HERE TO DOMINATE?

After almost two years of anticipation and countless sightings of test mules, Bajaj’s largest capacity motorcycle, the Dominar 400, is here to slay the 400-cc segment

AT THE 2014 AUTO EXPO WE HAD a first glimpse of what is now Bajaj’s flagship motorcycle, the Dominar. At that time the bike was speculatively called the Pulsar 400. A few weeks before the launch, Bajaj announced that the bike would be named Dominar 400, which in Spanish means ‘to dominate’. The bike looks to be on its way to, at least, shake things up in the 400-cc segment.

It has been priced at Rs 1.36 lakh (exDelhi) for the standard variant and Rs 1.5 lakh (ex-Delhi) for the ABS variant.

Apart from its alluring price-tag, the Dominar has a few other impressive attributes to entice the enthusiasts. First among these is its 373-cc, liquidcooled, four-valve, single-cylinder engine that comes from KTM’s 390 Duke. In the Dominar, though, this engine is in a different state of tune. It produces 35 PS and 35 Nm, which is 8.5 PS less than in the Duke, but the torque remains the same. It has Bajaj’s triple-spark setup for better combustion, fuel-injection and liquid-cooling for smoother operation and better overall efficiency. The sixspeed gearbox gets slipper-clutch for effortless shifting.

The second impressive bit about the Dominar is the beam type perimeter frame and a new swingarm. This new frame has been designed particularly to provide better torsional rigidity and improved overall strength. This, combined with fat 43-mm front forks, a rear monoshock, sticky MRF radials, and a low centre of gravity, should make for good handling and rideability. Bybre brakes with a massive 320-mm front rotor and 230-mm rear rotor seem good enough for dependable braking duties.

The styling of the Dominar hasn’t changed drastically from the prototype that we saw in 2014. It retains its aggressive look with an intimidating stance, which will surely become the new style statement for many motorcyclists in India. Modern in every bit, the Dominar boasts of some amazing features such as Auto Headlamp On, which is a segment first, full LED headlamp and a completely digital instrument panel.

With the Dominar, Bajaj have gone above and beyond the norm and the youthful, fresh and forward-thinking philosophy clearly portrayed by the Dominar shows that Bajaj are ready for the new-age biker. We are eagerly waiting to road-test this new flagship bike from Bajaj, which heralds the beginning of a new era for the company.