rampage and now this. Bajaj is just killing the value equation, Power for the masses - just love it.

I own a year old Duke 200 and keep wondering with all these launches whether I jumped the gun but no! I am super happy with my bike and find it has good blend of power-handling-maintenance-mileage-image.

Lets see how this sells, I feel Bajaj has created a ceiling for their Pulsar brand, sitting below KTM and Triumphs, Pulsar is an aspirational brand for masses know for its value proposition and blend of power and economy, a hotted up 400cc Pulsar feels like middle of nowhere positioning, it will definitely create a Halo affect for the lower models in the family, they should have made it more new but then they could probably not meet the price.

Ironically cars are getting expensive and performance bikes more accessible!

[RD410]

Originally Posted by Starkiller

Aren't the KTMs armed with WP USD forks while the Dominar is equipped with forks from Endurance?

The WP's used on Indian made KTM's are manufactured by Endurance. They have a technical tie up with WP Austria. It's just that when it's used Dominar's and Pulsar's, they get Endurance branding instead of WP. The front brake rotor on NS400 is similar to gen 3 Duke 390 as in the disc lacks a center plate and is directly mounted on the wheels. At first I thought the rotors are exactly the same but they are not, as the alloy designs are different.

I am surprised by how Bajaj is keen on reducing unsprung mass. Looks like they really want it to be light steering and agile.

[SJD@NewDelhi]

This was what might have transpired in one of Bajaj's brainstorming sessions:

Head honcho: What to do guys? Lots of those D400 engines lying around
Sidekick: Yes, even plonking those in the N250 and D250 didn't help much.
Guy from the background lazily: Erm...maybe use it directly in the NS frame and badge it as NS400?
First guy: Brilliant idea! As the icing, let's launch it below 2L. But don't worry, we will keep increasing the price every month once few batches roll out and see who is wiser

Jokes apart, drooling for the Adv version!
Downside: 12L gas tank. Even with a best case mileage of 35kmpl, total range will be around 400kms.
But seriously, where is the exhaust outlet?

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by SJD@NewDelhi

But seriously, where is the exhaust outlet?

https://youtu.be/bA9Lk6_QojQ?si=1aNN-I8ZAiuu5blN

Sounds a lot like a KTM.

Cheers, Doc

[amit_purohit20]

[quote=RD410;5764329]It's 174 kg, which is almost 20 kgs lighter than Dominar. And no, it won't have heavy steering as the whole chassis is different (strengthened NS200 chassis) and wheelbase is much shorter. If anything, it should be way more flickable]

Glad to hear that the bike is 20 kgs lighter and I agree this will have impact on the steering and handling of the bike. The shorter wheelbase would add more to the flickability. Good decision by Bajaj guys.

I will wait for the real world test reports on the steering. Present Dominar especially UG feels too heavy for me and the steering is more heavier than the earlier version. I was able to maneuver the earlier Dominar but the UG version is plain too heavy for me to handle. I lost confidence during my test drive.

I feel the chassis between the Dominar and the NS 200 was same. Correct me if I am wrong.

[doga]

That pricing is killer from Bajaj. Unbelievable. I heard the Autocar guy say the front tyre is not radial? That didn't make sense. Is that correct?

[Sudarshan42]

Originally Posted by doga

That pricing is killer from Bajaj. Unbelievable. I heard the Autocar guy say the front tyre is not radial? That didn't make sense. Is that correct?

Many bikes in this segment come with non-radial front tyres to keep costs down. As a general rule, if you're buying the NS400 or any lower cost bike for that matter, the tyres are always one of the economized parts. Just swap it for better ones after the run-in period, or even straight out of the showroom for the best experience. It will cost about 10k more, but will fundamentally improve the bike's handling.

[Sensible_Speed]

Honestly, that price is killer! I want one so bad now. This bike looks amazing, is affordable and the platform is relatively proven too (NS200 chassis and KTM engine). I don't care if chappris buy it. This bike makes me want to be a chappri xD.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by doga

That pricing is killer from Bajaj. Unbelievable. I heard the Autocar guy say the front tyre is not radial? That didn't make sense. Is that correct?

Also, is this the only 40bhp/400cc bike with a 140 section rear tyre?

Cheers, Doc

[JayPrashanth]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Also, is this the only 40bhp/400cc bike with a 140 section rear tyre?

Cheers, Doc

interceptor stock is 130 section!

Cheers,

Jay

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by JayPrashanth

interceptor stock is 130 section!

Cheers,

Jay

Interceptor is 400 cc?

The Himalayan 450 and Triumph Scrambler 400X come in 140, the 390 Adventure 130 section. But different pattern to standard street tyres like the Duke, Speed and Dominar. All 150 section. As are the Aprilia and Kawasaki.

Cheers, Doc

[b16h22]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Also, is this the only 40bhp/400cc bike with a 140 section rear tyre?

Cheers, Doc

The R3 has a 140 section rear. It has 40+hp but it's a 320cc twin.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by b16h22

The R3 has a 140 section rear. It has 40+hp but it's a 320cc twin.

And a 188 kmph top end too! Damn. It whips the bigger Ninja 400? They seem matched on weight (167 vs 168 kg) but the Ninja has 3 bhp more (44 vs 41 bhp). But I'll have my money on the smaller Yam.

Cheers, Doc