Beast on a Budget

Beast on a Budget

I wanted a bike which will provide me with comfort over the long haul. My options were the Jawa 42, Mahindra Mojo (I was not considering Royal Enfield as I already owned one before). After a lot of research, countless hours of watching Videos, discussing on forums, I rounded off on the Bajaj Dominar 400 2019. It was tried and tested by people, who went on international tours which cemented my decision even more. And knowing the network of Bajaj service centres and their reliability I chose the Dominar as it was the most Value for money out of all three.
I will divide my review between the pros and the cons.
Pros:-
1) Handling:- Having moved from a Royal Enfield Electra, the difference between handling was night and day. The bike tips into corners so well, you feel like Rossi. The bike holds ground and is very steady on straight roads, it will never scare you.
2) Looks:- Although the bike hasn't changed much it looks as good as ever. The front forks make it look like a Superbike and it is definitely a head turner, people will ask you to pull over to check the bike out.
3)Comfort:- The bike provides exceptional comfort, far better than the Bullet I owned. The seat is a bit hard for my liking but overall you don't feel like you are riding a motorcycle which weighs 182kgs, it sitting posture feels very natural and doesn't strain any part of your body.
4) Performance:- One-word "Torque". The bike just pulls and the only thing holding it back is you. It just asks for more and more. Initial pickup and acceleration are phenomenal. And overtaking trucks is a piece of cake for the bike.
5) Technology:- I have to admit the bike is smarter than my car. It doesn't just show you the warning lights but it also displays the actual issue with the bike. The split consoles look very futuristic. Although many are complaining about the Gear indicator being placed on the secondary display, Yes it is hard to read but the only actual use I found is when the bike is knocking and I want to know how high of a gear I am. Coming from a Royal Enfield all of this is eye candy for me and I couldn't ask for more.
Cons:-
1) Mileage:- Although the company class a fuel economy of 27kmpl but I could only churn out 22 in city and 25 on highways. Even though I wasn't pushing the bike that hard keeping it under 6k rpm.
2) Heating Issue:- It isn't that bad and you won't notice it on highways but in traffic, it does heat up a little bit and you do feel that warmth coming from the engine.
3)Slow Speed Maneuvering:-
You feel the weight while manoeuvring at a slow speed there was the time the bike almost tipped over while making a U-turn. If you park your bike in a tight space you have to move it back and forth a lot to get it out.
4) Footpegs:-
The Footpegs tend to poke on your shin when you keep your foot down. It is not very bad but a bit uncomfortable.
I have done almost 150kms on the bike and the first impressions were just Wow. There was an issue of low coolant level with my bike the service centre was very helpful and topped it up with coolant for a very minimal charge. Planning on covering many miles. And I am pretty confident the bike will live up to its name of being a power cruiser. I am pretty sure the heating issue can be minimised with some ECU updates. Dominar is a bike which will provide you with exceptional comfort without making a big hole in your pocket. The bike cost me 118k on the road and I got the delivery in 8 days. It is worth every penny I spent.