New Bajaj Dominar Review: First (hyper)Ride of 2019

When we first got to ride the Bajaj Dominar after its launch in December 2016, we came out impressed. We were convinced that with this ‘Power Cruiser’ Bajaj has a winner on their hands despite a few niggles. So it is not hard to imagine our surprise when the Dominar did not perform as expected in the market. But Bajaj still has faith in their Dominar and they are still fighting for it. As a result of that we have the 2019 Bajaj Dominar on our hands and this is not just a ‘cosmetic update’ either. The latest iteration has been given quite a few substantial updates. So when we flew down to Pune for the first ride, we felt that it is going to be something good, made better. But is it?

Text: Karan Singh Bansatta

Photos: Sunil Kumar Gupta

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Looks

First glance at the Dominar makes one feel like it is pretty much the same as before which is true too, despite a few changes. A few substantial changes. The elephant in the room, 43mm upside down forks with a machined finish which look beefy and enhance the overall look of the motorcycle. Next thing, a new green color which is being referred to as ‘Auroral Green’ for the lack of a better name. We were a bit skeptical about the color but Bajaj has done a wonderful job and the Green and Black color looks pretty cool. The new twin barrel exhaust has been designed to amplify the power cruiser look and feel of the new Bajaj Dominar and it succeeds in doing so.

Other notable additions are the new tank pad decal, hot stamping of the ‘D’ logo in the pillion seat and slight changes in the headlight and the taillight making the units look more modern than before. The new Bajaj Dominar also gets a new mirror design with cast aluminum stalks which we feel look really good. The side stand is now forged steel i.e. better visuals and more sturdiness. Last but not the least, the new Bajaj Dominar has 4 nylon straps under the seats which can be pulled out for attaching tail bags and stuff so tourers, rejoice. Overall, the new Bajaj Dominar is not a departure from its basic design theme but an improvement over the previous version.

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Switch the motorcycle on and you are treated with the familiar Dominar all-digital display albeit with a few functional changes like the addition of average fuel consumption for both Trip A and B, dynamic and average fuel economy and distance to service. Additionally, there is a secondary display as well which has the gear position indicator, clock etc. The illuminated switchgear is always appreciated has also been retained.

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Thumb the starter and the new Bajaj Dominar’s engine comes to life with a throaty rumble as it idles. Slot into the first gear from neutral and it does that with a purposeful clank. Disengage the clutch and you’ll be on your way to a fun ride no matter where you are going. The reworked engine is one of the ‘substantial upgrades’ that we mentioned before. It is now a DOHC (Double Overhead Camshaft) as compared to SOHC (Single Overhead Camshaft) on the previous one. Along with this, the new exhaust, new mapping etc., the new Dominar now makes 40 Ps of power at 8650 rpm as compared to the 35 Ps at 8000 rpm of the previous one. The torque produced though is the same 35 Nm but the peak now arrives at 7000 rpm as compared to the 6500 rpm on the previous one.

The bump in the power does not make itself apparent as soon as you are off. But it sure does when the revs start to build-up and ‘nutty rider’ comes out of the ‘sane shell’. The new Bajaj Dominar feels quicker, accelerates harder and the power now does not fade off till the very end of the rev range where the shift light subtly reminds one to take it easy. The gearbox also gives a good feeling as you fly through the gears with positive shifts and a light clutch action. One can pull from high 40s in the 5^th gear and high 60s in the 6^th gear with a twist of the throttle without tangible lugging so +1 for tractability. That said, the hesitation in the lower range has been improved when compared to the previous version, but we’d say that the On/Off throttle transition could have been a tad bit better.

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The new engine also feels more refined as compared to the old one but this is one department where we would have loved to have bit more. The handlebars and footpegs are slightly buzzy from the midrange and the vibes are there to stay till the end of the rev range. Not enough to discourage a buying decision since the engine was new and we believe it will settle down a bit more after the odo sees another few hundred kms .

Handling and Ergonomics

The new Bajaj Dominar continues to be built upon the Perimeter Frame and the dimensions are all the same except the width which goes up from 813mm to 836mm. Also, the bike has gained 2 Kgs with this new iteration, probably because of the USDs but Bajaj has done some weight-saving as well in order to keep the weight gain in check. The increase in power has made the power to weight ratio go up from 192.3 to 217.4 PS/ton so the adverse effects of the weight again are more than taken care of. The geometry, ergonomics and such are also the same as the previous iteration which we feel were pretty good to start with. The most notable change comes in the handling department courtesy the USDs at the front.

The feeling from the front end has improved a lot and that’s saying something because the previous iteration was also not bad in this department. Where the long-ish wheelbase provides it the stability needed in a straight line at higher speeds, the USDs when added to this robust frame make for a very good handler in the corners too. The weight (added) of the bike is only apparent at low-speed manoeuvring but as soon as one gains speed, the bike deals with corners almost effortlessly considering it is a power cruiser. The tyres also help the matters by proving enough grip in the dry conditions but we did not get to check the performance in wet conditions. The 320mm front and 230mm disc brakes at the rear do their job well to provide the stopping power needed. A good feeling at the lever and progressive braking provides one with the confidence to play around a bit but we would have liked a tad bit more initial bite, just a tiny bit.

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Little things

Coming to the relatively smaller things, mileage is not something that we can comment upon without spending more time and kms with the new Bajaj Dominar, but an ever so slight decrease might be there because of the increase in power when compared to the previous iteration. The rear-view mirrors not only look good but are functionally sound too. They giving the rider a clear view of what’s going on behind and they are almost buzz-free too. The headlight of the Dominar was always deserving of all the praises hurled at it. Since there aren’t a lot of changes, we expect the new one to excel in that department too. The build quality too is solid except one or two uneven panel gaps here and there, nothing serious though, it’s just OCD. And the exhaust note, it deserves a special mention because the new Bajaj Dominar sounds like a million bucks for a single-cylinder. Deeper, throatier and more suited the power cruiser image of the motorcycle. Try not to read the previous line too fast!

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Verdict

For the verdict, we’d like to go back to what we said in the start, something good made better. Is it? Yes and for more than one reason as we have stated above. The ergonomics are good, the geometry is good, the handling is good, the engine is good and all that with some niggles here and there which are pretty easy to ignore once you let yourself be engrossed by the riding experience that the new Bajaj Dominar offers. One thing that might miff a few is that it is now available in only two colors, the green in the pictures and a black-grey one that we didn’t see.

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So, is the new Bajaj Dominar a good bike? More than that if you can deal with the inherent windblast with an aftermarket windshield. Is it a value-for-money prospect like the old one? We would only be able to comment on that once the bike is officially launched and the price is unveiled. All in all, the previous iteration left us impressed and this one continues to do that with emotions, a little more intense than before.

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