F IRST R IDES
The updates to the Dominar are so much more than just a cosmetic job
150 BAJAJ DOMINAR 152 BENELLI TRK 502 154 YAMAHA MT-15
I’M JUST GOING TO SAY IT FROM THE get-go. This 2019 Bajaj Dominar UG is what the older Dominar should have been in the first place. All that mumbo-jumbo about HyperRiding? Well, the new Dominar nails that and then some. Tweaks to the engine, chassis and a few bits and bobs, along with that suspiciously familiar green paint-job have really transformed the Dominar’s temperament. Not sure what I’m on about? Bear with me here.
The new Dominar gets the same Duke-derived 373cc engine as the older Dominar, but a new cylinder head with DOHC means more power, refinement and better throttle responses. It now makes a whole 5bhp more at 39.5bhp, and while torque stays the same, it peaks slightly higher up in the rev range. But those are just numbers on paper. On the road, the Dominar UG is quicker, responds better to throttle inputs and is properly refined. It climbs up the revs more eagerly, sits at high speeds more comfortably and is capable of making swift overtakes even at triple-digit speeds. Exactly what you need from a motorcycle that you want to clock big miles on. The new double barrel exhaust with its sporty soundtrack only adds to the entertainment. Sure, these changes mean more flab (2kg more to be precise), but the bump in performance more than makes up for it.
The chassis gets a few tweaks as well. The traditional forks up front have been replaced by USD units and the monoshock has been retuned to be more accommodating on our roads. The handling remains typical of the earlier Dominar, very predictable and never twitchy. The motorcycle gives you plenty of confidence when leaned over, remaining stable and
ironing out the road’s (and your) imperfections. The tweaks to the suspension have improved ride quality to a certain degree, making the Dominar a more liveable machine. The brakes could have been sharper though — the engine eggs you to do higher speeds but the anchors don’t give you enough confidence to stop.
There are other changes as well. The new mirror stalks (cast aluminium) and stand (forged steel) are sturdy and make the Dominar feel more well-finished. You get straps under the pillion seats to help with mounting luggage — a neat touch, again making the Dominar more touring-focussed. The secondary cluster is now a full-LCD affair with a fair amount of information like the gear-shift position, the trip information and clock. Silly thing to do, since reading it involves taking your eyes so far off the road that it’s a hazard. And then there’s the usual facelift-ey stuff, like an updated taillamp cluster and a more compactly packaged headlamp.
The Dominar UG combines its inherent practicality with some newly found (and capable) touring abilities. Covering long distances should be more effortless and comfortable, and a little green never hurt anybody. We expect prices to go up from the current Dominar to around 1.8-1.9 lakh (ex-showroom), and that should still see it undercut the competition. The Dominar UG is a far more complete motorcycle now, and is all the better for it. ⌧