Bajaj Dominar 400 2020 Review - Prices, Specs, Variants, Features and Mileage

How powerful is the 2020 Bajaj Dominar 400?

The Dominar 400 BS6 comes equipped with the 373cc single-cylinder DOHC liquid-cooled triple spark engine that also does duty in the KTM 390. The power figures of the BS6 Dominar remains unchanged from the BS4 predecessor. The engine propels 39 bhp at 8650 rpm and 35 Nm of torque at 7000 rpm. The 373cc Dominar engine is known for offering best-in-segment torque. As the Dominar 400 is a cruiser centric motorcycle this engine has been tamed a bit. Hence, the throttle response is a bit dull when compared to the KTM 390. But it is not what we will call unresponsive as the Dominar is a fast cruiser. Within the city, the ample torque under tap ensures that you do not have to keep changing gears. It starts off the line in a very smooth fashion and the power delivery is linear throughout the rev band. 

Don’t let anyone fool you saying that the Dominar 400 takes time to catch up with speed. While this engine does not really come with a phase where you get a sudden surge of power, the Dominar can is still a quick mover. Past 2000-3000 rpm the engine pulls hard and strong. Hence, the Dominar 400 can easily zoom past slow-moving traffic on the highway. We also did not face any engine heating issues as have been reported with some KTM engines. Overall, the Dominar’s engine is built to rule the highways

The KTM 390 gets the most powerful engine in this comparison and it makes sure you feel so too. As the 390 is not a cruiser centric bike, the power delivery is less linear and you get a sudden surge of pull from the engine past 3000-4000 rpm. But the Dominar, as well as the 390, suffer from vibrations that can be felt on the footpegs a well has handlebar past 4000 rpm.

How well does the Bajaj Dominar 400 accelerate?

As the Dominar 400 is a cruiser, the acceleration is quite linear. Bajaj has tuned the KTM’s engine in a way that most of the torque and power is available in the lower half of the rev band. The Dominar 400 is no light bike at 182 kg kerb weight but once you push the throttle hard the weight seems to just disappear.  The engine doesn't have overwhelming acceleration, yet it has enough grunt for cruising at high speeds on the highway.

The Dominar is no hooligan like the KTM 390 when it comes to acceleration, but it lives up to the tag of a cruiser quite well. At no point does the Dominar 400 feel overwhelming on the rev band which is its biggest strength.  

How sure-footed are the Dominar's brakes?

The Dominar gets Disc brakes at the front as well as at the rear just like every other bike in its segment. It also gets dual-channel ABS but unfortunately, you cannot switch it off. Some of its rivals like the Royal Enfield Himalayan comes with an option to turn off the rear ABS for going off the track.

Nevertheless, the front caliper is now radially mounted just like the KTM which helps it under very hard braking. The stopping power feels adequate but certainly not the best in the segment. Fat rubber tires do help the Dominar 400 reduce the stopping distance to a considerable margin as it is a heavy bike. 

Due to the weight, the Dominar 400 does cast to some distance before coming to a complete halt. But the brakes feel confidence-inspiring and do a good job under normal braking conditions. Hence, most customers will not find anything to complain about here.

How much ride comfort you expect from Dominar 400?

The Dominar 400 is focused on comfortable cruising and hence the seating posture is more relaxed than aggressive. Within the city conditions, it is easy to amble around as you can sit straight and the handlebar has been placed at the right distance. Ergonomics is quite user-friendly and the flat and wide handlebar makes it feel even more comfortable. The seat feels plush and quite premium, offering maximum support to the rider. The cushioning is neither too hard and nor too soft which enables you to remain comfortable on long-distance journeys. 

What impresses even further is its straight-line stability and ride quality. Bajaj has done an excellent job at tuning the Dominar’s ride for Indian road conditions. It manages to iron out most undulations with ease and you do not have to slow down as much as on another bike over broken roads.

Bajaj has achieved this but employing a perimeter frame and contoured swingarm. The new chassis is made of high strength steel which provides a low centre of gravity and torsional rigidity. The Bajaj Dominar 400 feels planted at all speeds and remains glued to the road on highways. The bike feels sure-footed even while taking a corner but the extra weight robs the bike of some of the expected agility.

Is the Bajaj Dominar 400 really beefy in looks?

The Dominar is made to dominate and hence it gets a lot of muscle on the outside. It gets geat a macho stance with muscular looks and a sharply sculpted fuel tank. Like we said before the Dominar 400 takes its design cues from Ducati Diavel. Like the Diavel, it gets a split unit cluster with a digital console that displays the speed and the rev counter. At the top left side of the console, you see the trip meter and below is the RPM scale. On the right part, you get to see a digital clock and below is the speedometer and fuel meter. 

In addition to that, the Dominar 400 also gets a fuel-tank-mounted display for side stand warning, high beam, and other telltale lights. From the front, the Dominar 400 looks beefy with a fat 43 mm fork. The all-LED set up makes it look quite premium from the front. The split seats are best for both rider and pillion. Behind the seats, you get sporty grab rails for extra support to the pillion. 

The Dominar 400 comes in a choice of two colour schemes- Aurora Green and Vine Black. The bike also gets premium-looking side mirrors, forged side stand, and a double-barrel exhaust. In order to enhance the touring and cruising capability, the 2020 Dominar comes with straps for mounting luggage using bungee cords located beneath the pillion seat.

Aesthetic Features on Offer:

• Twin Barrel Exhaust

• Split seats

• Windshield

• Sculpted fuel tank

• LED Headlamp

There are a few cosmetic changes done to the new Dominar 400. The internals for the headlamp has been revised as well as the tail lamps which render a better look to the new Dominar. It also gets a tank pad and prominent 'D' logo on the pillion seat. All three bikes look different in this comparison and cater to different audience hence the looks remain a personal preference. 

How much safe and reliable is Dominar 400?

The Dominar 400 gets a lot of tech and features which is bound to attract many customers to it. For starters, it gets all-LED headlamps which look great as well as have a brilliant throw over dark roads. It also gets upside-down forks in the front just like the KTM. The upside-down forks provide better feedback as well as handling to the Dominar’s ride. 

Bajaj has also thrown in a twin-barrel exhaust for the throaty note.  The addition of the fuel tank cluster gets features such as a side stand warning lamp which is a very useful day to day feature. The dual-channel ABS is quite helpful in a tricky situation but Bajaj has not provided any way to switch it off.

When it comes to features, KTM 390 adventure is leaps and bounds ahead of its competition. It gets cornering ABS in addition to the normal one. KTM bowls you over with the array of class-leading and segment-first features. Hence, many will be comfortable paying the extra money for the KTM. The Himalayan does not even come close to the KTM or the Bajaj in terms of features.

How does the competition stack up against Bajaj Dominar 400?

Bajaj Dominar 400 vs Royal Enfield Himalayan

Himalayan is the flagship product of  Royal Enfield and it has priced the Himalayan sensibly too. It is an off-road-ready machine that meant to take a lot of beating. But the Dominar 400 provides more features as well as more power which ultimately does matter a lot to certain buyers. We cannot call the Domniar 400 a more capable bike though as Himalayan carters to a different audience.

Bajaj Dominar 400 vs KTM 390 Adventure

Since the time KTM has entered the Indian market, it has managed to shake up the segment. The KTM 390 Adventure certainly offers better performance as well as features. It is a bike with an explosive amount of performance in its segment. But the Dominar is not very different in terms of the engine as it gets the same engine in a different state of tune. Once you factor in the prices, the Dominar is certainly a more bang for buck deal in this comparison.

Is the new Bajaj Dominar 400 worth buying?

For quite some time many have wondered how KTM should offer a value-for-money package in their line-up. Well, it seems like Bajaj has managed to do just that, the Dominar is certainly the most value for money offering in the Indian market. The Dominar 400 is a bike that people used to dream about. The bike fulfills all the expectations of buyers who need well-balanced bile for cruising purposes. In fact,  Bajaj markets the Dominar 400 as a power cruiser which not only comes loaded with features but also offers an exceptional ride quality. Some of you might not like it as you go with the KTM 390 or the BMW G 310 GS. But as far as the build quality and pricing is concerned, nothing can beat 2020 Dominar 400. The Dominar 400 proves itself as a segment ruler with such offering under Rs. 2 Lakh budget.