Bajaj Dominar 400 Ownership Experience Thread

[xearoum]

Re: Bajaj Dominar 400 Ownership Experience Thread

Hello friends... I want to know that I am getting around 27-28kmpl approx. In city During the initial 150km run. Is this a good mileage and how much increase should I expect after 1st and 2nd services. Thanks

This is excellent milage! You should 1-2kmpl drop once you start using the bike the way it is meant to post 2000 limit.

[Ashish saini]

Re: Bajaj Dominar 400 Ownership Experience Thread

This is excellent milage! You should 1-2kmpl drop once you start using the bike the way it is meant to post 2000 limit.

Increase after 1st and 2nd service?

[Ijs]

Re: Bajaj Dominar 400 Ownership Experience Thread

Hello friends... I want to know that I am getting around 27-28kmpl approx. In city During the initial 150km run. Is this a good mileage and how much increase should I expect after 1st and 2nd services. Thanks

Perfect for city on highway it would be around 35kmpl.

[Ashish saini]

Re: Bajaj Dominar 400 Ownership Experience Thread

Perfect for city on highway it would be around 35kmpl.

Bro. I wanted to know that how much it will increase after 1st and 2nd services??

[Ijs]

Re: Bajaj Dominar 400 Ownership Experience Thread

Bro. I wanted to know that how much it will increase after 1st and 2nd services??

I don't think it would increase as this is what i am getting from the start, 26 to 28kmpl in city.

[Harideep]

Re: Bajaj Dominar 400 Ownership Experience Thread

Bro. I wanted to know that how much it will increase after 1st and 2nd services??

It would give max 28KMPL in city. Highway as I recorded it would give max 32KMPL

[Ashish saini]

Re: Bajaj Dominar 400 Ownership Experience Thread

I don't think it would increase as this is what i am getting from the start, 26 to 28kmpl in city.

It would give max 28KMPL in city. Highway as I recorded it would give max 32KMPL

Okay brothers Thanks.

[Ashish saini]

Re: Bajaj Dominar 400 Ownership Experience Thread

Guys is it okay to rev up 4-5 times during run in period??

[Om1234]

Re: Bajaj Dominar 400 Ownership Experience Thread

will changing the rocker set
or tightning the tappets
make sound of engine more smooth??

[Ijs]

Re: Bajaj Dominar 400 Ownership Experience Thread

will changing the rocker set
or tightning the tappets
make sound of engine more smooth??

No there is no need to do it, engine is already very refined for the 373 cc capacity single cylinder. The tappets are set lose for certain reasons. Only time when u need tappet adjustment is , when u hear abnormal tak tak.
To make the engine more refined and vibrations free we need more then one counter balancer like the new Duke 390 which not possible for a retrofit.

[jani-boy]

Re: Bajaj Dominar 400 Ownership Experience Thread

1140 kilometers and a 3 tank full of city rides, I feel I can add some value to this forum.

I always thought I was a car guy. That feeling of manual gear shifts, the acceleration on open highways, the cocooned feeling and the roar of the engine really was enough to put a wide grin on my face. That doesn't mean I'm a seasoned driver. I just love to drive. And after 12 years of driving, I can finally say I love to ride.

My initial bike "crush" was the Royal Enfield Machismo. That bike with its chrome, windshield and the sheer presence had blown me away. I always thought I'd get one of the Royal Enfields. Then came the Pulsar 220. The Fastest Indian. That bike, inside pro-biking showrooms had me hooked on. I loved how they had marketed it, the way it was displayed and the projector lamps it came with. For me, projectors belonged to high-end Mercs. And to see something like this on a bike had me blown away. I also fell briefly for the Pulsar 200. The chain issues that the bike had kept me from getting too attached to it. Avengers, Eliminator, Enticer, I just wanted to have all the three bikes in my garage.

Some exposure to the interweb led me to stumble upon Yamaha R1, and while I loved the way that bike looked, I was blown away with how BMW Motorrad was making the best liter bike. Between all this, I was driving any and every car I could get my hands on. And that's why bikes were just something that I never felt like indulging into.

Come 2017, I had a job and I was looking for a bike to commute as the public transport arrangement left me tired and a waste of time. My theory was that if I commute on a bike, I'd save an hour and 15 minutes of the two hours I was spending traveling one way. So in February, I pitched to my father that I want to get a bike. I was looking at Pulsar 180, the Hornet and Apache RTR 200.

Considering my height at 5'5", the Hornet felt perfect. Or so I thought. I could flat foot properly on both the legs. The bike build felt great considering I never owned a bike before. But it didn't feel VFM considering the Pulsar 180 now came with disc brakes at the back and looked like the 200 I always wanted to own, not to forget, it was ~ 20k cheaper. Colleagues kept suggesting to go for the Avenger, but I didn't really feel like going for something that had its footpegs positioned too far. That, and reaching the handlebars was gonna be a chore, especially while making U-turns. I saw a Dominar in the showroom and it felt very heavy. Not something I'd buy given the choice of colors on display. The white one was the only Dominar that caught my eye.

And then I never bought any bike.

I kept following motorcycling channels, and following ownership threads. And I wanted to get the Dominar. Father wanted me to get a Classic. I wanted something that had disc brakes at the back, was comfortable for my commute and had wide tires. I had made up my mind to get the Dominar. Just a week before Dusshera, I found myself sitting in the showroom with my mom and dad. And I couldn't believe I'd paid the token amount for a Matte Black Dominar.

The rest of the payment was made the following day and the dealer promised Dusshera delivery. On the day of delivery, I got my registration as well.
I am usually bad at giving nicknames, so I decided to nickname my Dominar "Bike". No Bruce, no dark knight, no black mamba with led lights and matte black scales, just "bike". Ironically, Kawasaki Byke was the first bike I ever rode. The knowledge of shifting gears on a car ensured that I didn't surprise myself.

Picture time.



Seeing "bike" for the first time ever.



3 kilometers on the ODO. This was a relief as the dealer told me that the ODO would read 12 kilometers on delivery. I think that statement from him was the only depressing part.



Momma all smiles.



Pop smiles in approval of the purchase.

Since I was crawling the forums and videos more frequently than Google bots do, I knew what to expect from Bajaj when it came to the fit and finish of my bike. As it is this was my first bike, so I was really impressed with the way it felt. I loved the switchgear, the horn, the lights, the seat, the tires, the handles, the saree guard, the discs, even the reflector below the rear number plate. Yeah, I loved that too. First time ownership is something else. It makes you fall in love with everything. I was ignoring all the shortcomings that this bike had and learning to appreciate what it had for me. The rear tires, the 320mm disc, the black paint had blown me away. Every small or big work that required me to move from one place to another had to be accomplished using my bike.

Three weeks into owning the bike, I had clocked about 500 kilometers. I went in for a service at about 660. And never did I ever commute to the office as planned. It sat inside the parking the whole day, and in the night, I'd swing my leg over it, wear the helmet, gradually straighten it up, start the bike and remove the side stand (5'5", the stand is the last thing on my bike startup checklist). My "struggle" while mounting the bike ensured that the engine got some idle time for about a minute. And then I'd ride on the Ghodbundar Road ghat twisties (Mumbai guys would know).

Gradually, I got used to the bike and decided to take it to the office. My commute involves ~ 12 kilometers of highway riding and ample city traffic. And the bike was composed.

I'm also impressed that there aren't many rattles from the plastic parts. I was hoping there would be issues, but thankfully there aren't.

Picture time.



I know there are much better pictures here. But I hate the panel gap on the bike. They just don't fit like a jigsaw does. The side panel on the tank is fine. I checked the tank for panel gap after looking at a post where the buyer requested for another lot cuz the initial bike he saw had an inconsistent gap. What bothers me is the one where the tank meets the frame.



The underbelly scrapes on a big speed breaker if there's a (heavy) pillion riding. The rear disc brake looks puny compared to the one in front. The exhaust air seeps out from below the silencer. It's like there is a hole below from where the air escapes. Not sure if that's by design or a defect. Will get it checked tomorrow.



This is another of my gripe with the bike. When washing the bike, water goes in there. And this gap is there on every other Dominar I've come across.



I find these alloys better than the one on Pulsar NS' petal/vase-shaped. There's a distinct noise that comes from the brake while the bike is in motion. Some part of the disc is rubbing the brake pads it seems. Got it fixed yesterday, SC guy cleaned the brake pads. But the issue has cropped up again. I'm sure it doesn't take 1k kilometers for the brakes to set. And this sound has just started coming yesterday. It was not present earlier. And it is audible when the bike is in motion. A bit bothersome. Will ask the SC guys to mount the bike on the paddock stand tomorrow and check it.

Apart from that, the bike feels a bit stressed while I'm in traffic. And any subsequent ride on the highway feels stressed too. I'm getting an ECU update tomorrow, but I'm skeptical about it since I bought the bike on the last day of September.

That's mostly what my month has been with the Dominar. It grabs eyeballs, doesn't break a sweat (except when it does, I feel I'm stressing the engine too much), is stable, handles well, is something I'm going to care and look after and is a pain in my - wrist.

Oh, I was planning to get the handlebar risers from Carbon Racing. Sahyadri Moto is nearby but the finish seems poor. Thoughts?

[Ijs]

Re: Bajaj Dominar 400 Ownership Experience Thread

[MENTION=95032]jani-boy[/MENTION] local aluminum raisers cost around 800 buck with fitting here in delhi. U only need to change the clutch cable which cost 90 buck for bajaj cbale of some other bikes. Few guys are already using it.
Comes in 1.5inch and around 2 inches.

I have these 2 pics for reference this black one is installed on a very experienced riders bike. He is also using avenger handle bar.

[Prasenjeet Das]

Re: Bajaj Dominar 400 Ownership Experience Thread

Hi All,
Got my first service for dominar done at Bagga Link, Karol Bagh.
The clutch LEVER now gives a push back kind of feeling when downshifting at speeds mostly above 30-40. Even when I am right speed ratio. Its more like the lever tends to push my hand back by a small JHATKA the moment I shift the gear.
Does anyone else feels the same?

[Ijs]

Re: Bajaj Dominar 400 Ownership Experience Thread

Hi All,
Got my first service for dominar done at Bagga Link, Karol Bagh.
The clutch LEVER now gives a push back kind of feeling when downshifting at speeds mostly above 30-40. Even when I am right speed ratio. Its more like the lever tends to push my hand back by a small JHATKA the moment I shift the gear.
Does anyone else feels the same?

Lever giving jhatka means u need play adjustment. Engine giving jhtka is engine breaking and is normal it also happens sometimes when u let go the throttle without downshifting.

And if mean to say that gear lever giving jhatka then yes it does give small kickback feel , like it is holding back before coming to normal and this can be resolved by getting the lever bolt tightened.
If i may ask are in bagga whatsapp grp.

[krish_095]

Re: Bajaj Dominar 400 Ownership Experience Thread

I am in 2k km now. The engine oil level after riding itself is slightly below the mark. I asked SC guys to top up the oil, but they are saying it is enough to topup at 5k km. But manual says different that it should be between those two marks. I am thinking of buying the oil and top up myself. Is it ok or should I wait for 2nd service? Any thoughts?