Bajaj Dominar 400

Bajaj launched a 350cc version of the Bajaj Dominar 400 in the country at Rs 2,03,214 (ex-showroom Delhi). This is the brand’s attempt at capitalising on the new GST regulations that promotes the sale of sub-350cc bikes with lesser taxation. 

Digression aside, the Bajaj Dominar 400’s story is a slightly sad one. I remember being very excited about the Dominar’s arrival back in 2016 since it promised to make performance accessible to everyone. A 400cc, nearly 40HP bike well under the Rs 1.5 lakh ex-showroom mark was exciting and I’m sure there were plenty of people like me back then. But then eventually, what could’ve been a revolutionary bike ended up being nothing quite like it and of late, it seems to have become even a bit obsolete. Here’s why and how exactly it happened:

The Dominar 400’s design hasn’t really changed over the years but it’s still a muscular looking bike that a lot of people find quite handsome. The wide fuel tank, chunky fork, angry-looking LED headlight and the bike’s overall heft make it look like a big bike. And because there aren’t a lot of Dominars out on the road, I find myself turning my head and looking at one each time it passes by. Thankfully, Bajaj has left the design intact in the 350cc version as well.

Colours

The 350cc Dominar 400 is on sale in two colours: Aurora Green, and Charcoal Black. The black colour looks a bit too subtle on an otherwise handsome bike and there are a lot of green Dominars out there. I feel Bajaj should’ve given the bike a bit more variety in the colour schemes and even better graphics which would’ve definitely made it look more premium. The Pulsar N250, for example, has Glossy Racing Red and Pearl Metallic White colour schemes, both of which look quite nice, so a similar treatment could’ve been given to the Dominar 400. 

Wheels

There are 17-inch wheels at both ends on the Dominar 400. At the front is a 110/70 tyre and at the rear it’s a 150/60 unit, both of which are radial. These are standard tyre sizes in this range so you can easily get better tyres if you want to. As for the wheels, I actually quite like the 10-spoke alloy design, for it looks premium and classy. 

Build quality

The Dominar 400 looks like a muscular, rugged bike and it feels that way too, in terms of its build quality. Its paint levels feel premium, the plastics don’t feel cheap and the overall heavy feel makes it feel solid and well-built. The finish levels are good too, for there are no ugly welding spots to look at.

Safety Features

In 2025, the Bajaj Dominar 400 got a traction control system, something the bike needed for a while, especially given that even the smaller Pulsar N250 had it. Given that the Dominar 400’s engine enjoys being revved out, a traction control system goes a long way in keeping things safe. Apart from that, there is a 320mm disc at the front and a 230mm disc at the rear along with dual-channel ABS as standard. 

One thing which might not come under a ‘safety feature’ but I really appreciate is the Dominar’s brilliant headlight. A lot of modern day LED headlights are absolutely useless but the Dominar is different. It has a strong throw and even when commuting early in the day or late in the night, I had tons of visibility. Made as a tourer, it’s nice to see Bajaj has thought for those tourers who like to start early in the day. 

Convenience Features

In its 2025 update, the Dominar 400 also got a new console straight from the NS400Z. And that means the Dominar 400 has a traction control system as well as 4 riding modes: rain, road, sport and off-road. Now while it is a fully digital console, it’s not the easiest to use and read. There’s a lot of information crammed into a relatively small space and that has compromised on the font size. Apart from the speed and gear position indicator, things like the odometer, ride mode and even tachometer are quite hard to read at first glance while riding. The dot matrix screen on the right side doesn’t have enough contrast for it to be properly readable on the move under direct sunlight.

The Dominar 400 gets a chunky 43mm USD fork with 135mm of travel. There’s a monoshock at the rear with 110mm of wheel travel. The bike is built on Bajaj’s famed perimeter frame, and the underpinnings are the same as the earlier bigger-engined model. 

The latest-gen Dominar 400 is powered by a 349.13cc, liquid-cooled engine, it is basically a downsized version of the previously used 373.3cc engine. It produces 40.6PS at 9000rpm and 33.2Nm at 7500rpm. While the power figure is similar to the older model, the torque is down by 1.8Nm, resulting from a shorter stroke. This rev-happy engine’s performance should be more or less similar to the previous-gen motor as there’s only a nominal drop in torque. That said, we’ll be able to give a final verdict only once we get to ride the bike. 

Bajaj Dominar 400 City Performance

In the 373cc version, the bike really came to life after 6000rpm and it was enjoyable being there too. Expect more or less similar performance in the 350cc version too.

What would’ve made things sweeter is a quickshifter. I know it sounds like I’m asking for a lot but remember even the Pulsar NS400Z gets a quickshifter. So it’s not far-fetched at all to wish that Bajaj gave one to the Dominar 400 as well. 

Bajaj Dominar 400 Highway Performance

Made with touring in mind, the Dominar 400’s highway performance is quite brilliant. The 373cc engine felt comfortable and relaxed at speeds up to 120kmph and it felt reasonably smooth at even 7000rpm. The slightly smaller displacement might mean it may take a bit more time to get to higher speeds, but shouldn’t really be a deal-breaking affair.

The bike’s heft also makes it feel very stable on the highway at high speeds. The windscreen is on the smaller side but it does a good enough job of protecting the rider from major windblasts. Even with my 6’0 frame, I felt that the wind blasting on my face was quite reasonable and even after an hour of riding out on the highway, I didn’t feel particularly tired. 

 Bajaj Dominar 400 Mileage

In the couple of days that I rode the Dominar 400, my mileage figures were right under 30kmpl. For a 373cccc bike with a performance-oriented engine, the Dominar’s mileage was quite respectable. If you like taking it easy and riding at a gentle pace, the bike could even return 32-33kmpl. As for the 350cc version, expect it to go slightly further up.

City Handling

While the engine enjoys being ridden hard, the Dominar 400 isn’t a bike that you can really hustle around the city with its nimble handling, like say - the KTM 390 Duke. And that’s mainly down to the 193kg kerb weight (190kg on the 350cc version). If that sounds on the higher side, that’s because it is. The bike feels every bit of that weight especially at lower speeds. 

The handlebar feels heavy at crawling, bumper-to-bumper traffic speeds, and it’ll feel like you’ve to muscle the bike to get it to move quickly or even go through the narrow gaps when trying to filter through the traffic. And when you combine that with the fact that you’ve to keep the engine in the higher revs, the Dominar 400 isn’t the easiest bike to ride through the city, especially for newer, less experienced riders. 

Highway Handling

On the highway too, the Dominar 400’s overall stability means there are compromises in terms of its agility. That said, because the speeds are higher, you don’t feel as much of the weight as you would in the city. You need much lower effort to change directions and just a little nudge at the handlebar does the trick. In sum, changing lanes at high speeds feels stable but far from rapid. 

Braking

The Dominar 400 has a 320mm disc at the front and a 230mm one at the rear along with dual-channel ABS. The brakes have good initial bite and in all cases, I never really felt like the braking power was alarmingly less. That said, here’s where the weight takes away from the experience as well. Given its weight, the bike doesn’t stop as well and sharply as lighter bikes in this class do, like say - the KTM 390 Duke or even the Triumph Speed 400. 

Ride Quality

The Dominar 400 feels comfortable and stable for most of the part. The suspension is tuned well and in the city even if you go over the worst potholes, the bike will never really feel unstable. In fact, a 90kg friend of mine travels with his equally heavy wife on his Dominar and still the bike doesn’t really scrape its belly against even the worst speed breakers. At higher speeds, the suspension feels stiff enough for the bike to not feel bouncy or wobbly even if you try to make quick direction changes.

The Dominar 400 isn’t a bad bike. It can tour well, can be a bit of fun in the city and looks nice for most people. But you can’t help but feel that it’s a bit obsolete. Even Bajaj itself hasn’t paid as much attention to the Dominar as can be seen in the lack of major cosmetic or hardware updates to the bike over the 10 years that it has been around (and the slightly smaller displacement now). All said and done, we have explained the bike in detail with the help of images.

Bajaj Dominar 400 Variants

The 350cc Bajaj Dominar 400 is on sale in 1 variant only with two colour schemes. The bike’s priced at Rs 2,03,214 (ex-showroom Delhi).

If you want performance, you’ve the 390 Duke, retro enthusiasts will love the Harley-Davidson X440 and if you want something in the middle, there’s the Triumph Speed 400. If budget is an issue, the Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z is an excellent value for money choice. In short, these  bikes cover most types of buyers and among these, the Dominar 400 feels a bit dated. So while it’s not a bad bike in itself, if you’re in the market looking for a 400cc bike, there are much better options.