[TusharK]

Bajaj Auto recently launched the most powerful Pulsar yet, the NS400Z. Going forward, the company plans to expand its 400cc line-up, starting with the updated Dominar 400.



According to Rakesh Sharma, Executive Director of Bajaj Auto, the company is working on plans to update its Dominar range of bikes. The facelift version is expected to get a slew of features, including a new TFT instrument console with Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation.

The Dominar 400 could also share some features with the NS400Z. These might include ride-by-wire throttle, switchable traction control and multiple riding modes.

Reports also state that the next Dominar 400 will be much lighter than the outgoing version. Weighing in at 193 kg, the current iteration of the bike is on the heavier side.

The engine, however, will remain the same. The bike will continue to use a 373cc liquid-cooled unit producing 39.5 BHP and 35 Nm. The upside-down front fork and mono-shock rear suspension are likely to be carried over unchanged, along with the brakes.

Source: Bikewale

Link to Team-BHP News

[Gautham_v6]

I guess pehaps Bajaj was waiting for the traction from general audience post Pulsar NS 400Z launch. 193Kg is still on the heavier side. A 180-185 makes sense IMHO.

Bajqj should also take an opportunity to bring adventure and all terrain type bikes under the dominar moniker.

[Amrit@wheels]

It seems like people are missing the point of a cruiser motorcycle. I ride an FZ25 which tips the scale at just 152KG. I do enjoy flicking it in tight spaces but on open highways, with wind blowing, it does not inspire much confidence. The stability takes a toll. This is where the 'fat' Dominar shines. It is the weight (and weight distribution) that keeps it unfazed in such conditions. In my opinion, they should not decrease its weight by more than 5-6 KG, and instead, improve the build quality, fit and finish, and refinement levels.

[ExOblivione]

Bad idea, in my opinion.

What's going to be the difference between the NS400 and the Dominar 400 now? The styling and minor ergonomics? No matter how much Dominar advertises itself as a "power cruiser", both are street naked bikes with very little between them.

That leaves only the styling and perhaps any perceived value of the Dominar brand (over the Pulsar brand) to justify the higher pricing.


Having owned one, Dominar is a pretty good long distance tourer, let down by the vibey nature of the 373 single. The bike could do all-day rides. The longest I did was 840km in a day, but constant vibes and harshness of the engine would be completely exhausting, dangerously so over multiple days in the saddle. This would be fine in a bike that's likely to be ridden over short periods of time, like a commuter, but for tourer? No.

What's shaving a few kgs going to accomplish?

What Bajaj should have done, which it won't, was to develop or acquire a 400-500cc twin cylinder and put that in a Dominar 500. Aprilia can make a tech laden, fully faired sports bike, for 4.2 lakh. RE can make a 650 twin for 3 lakh. So why can't Bajaj, with its expertise in mass market and economies of scale, put out a naked twin for around 3 lakh ex-showroom?

[ebonho]

The only reason I can see for continuing the poor handling really overweight sluggish top heavy reluctant/heavy to turn and much more expensive (than the NS 400Z) Dominar is that I see from You Tube and other social media that it has over the years developed some sort of fan following/cult as a heavy butch bike that lends itself beautifully to weighing down with another half quintal of accessories, and then taking really nice posey photographs with in different angles.

Aside from this, with the recent launch of the NS 400Z, I do not see the raison d'etre of the continuation of the Dominar aside from Bajaj seeing and acknowledging this demographic, and the bean counters working out that its size justifies keeping the marque alive and selling, rather than killing it and cannibalizing its sales into the NS400. Because, there is always the risk of not near 100% conversion, and Bajaj being Bajaj, will say why should I lose even a few of those sales that are currently in my pocket.

Hard business sense.

Cheers, Doc

[ToThePoint]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Aside from this, with the recent launch of the NS 400Z, I do not see the raison d'etre of the continuation of the Dominar aside from Bajaj seeing and acknowledging this demographic, and the bean counters working out that its size justifies keeping the marque alive and selling, rather than killing it and cannibalizing its sales into the NS400. Because, there is always the risk of not near 100% conversion, and Bajaj being Bajaj, will say why should I lose even a few of those sales that are currently in my pocket.

Hard business sense.

Cheers, Doc

Bajaj is not averse to discontinuing it's product line and then bring it back to life again few years later? Is there any lineup they haven't touched?

Or the way they played with RE with their ads, they don't want to give them fodder for mocking back by discontinuing their hyperxxxxxxx!

May be...May be....in the update Bajaj gives it all the IMU based goodies it's Orange cousin comes loaded with to differentiate it from NS400. But then, it's not a track weapon unlike it's counterpart, so may be not! Will be interesting to see what they come up with.

However, for a 400cc, it's bringing in decent sales for Bajaj.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ToThePoint

Or the way they played with RE with their ads, they don't want to give them fodder for mocking back by discontinuing their hyperxxxxxxx!

In dissing RE, they became more RE than RE itself.

But you've hit on the same point as me. If its selling, why say no to a potential paying customer's money?

Cheers, Doc

[ExOblivione]

Bajaj doesn't know what to do with Dominar's brand, how to differentiate it or market it. It exists because it exists. Bajaj doesn't even seem to know what to do with the Bajaj brand.

Bajaj's biggest problem is their lack of brand identity, and dare I say it, even brand relevance. I am not talking about how many CT/Platina/Pulsar bikes Bajaj sells to commuters, but the power of the"BAJAJ" brand, its share of minds and hearts, its desirability.

When was the last time Bajaj, under its own brand, put out a bike that caused a stir? The NS400 is the closest that comes to this, and that's because of its price more than anything else. And even that price is introductory, and will soon rise. Will NS400 be interesting at 2 lakh, when Dominar 400 UG didn't get much traction at 2.1/2.2?

As much as it will pain old school bikers who grew up on the "Definitely Male" commercials, Pulsar has been delegated to the budget range, where once it was the aspirational Indian bike line. The Pulsar range has perfectly good bikes, but they don't stir the soul or cause eyes to light up. Reliable workhorses, rather than exciting racehorses.

RE, deserved or not, has an amazing brand recognition and desirability (arguably irrationally so, at least until recently). Even TVS has more impact than the grandfather of Indian two wheelers.

Bajaj's offerings under its partner brands, KTM/Husqvarna, and now Triumph, cause immense excitement, and turn heads, where as Bajaj's own (perfectly competent) bikes are relegated to offerings that are considered low(er) end and are met with disinterest.

Perhaps that's their end goal, to leave the Bajaj brand for mass market, budget bikes, and make and market higher end bikes under KTM and Triumph. Not try to build of their own brand, but to "buy into" the upmarket brands and become an umbrella under which they exist.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ExOblivione

Bajaj doesn't know what to do with Dominar's brand, how to differentiate it or market it. It exists because it exists. Bajaj doesn't even seem to know what to do with the Bajaj brand.

Nicely put.

In manufacturing industry, there are always within a parent company star sons and daughters, sexy high profile big ticket products, and the teams that work on them.

And then there are the unsexy legacy products that have been around for years, are absolutely relevant and are needed, but no young turk aspirational guy climbing the corporate ladder wants to be working on them.

Because that's not where the action is. Thats not where the media and social spotlight is. And (especially in family run businesses) that's not where the attention focus and energies of the owners are.

The Pulsar was the sexy brand and line at the turn of the millennium.

It is now a legacy product line. Given to old hands who have topped out. And are now on cruise control to retirement.

Cheers, Doc

[Nilesh5417]

40% YOY growth with Pulsar range getting some blockbuster sales is good enough for Bajaj to keep the cash cow living. The Chetak EV sales have begun to pick up as well with the scoot having some of its best sales figures in 2024.

Now it may not move you and me, excite many of us truly into motorcycling. But for that, Bajaj has invested on KTM and tied up with Triunph.

What worries me though is that while it's doing well as a business, its probably not looking so good as an automobile company. Makes me worry about Bajaj going down the route of being a contract manufacturer instead of an innovator. RE to me is the shining star of two wheel manufacturers from India. TVS used to show promise but never delivered.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Nilesh5417

What worries me though is that while it's doing well as a business, its probably not looking so good as an automobile company. Makes me worry about Bajaj going down the route of being a contract manufacturer instead of an innovator. RE to me is the shining star of two wheel manufacturers from India. TVS used to show promise but never delivered.

Nilesh what exactly has the shining star innovated?!

Have they developed a single engine in their history as an Indian company on their own (100%) here in India?

Every engine of theirs has a western footprint and developmental DNA.

Extending to their new grounds-up frames and suspension tunes.

Cheers, Doc

[ExOblivione]

Originally Posted by Nilesh5417

What worries me though is that while it's doing well as a business, its probably not looking so good as an automobile company. Makes me worry about Bajaj going down the route of being a contract manufacturer instead of an innovator. RE to me is the shining star of two wheel manufacturers from India. TVS used to show promise but never delivered.

That's precisely my point. Bajaj seems satisfied being relegated to an OEM for brands with desirability. With the massive established capital and cash flow, you would think they could invest a bit of that and hire talent to start pushing the envelope of their capabilities, and put out motorcycles, under their own brand, that make international audience take notice and make established brands sweat. The immediate RoI will not be attractive, in making low volume, high-end bikes, but that's shortsighted.

Chinese brands are breaking the stigma attached to them, in both cars (BYD) and motorcycles. CFMoto seems to be doing a good job recently. Look at 450SR, 450MT ADV and Ibex 800, all making Western audience, used to upmarket bikes, give them a second look. Indian automotive industry is touted at being one place where India can go toe-to-toe with Chinese manufacturing, and yet...

It grinds my gears how unambitious Indian automotive brands are (a problem that extends to other industries beyond too). As long as they are satisfying the extremely price conscious local demand, and that from other lower income countries in Asia, South America and Africa, they are content.

But there has been a growing trend here in India (and other lower income countries) of not settling for the paisa-wasool-above-all-else, enabled both by growing affluence of the middle class, and by shifting mindsets breaking through the "middle class guilt". And when the people who bought Bajaj, TVS, RE or Tata, Mahindra and Maruti, are looking for a step up, they find themselves not being catered to, and have to look elsewhere, no matter how much affection they feel for the vehicles they formed memories with. There is power in having halo products, that help even the lower cost segments, of giving clear upgrade paths, where a young buyer could feel proud to own a Pulsar 250, and dream of one day stepping up to an internationally acclaimed Bajaj Dominar 1000.

A man can dream...

[am1m]

Originally Posted by ExOblivione

As much as it will pain old school bikers who grew up on the "Definitely Male" commercials, Pulsar has been delegated to the budget range, where once it was the aspirational Indian bike line. The Pulsar range has perfectly good bikes, but they don't stir the soul or cause eyes to light up. Reliable workhorses, rather than exciting racehorses.

Originally Posted by ebonho

The Pulsar was the sexy brand and line at the turn of the millennium.

It is now a legacy product line. Given to old hands who have topped out. And are now on cruise control to retirement.

I'll agree with both of you. But I'll also say that as I've grown older, I've come to respect the Pulsar more.

We hated the original 150 in college! Introduced just as we were graduating, to us die-hard 2-stroke fanatics, nursing our 2nd and 3rd hand Shoguns and RD350s (which, truth be told, were already past their prime, and showing it, even back then!), this 4-stroke upstart with a disc brake was a serious challenger to our notions of biking perfection! (Smoke, smell, sound, high maintenance! )

Over time (and after buying one that I still have and use, over 15 years), I realized what the Pulsar brand had actually done. Affordable performance that doesn't require you to sell a kidney or make your local mechanic your brother-in-law just to keep your bike running.

Agreed that it is no longer the aspirational brand that it once was and 20-year old me would rather buy a Duke or a Triumph. But 40-year old me knows that the Pulsar is now the 400cc "fill it shut it, forget-it" bike. And with the limited time and bandwidth 40-year old me has to spend on bikes compared to 20-year old me, that's just fine! (And heck, it's still a 400!)

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by am1m

Agreed that it is no longer the aspirational brand that it once was and 20-year old me would rather buy a Duke or a Triumph. But 40-year old me knows that the Pulsar is now the 400cc "fill it shut it, forget-it" bike. And with the limited time and bandwidth 40-year old me has to spend on bikes compared to 20-year old me, that's just fine! (And heck, it's still a 400!)

I've agreed with you a lot earlier in the new 220 thread itself, where I said India still has a lot of space for a relatively simple uncomplicated inexpensive performance bike that can be repaired all across India with spares easily available and plentiful. Especially outside the metros and Tier A cities. And yes, Pulsar in India brought that to the masses.

Also, when you with your financial and manufacturing muscle buy out a company, you buy out its brains and technology as well as its infrastructure and licences. YOU are in control. In contract manufacturing, you do not call the shots. You simply provide economy of scale at the desired specs and quality.

The difference is not insignificant. Just needed to point that out.

Cheers, Doc

[Samarth 619]

Originally Posted by ExOblivione

What Bajaj should have done, which it won't, was to develop or acquire a 400-500cc twin cylinder and put that in a Dominar 500. Aprilia can make a tech laden, fully faired sports bike, for 4.2 lakh. RE can make a 650 twin for 3 lakh. So why can't Bajaj, with its expertise in mass market and economies of scale, put out a naked twin for around 3 lakh ex-showroom?

I agree that weight shouldn't be a top priority for a cruiser, and to some extent, more weight helps it in a way.
However, the initial Dominar was dangerously close to even liter class bikes.

But fitting a dual cyl engine in a Dominar would confuse the market, and instead position the Dominar as a bigger brand than KTM, Husqvarna, etc. but unconvincingly. The market will be confused, and not accept it.

For less vibrations, a lot can be done in a single cylinder engine as well. For instance, you can employ counterbalancers on the crankshaft, you can use bar end mirrors/weights, etc.

Honda CBR250R, Mahindra Mojo 300, Hero/HH Karizma, etc stand as some of the single cylinders which were smooth considering their direct competition.