[k491]

My long term ownership Review of 2017 Bajaj Dominar 400 ABS.

Here's somewhat of a contrast D400 review to the majority of the other reviews.

I owned a 2012 Pulsar 220F till the engine seized in 2017. The pulsar 220 was a very fun bike and was most suited to my sitting position. I had done 200 kms on a single stretch multiple times (without taking any breaks). I rode that bike hard and fast till the day it gave up on me.
Duke 390 was the only upgrade in my mind, my dad wanted me to go for RE but no, that's not my ride style. After two visits to KTM showroom, a lazy and pathetic SA, dad's friends suggesting KTMs lead to accidents, he decided not to go form the Duke.
I did not say anything and just took my parents to Bajaj dealership, dad immediately liked the looks of the bike and he booked it next day without even telling me.

Got the Charcoal black D400 ABS delivered on 1st December 2017, the delivery process was appalling, and my post on Xbhp led to some upper level management getting warnings from Bajaj, the SA was about to get fired till he requested me to put in a good word.

(I would share good pics but my HDD crashed a month ago and I don't have a backup), but here's one from my instagram.



Likes:
1. Design: the bike looks absolutely beautiful.
2. Power: It was adequate power and will satisfy majority of the riders.
3. Feel: You feel like you are riding a bigger bike (not just me but many others told me the same).
4. Stability: The bike feels planted at high speeds, thanks to its weight and longer wheel base, this might also be the reason it saved me from a nasty pothole crash (more on this later).
5. VFM: this bike is definitely value for money, especially at the time I bought it, (1.95L on road BLR)

Dislikes:
1. Weight: You won't feel the weight once the bike starts moving but you'll definitely feel it when reversing from an inclined spot. You'll get tired in stop go traffic, (I quit my month old job in 2018 partly to this reason).
2. Wear and Tear: If you are a sedate rider it won't cause much issues but if you ride hard and fast like me you'll have to replace parts frequently. The first set of brake pads lasted 5.5k kms, there was a squeaking sound form the front rotor whenever I applied brakes, after taking to the ASC, found out there was little to nothing left on the brake pads. The chain sprocket doesn't last long either, the one that came with bike lasted 15k kms, the second lasted only 9k kms and is overdue for replacement.
3. Comfort: Yes everyone swears by the comfort the dominar offers, but for the dear love of god it's really uncomfortable for me, the max I can ride is 150 kms, not more than that. None of my pillions said it was comfortable, and everyone starts to cry with discomfort after 30 kms. The foot pegs are also wide which will make you hit your legs often in a congested parking space.
4. Fuel tank: 10 liters of fuel tank capacity doesn't give you good range.
5. Vibrations: Bajaj isn't known for refinement, yet they made a pretty good bike out of dominar, it was smooth in the beginning but after 4 years the vibrations kick in as early as 75 kph.
6. ASCs: Back in 2017, 2018, there were only 3 or 4 Authorized service centers in bangalore, my neighborhood Bajaj dealership tried to get the approval for Dominar servicing but failed multiple times. Bajaj was trying to market Dominar as a premium bike that was available only in Bigger Dealerships, this move only hurt their sales when RE was giving out dealerships left and right. The neighborhood Bajaj showroom got the approval for Dominar servicing only a few months ago.

Issues faced by me in my 4+ years & 26,000 kms of ownership.

1. The fuel tank in the dominar 400 is vacuum sealed, in 2019 the pressure relief valve was blocked and whenever i opened the fuel lid, it would pop open violently due to the pressure built up by heated fuel during summer.
After 3 visits to the ASC they finally fixed it.
2. Wear and tear, I ask to replace the brakepads at every service (once every 5k kms or 6 months).
3. Economy, everyone claims 28 to 30 km/l, some claiming as high as 35 km/l on xbhp, but I get around 22 to 23 km/l. If i ride it sedately I get about 25 km/l.

Situations where the Dominar had my back.

1. Within first few months of ownership I was doing Triple digits (close to max speed) on an empty highway, a lady appeared out of nowhere (she was standing behind the trees planted on the divider on NH44. I slammed the brakes hard the bike slowed down beautifully with causing drama.
2. it was 2019, I was dropping off my uncles car after take it to a wedding and heading back home on my bike at 1 in the night. I was doing about 80 kph, a guy on the RC 390 saw me and wanted to overtake me, there was a huge pot hole ahead in the middle of the road, i knew that and was moving a bit right, but the RC 390 guy rode past me soo close that I got pushed into the pothole, in that brief moment I knew I was going to crash, was wearing flimsy formals but had a helmet on. My body was preparing for the impact but thankfully by the grace of gods, the bike wobbled violently i jumped into the air but didn't let go of the bike, I think the handle bar hit my belly, even after all this the bike didn't fall down, it came under control in a truly Motogp save moment. The front wheel was cracked at 2 places, the rear wheel was bent, couldn't ride past 30 kph or the bike would wobble all over the place, I was lucky enough to be able to crawl back home as that Road was known for robberies.
3. Other these 2 major incidents, the usual shenanigans of Indian drivers, I can slow down or pull away easily even if they come into my lane suddenly.

Do I feel the bike is uncomfortable and expensive to maintain? YES
Do I dislike the bike? Absolutely not.

I love this amazing bike, I treat her like my gf (many a times better than the person
P.S: I call her Amy (short and sweet).

[sachinb4u]

I am looking to buy pre-worshipped Dominar 400 Nov 2021 bike which is the same latest model on sale currently with company fitted accessories, having 2K kms on odo.
Quoted price is 2.2L, I am thinking to offer 1.9L. Is this a good deal?

[Rohit Tripathi]

Hi All,

I needed your opinion, advise.

Had booked a D400 on 20th Aug. The sales person at Popular Bajaj Bannerghatta Road near Meenakshi Mall had promised to get the bike in 3 weeks. After a follow up they had promised to get it by September which looks unlikely given the response or lack of it.
I am surprised that if this is the state in Bangalore how much delays are happening in other areas.
Is there any contact we can escalate to for a better response or resolution.
I am also worried now about the fact that if they can't sell properly what service standards will they provide.
Any advise is appreciated.

[Kottayamkaran]

Originally Posted by Rohit Tripathi

Hi All,

I needed your opinion, advise.

Had booked a D400 on 20th Aug. The sales person at Popular Bajaj Bannerghatta Road near Meenakshi Mall had promised to get the bike in 3 weeks. After a follow up they had promised to get it by September which looks unlikely given the response or lack of it.
I am surprised that if this is the state in Bangalore how much delays are happening in other areas.
Is there any contact we can escalate to for a better response or resolution.
I am also worried now about the fact that if they can't sell properly what service standards will they provide.
Any advise is appreciated.

I am surprised by the lack of availability of Dominar at a showroom in Bangalore. I had made an enquiry for Dominar at my neighboring Bajaj showroom. Mind you mine is a tier 3 city and the showroom has about 20 bikes in stock. They said they can deliver the bike in 7 days. Please check other showrooms. I am quite sure that some or other showrooms will have the bike in stock.

[MeanMachine]

Hello everyone!
Planning to buy dominar 400 in March 23...
I am 30, sedate driver. Currently own 2012 Apache RTR 180. Daily drive is close to 50km in mix highway and city, in Pune.
Looking for comfortable and powerful bike, not really a corner carver and Dominar 400 appeals to me most.
Already took a test drive of one only for 1km. The perticular bike was maybe some customers and the odo wire was disconnected, so I could not (did not) check the full potential, but the bike felt very comfortable compared to my Apache and the performance in really short drive felt adequate.

Looking for advice on what should I expect going forward and should I consider any other bike before buying Dominar?

[Aragorn]

Originally Posted by MeanMachine

Hello everyone!
Planning to buy dominar 400 in March 23...
I am 30, sedate driver. Currently own 2012 Apache RTR 180. Daily drive is close to 50km in mix highway and city, in Pune.
Looking for comfortable and powerful bike, not really a corner carver and Dominar 400 appeals to me most.
Already took a test drive of one only for 1km. The perticular bike was maybe some customers and the odo wire was disconnected, so I could not (did not) check the full potential, but the bike felt very comfortable compared to my Apache and the performance in really short drive felt adequate.

Looking for advice on what should I expect going forward and should I consider any other bike before buying Dominar?

Hi MeanMachine,

If you are a sedate rider with a daily ride of 50 kms, can I suggest you look at the Dominar 250 (D-250) instead? I am assuming you like the Dominar design & philosophy as a power cruiser - hence not recommending others.

The D-250 will give you a considerable performance bump-up from your current 180. It will not have some of the downsides of the Dominar 400 (D-400) - mainly heat management in the city.

The D-400 is a wonderful machine - but I would prefer a D-250 for your usage pattern. Pick the D-400 if your tour long distances regularly.

Hope this helps!

[Bhupesh_2628]

Originally Posted by MeanMachine

Hello everyone!
Planning to buy dominar 400 in March 23...
Looking for advice on what should I expect going forward

Hi MeanMachine,

I would suggest to lookout for its weight. It's a very heavy bike. You can check the weight by trying to park on your own, by moving the bike back and forth in heavy traffic, by getting down and trying to manoeuvre it over few rocks etc.

[MeanMachine]

Originally Posted by Aragorn

If you are a sedate rider with a daily ride of 50 kms, can I suggest you look at the Dominar 250 (D-250) instead?

Thank you Aragorn!
My thinking about D400 is that it could be my last ICE bike. If a need arises to change from D400, in future, considering the rate of development all the EV companies are doing, there would be little incentive to choose ICE over electric, . So I want a "big bike" and move away from ICE 2 wheeler market with a bang- hence D400

Originally Posted by Bhupesh_2628

I would suggest to lookout for its weight. It's a very heavy bike.

Thank you for pointing out the "elephant" in the room! (Stark opposite to the tagline "Haathi mat paalo")
In many reviews they have noted the weight issue and I may have one too. That is why I am waiting for longer test drive. My house entrance have a steep 1-1½ foot ramp. I want to check whether I can get up and down the ramp comfortably. I will keep your suggestion in mind as well. And I don't think they will allow but I want to try laying down and picking up the bike as well just to be sure I can do that on my own.

[Senotrius]

@MeanMachine, try the Honda cb350 series as well. Dominar on paper sounds excellent. But be aware of constant chain slack/gear shift lever slack, vibrations(engine smoothness), everything getting loose(clacking/metal Buzzing sound) and low range due to the weight and 10litre usable fuel capacity. There is no solution for these from the asc.Changing engine oil to motul/Castrol helps ,esp for cold start issues.The weight is a BIG issue in town while parking. You'll have to most probably buy a riser as well due to the forward stance. I got the Zana pullback riser and it helps a bit for my 5'7 height. The ride quality is firm by tourer standards,but the suspension settled for me after 9k kms. Air cushions don't help long-term due to poor quality and contant readjustment.

That said if your ride is primarily on the highway then the stability,weight, headlight and power definitely helps.Lookswise superb as well. Real world mileage max i got for 100% highway was 30kmpl ;Speed was 90-100 on speedo . Realistically for mixed use max 260km between fillups so as not to damage the fuel pump system,26kpl. I have seen 18kmpl as well for no reason.
I have had the fuel pump system(unrelated to usage),headlight and battery replaced on warranty within a year. Tyres last 15k max as,do chain and sprocket. Q&C is an issue and it depends on your luck purely. Spares are cheap to reasonably priced all said and done, with no attitude issues from service staff unlike Honda or other brands. Still on original brake pads at 20k kms.

If you want power,normal customer friendly attitude and cheap spares go for d400. Reliability, mileage and everything else(except for asc attitude) go for the japs.

[NSK123]

Originally Posted by Senotrius

@MeanMachine, try the Honda cb350 series as well. Dominar on paper sounds excellent. But be aware of constant chain slack/gear shift lever slack, vibrations(engine smoothness), everything getting loose(clacking/metal Buzzing sound) and low range due to the weight and 10litre usable fuel capacity. There is no solution for these from the asc.Changing engine oil to motul/Castrol helps ,esp for cold start issues.The weight is a BIG issue in town while parking. You'll have to most probably buy a riser as well due to the forward stance. I got the Zana pullback riser and it helps a bit for my 5'7 height. The ride quality is firm by tourer standards,but the suspension settled for me after 9k kms. Air cushions don't help long-term due to poor quality and contant readjustment.

That said if your ride is primarily on the highway then the stability,weight, headlight and power definitely helps.Lookswise superb as well. Real world mileage max i got for 100% highway was 30kmpl ;Speed was 90-100 on speedo . Realistically for mixed use max 260km between fillups so as not to damage the fuel pump system,26kpl. I have seen 18kmpl as well for no reason.
I have had the fuel pump system(unrelated to usage),headlight and battery replaced on warranty within a year. Tyres last 15k max as,do chain and sprocket. Q&C is an issue and it depends on your luck purely. Spares are cheap to reasonably priced all said and done, with no attitude issues from service staff unlike Honda or other brands. Still on original brake pads at 20k kms.

If you want power,normal customer friendly attitude and cheap spares go for d400. Reliability, mileage and everything else(except for asc attitude) go for the japs.

Which model of Dominar you have? 2022?

[NSK123]

Hi all,
Need advice from the community. I am looking for changing my bike. Have a Thunderbird 350, Yezdi Roadster. Planning to sell Yezdi and go for new one. I am posting this in Dominar community since this is one of the bike that ticks all the boxes for me. These are my requirements:

• Daily commute to office
• Long weekend rides - at least 1 or 2 in two months
• Willing to pay extra attention to bike, no breakdowns
• Fuss free maintenance (Honda, Suzuki tops the chart, but they don't have the bikes I am looking for - CB350 / RS not powerful enough)
• I am OK, if the bike is heavy
• Best seat height for me is 800mm

I tested

• Suzuki Vstrom 250 - good bike but even with low seat I cannot reach ground otherwise a great bike ticking everything for me
• CB 350 Highness / RS - Underpowered
• KTMs - Cannot reach ground
• Cruisers like Meteor, Super meteor - Not to my taste

I did not test ride Yamaha FZ 250 & Gixer 250

[Senotrius]

Originally Posted by NSK123

Which model of Dominar you have? 2022?

bs6 ug model. Got it in 2021.The service centre is about 10-15 from my home. And the cb350 wasn't available for delivery (launched yes) when i got it.

Except for fuss free maintenance,domimar ticks most of your requirements. Same goes for the new tubeless interceptor if you're looking at that as well. I think you're ok with that as you are not selling the Thunderbird.

[NSK123]

Originally Posted by Senotrius

Except for fuss free maintenance, domimar ticks most of your requirements. Same goes for the new tubeless interceptor if you're looking at that as well. I think you're ok with that as you are not selling the Thunderbird.

What do you mean by fuss free maintenance? What are the challenges typically Dominar owner faces?

[Senotrius]

Originally Posted by NSK123

What do you mean by fuss free maintenance? What are the challenges typically Dominar owner faces?

I can answer based on my experience -

1. cold start issues -fixed by changing engine oil to motul(or Castrol). Change the company oil at the first opportunity. Asc will keep on insisting there's no problem. Multiple ecu updates and reset from their side. The oil also fixed the bike shutting off after starting up when kept idle/ parked for a few hours.

2. Regular chain loosening/slack- will need constant upkeep. All bikes need this but dominar more so.

3. False neutrals, plenty and cluncky gearshift for first gear. Doesn't easily slot into first.. Again one reason is related to the chain. They will fix everything,lube,tighten etc. But in 2 weeks time the false neutrals will reappear.

4. Gear position indication not showing neutral when in neutral- asc fixes-2 weeks time it comes back. We are unable to start bike till ' shows up when neutral. This may be sensor problem. Don't know . They have been unable to get a permanent solution since 2021.

Have faced engine shut-off while riding a few times. No permanent solution,nor do they have any reason for the same. Add to this a real world mileage of 29kmpl tops with mixed riding and smallish fuel tank to boot. Vibrations aplenty and rattles as well-again for 2-3 weeks all fine when asc tightens everything. But then it is an Indian made single cylinder and not a Honda.

So in essence,this is like any other Indian brand vehicle. Lottery; either you get a good unit or you don't. QC is where vfm Indian brands fail at unfortunately. We are all constrained by budget hence chose the d400 for max power(bang for buck). Looks awesome as well. Go for it if the ASC is nearby and not a hassle to get to. Plus find a good mechanic. I have exactly one good mechanic at my ASC who atleast listens and tries to solve the issues.

And the high up weight distribution for me is an issue while parking,moving the bike around.

[NSK123]

Originally Posted by Senotrius

I can answer based on my experience -

1. cold start issues -fixed by changing engine oil to motul(or Castrol). Change the company oil at the first opportunity. Asc will keep on insisting there's no problem. Multiple ecu updates and reset from their side. The oil also fixed the bike shutting off after starting up when kept idle/ parked for a few hours.

2. Regular chain loosening/slack- will need constant upkeep. All bikes need this but dominar more so.

3. False neutrals, plenty and cluncky gearshift for first gear. Doesn't easily slot into first.. Again one reason is related to the chain. They will fix everything,lube,tighten etc. But in 2 weeks time the false neutrals will reappear.

4. Gear position indication not showing neutral when in neutral- asc fixes-2 weeks time it comes back. We are unable to start bike till ' shows up when neutral. This may be sensor problem. Don't know . They have been unable to get a permanent solution since 2021.

Have faced engine shut-off while riding a few times. No permanent solution,nor do they have any reason for the same. Add to this a real world mileage of 29kmpl tops with mixed riding and smallish fuel tank to boot. Vibrations aplenty and rattles as well-again for 2-3 weeks all fine when asc tightens everything. But then it is an Indian made single cylinder and not a Honda.

So in essence,this is like any other Indian brand vehicle. Lottery; either you get a good unit or you don't. QC is where vfm Indian brands fail at unfortunately. We are all constrained by budget hence chose the d400 for max power(bang for buck). Looks awesome as well. Go for it if the ASC is nearby and not a hassle to get to. Plus find a good mechanic. I have exactly one good mechanic at my ASC who atleast listens and tries to solve the issues.

And the high up weight distribution for me is an issue while parking,moving the bike around.

Thanks mate.

Cold start, Engine stop, Chain loosening, False neutral, Gear position indicator issue - these issues would definitely annoy. Are other users also facing the same issue?

If that's the case, would it make sense for me to consider Honda CB 300 F even if it is under powered? (300R pillion seat is a joke, hence I cannot go for it). I am looking for touring purpose.