Bajaj Dominar 250 Ownership Review
September 6, 2020I am Ajay Dilip Wadke A.k.a. scarlet_rider5 and this is my take on the Bajaj Dominar 250 Ownership. First of briefly talking about myself I’m from Pune, a motorcycle enthusiast who loves to ride his motorcycle during weekends and occasionally on the longer routes, previously I had Apache RTR 200 Race Editing 2.0 ABS (quite a long name, isn’t it?) Clocked 25000 kms on ODO since June 2018 So I done rides like Pune to Gujrat (statue of unity), Pune to Ratnagiri, Pune to Aurangabad, Pune to Mumbai ( most frequent) Pune to Kolhapur, Pune to Mahabaleshwar, etc. Weekend breakfast rides used to happen on almost every Sunday (min. 150 Kms)
I am associated with the following riding groups:
- The Apache Tribe (Pune)
- Viper Riders (Pune)
- TVS AOG Pune
- One Life Ride It
Nevertheless, weekend group rides with all the buddies was a weekly business for me.
So I wanted to get into some serious touring and I feel Apache 200 lacks in that department hence I chose to upgrade the bike so for me.
- Royal Enfield Himalayan BS6
- Dominar 400
- Dominar 250
- Duke 390
Now let’s see why I considered these bikes.
1) Himalayan
- Upright and comfortable seating position
- Ultra soft seat
- Amazing suspensions
- Ample of ground clearance
- Good usable power at lower RPM
- Off roading capability
- Good stability
- Luggage carrying capacity
These are the points that I liked about the Himalayan, so why didn’t I go for it
- Reliability issue with RE
- Previous image of the motorcycle
- Maintenance cost
- Waiting time (almost 1½ month)
2) KTM Duke 390
- Amazing Handling
- Tremendous power
- Awesome tires (Metz’s)
- Beautiful color TFT console
- Plethora of features
Why not KTM Duke 390
- Not comfortable for the pillion (most of the time I ride with the Pillion)
- Bit too light for my liking (I like heavy bikes)
- Too much power (could have made me reckless)
- Price was out of my budget (the main reason)
3) Dominar 400 UG BS6
- Amazing comfort
- Good features like USD forks, Dual LCD console, mileage read outs
- Very much usable power (doesn’t scare you like Duke 390)
- 40ps power and 35nm torque is no joke
- Pillion comfort is spot on
- Good cruise speed
- Ample of accessories are available
- Good luggage carrying capacity
- Wonderful and bright headlight
- True VFM
But then why did I choose it
- Low mileage
- Cost of maintenance is too much for me
- Due to the Covid-19 I found myself into financial crisis and hence did not go for D400
Bajaj Dominar 250 Ownership – Why did I choose Dominar D250?
- Getting exact same looks of D400
- Exact same headlight as that of D400
- Gives big bike feel
- Comparatively low on maintenance
- Good Mileage
- Is forgiving to the pockets
So, these are the points that I liked now let’s see go ahead with the Bajaj Dominar 250 Ownership Review
I purchased D250 on 24/08/2020 from Sai Service, Wakdewadi for 1.91L (on road), since then I’ve ridden 560 kms so far and done with the first service of the bike,
Bajaj Dominar 250 Ownership – What I liked about this bike
1) Superb high speed stability
2) Nice handling
3) Very much comfortable to my liking
4) Getting the mileage of around 35 to 37 kmpl which is amazing
5) Due to the heavyweight bike feels planted on the street
6) Suspensions quality is nice doesn’t brake your back in the bad roads and my pillion also seems happy
7) Handlebar is nice and wide riding posting is upright and not committed
My concern was to get decent power alongwith good cruising speed and good tank range. Since D250 has 27ps of power and 23nm of torque bike feels more powerful at low and mid range that means overtaking is not an issue with this bike even in city also you’ll get the speed rush. Therefore due to the decent mileage of about 35 to 36 kmpl and 13L fuel tank range also increases significantly. The weight of the bike is on the heavier side 180kgs.
It feels agile and easy to maneuver while on the go, you just have to handle rest all the efforts are done by the engine itself.
9) ABS works flawlessly and doesn’t intervene unnecessarily
10) Slipper clutch is spot on
11) Seat height 800mm is decent of average height riders from 5.6 and above (I’m 6 feet)
12) Bike doesn’t heat a lot even in the city traffic
13) Last but not the least that exhaust note is superb and bass heavy sounds like music to the ears and also the horn is louder and bassier.
However, all good things come with its own flaws and the Bajaj Dominar 250 is not an exception
Bajaj Dominar 250 Ownership review – What can be better
The bike has missed out on the leg day. The tyres are way to skinnier for the huge body of D250. I don’t know why Bajaj still offers TVS Eurogrip tyres. They should give at least MRF as a standard. So due to the Eurogrip tyres the bike doesn’t give you confidence especially on the wet surfaces
Though bike is amazingly refined in mid range but at low end some vibrations do creep in on handlebar and on foot pegs
- Due to heavy weight top end is not that great
- The tank panel rattles a bit when pushed slightly with fingers
- Switchgear quality is average
- Rear brake are as good as not having rear brakes
Though weight of the bike is an advantage while on highway, but it feels damn heavy at stand by position and takes a lot of efforts while taking out from parking
These are the only cons I’ve faced so far, I cannot comment about the top speed yet because the bike is still in the running in period, however according to me it may go up to 145 kmph.
Bajaj Dominar 250 Ownership – Final Verdict:
Why did I choose D250 over RTR 200 is very clear – I’m getting more power!!
The Apache churns out 20.5ps and D250 26ps. While the Apache offers 18.1nm torque, the D250 at 23nm so much more to offer. Also, a decent mileage figure as compared to the TVS Apache 200. The front brake is better than Apache 200. The slipper clutch works better. Also, the comfort of D250 is anytime better than Apache 200. The D250 is liquid cooled and hence covers more distance in one go without any heating issues. The cruise speeds are decent – Apache had cruising speed of 90-100 kmph whereas D250 has a cruising speed of 110-120 kmph. Most importantly, the 6th gear makes a world of difference to the ride feel.
So, this was my ownership review of Dominar 250 if you have any questions DM me on @scarlet_rider5
I’d be more than happy to answer you all.
Thank you
