Bajaj Dominar 400 prices HIKED, for the 4th time this year!

Prices of the Bajaj Dominar 400 have been hiked yet again, making the latest price hike the fourth of this year. The Dominar now starts at Rs. 1.49 lakhs for the non-ABS variant and Rs. 1.63 lakhs for the dual channel ABS equipped variant. Both variants have received modest Rs. 1,000 price hikes. The last price hike was in July 2018.

When the Bajaj Dominar 400 was first launched nearly two years ago, it was priced at Rs. 1.36 lakhs for the non-ABS variant and Rs. 1.5 lakhs for the dual channel ABS equipped version. The motorcycle is Bajaj Auto’s flagship model, and sells about 1,000 units on an average each month.

It’s powered by a 373cc, four stroke-single cylinder engine derived from the KTM Duke 390. While it retains liquid cooling, it gets a slew of mechanical changes. For instance, the double overhead camshafts on the Duke 390’s motor have been replaced by a single overhead camshaft on the Dominar’s engine. 4 valve heads are common though.

While fuel injection remains standard, the Dominar 400’s engine makes 35 Bhp-35 Nm, much lower than the Duke’s 44 Bhp-37 Nm outputs. 6 speed manual gearboxes are common across both engines, and so are slipper clutches. The Bajaj Dominar 400 gets triple spark plug ignition.

Bajaj Auto is working on a facelifted Dominar 400, which has been spotted testing multiple times. The facelifted version, to be sold as the 2019 Dominar, will get upside down front forks, revised handlebar, new exhaust, and a slew of other changes to make it a much improved model compared to the current version.

The 2019 Bajaj Dominar 400 is expected to be launched later this year. Expect a price hike on that one as well considering the additional equipment on offer. Also, the 2019 Bajaj Dominar is likely to be sold as an ABS-only model, which means that the entry price of the motorcycle is likely to cross Rs. 1.65 lakhs. The non-ABS variant will be discontinued as new governmental norms mandate ABS on all motorcycles with engine capacity of 125cc or more.

ABS, or anti-lock braking system is a life saving safety feature. It works by ensuring that the wheels of the two wheeler do not lock even under the hardest of braking. This ensures that skids due to emergency braking maneuvers are avoided. No skids means no losing balance, and consequently fewer falls while braking hard. ABS improves braking in the wet, and also significantly enhances safety levels. It also allows the rider to change direction even under hard braking.