Bajaj Dominar 400: Old vs New Differences Explained

The updated Bajaj Dominar 400 was just launched in India at Rs 2,38,682 (ex-showroom). With this update, the Dominar becomes a more feature rich bike, especially for long-distance riding. Bajaj has added several new goodies for a small premium of Rs 6,026 over the previous model. Here’s a closer look at what’s new:

New Console

The biggest change in the Dominar is the addition of a new digital instrument console. It’s the same unit seen on the Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z, featuring a split display with a dot-matrix inset. The bike also now supports smartphone connectivity, turn-by-turn navigation, call and SMS alerts. Other useful information includes phone battery, signal levels, clock, low-voltage indicator, and mileage indicator.

The older bike had 2 displays - a full-LCD console and a secondary console on the fuel tank, which had the gear position indicator, and tripmeters. It was placed so lower than the rider’s line of sight, so one had to look down to see the information. This could be distracting as it draws the attention away from the road. So in the 2025 model, Bajaj has placed only the USB charging port there. That’s a convenient location in our opinion since devices mounted on the navigation stay can be charged easily.

Ride-by-Wire and Riding Mode

The 2025 Bajaj Dominar 400 now features a ride-by-wire throttle, replacing the traditional cable setup. This has enabled the addition of four riding modes: Rain, Road, Sport, and Off-Road. Each mode adjusts throttle response and ABS intervention, the 2024 model did not have any riding modes.

Traction Control

A key safety upgrade for this Bajaj bike is the inclusion of a traction control system - helping prevent wheel slip in tricky situations, especially on wet or loose surfaces. Also, in Sport and Off-Road riding mode - the traction control can be turned off. Again, this feature was not present in the older Dominar either.

Other Changes

The handlebar of the Dominar 400 has been redesigned for better comfort during long rides. Additionally, the left hand side switchgear has been revised to allow easier navigation through the updated console’s functions. A new colour has also been introduced: Canyon Red, in addition to the existing Aurora Green and Charcoal Black. The new red colour, in our opinion, looks the best out of the three.

Engine

To meet the latest emission standards, the 2025 Dominar 400’s engine is now OBD-2B compliant. The 373.3cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine still makes 40PS at 8,800rpm, 35Nm at 6,500rpm, and is mated to a 6-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch.

Underpinnings

The new bike also retains its other hardware like the perimeter frame, 43mm inverted fork with 135mm travel, preload adjustable monoshock with 110mm travel, disc brakes at both ends (320mm front, 230mm rear), dual-channel ABS, and all LED lighting. It still rides on 17-inch alloy wheels with a 110-section front and 150-section rear tyre - both radial and tubeless. It still has a 800mm seat height, 157mm ground clearance, 13-litre fuel tank, and 193kg kerb weight.

BikeDekho Says

At Rs 2,38,682 (ex-showroom), the price hike of Rs 6,026 seems reasonable considering the added features and technology. The updates should go a long way in competing better, especially in the export markets as that’s where most of the market share of the Dominar comes from. In India, it still remains the only performance-oriented cruiser in its segment, and now Dominar enthusiasts will find the bike even more well-rounded. Speaking of curves, we feel the Dominar, being 9 years old, really needs to go on a diet and lose a few kilos.