Dominarology – My Bajaj Dominar 400 Story: OBJECT OF DESIRE
2014 indeed was a turning point with all that was happening in the motoring world and kicking off the year was the 2014 edition of Auto Expo. Amongst all the vehicles unveiled and showcased the CS400 caught my eye. Twice as powerful as the currently owned Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS and what seemed more like a makeover of the tourer with its dual display and unconventional looks, this had to be my next motorcycle. In the months that followed a lot of time went into riding understanding these new age machines and technology.
In 2015 the MOJO came to be and it did pull me towards it however the hangover was done with soon enough. Taking centre-stage was the Duke 390 armed with a few features including the slipper clutch at a point of time costs 3 lacs upwards a 2 cylinder beast to own one. Nevertheless I pursued the idea of the 400 from Bajaj and kept myself updated with the media buzz around it while saving for it.
Dominarology – My Bajaj Dominar 400 StorySMART GOALS AND INNER PEACE
At this point i’d like to point about a concept that was shared by Akash Gogoi, my team manager from an earlier organisation “SMART” Goals. As smart as it sounds it may at first seem like just textbook “Gyaan”. In reality planning for a motorcycle at an age where my peers and juniors are either getting married or turning entrepreneurs does sound Ludacris. However, not if this became an asset much like a private taxi, just that this one being a chauffeur driven one but only on two wheels.
One that is affordable and yet offered the comfort of a middleweight touring motorcycle. This was going to be the next big “thing” not only for the world but for me too. So i had to get it right, from the word go to the last element “Inner Peace” – making peace that this 1st of firsts will be accepted no matter what and escalations would be dealt with by following the correct path.
Dominarology – My Bajaj Dominar 400 Story: THE KEY FORGED BY SACRIFICING HAPPINESS For the rest of my friends ignition keys were not just keys but a key to happiness. This ordinary looking key that way similar in every way to that of my other motorcycle – the Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS except that it had a different badging and commanded the heart of a more powerful metallic organism.
Keeping the price point of the KTM and NS as an approximation i began to calculate the price of the 400cc against the current price of the 390 KTM Duke. To add in a few more dollars there was a revised structure on the government duties involved. So this meant keeping a tab on weekend expenses, rides and others. Giving these few luxuries up was paramount to getting that key.
I Dub thee Auto Expo 2014 and until the launch date there was a lot of contemplation on the name, however legally It needed to carry itself and have a name as simple yet unique.
Thus it was decided that for an X price I would settle for a 400 – reason if anyone asked all i needed to do was to point towards the number plate. As regards the nickname it was indeed a tough one to get but am glad i did. While the Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS was named Drake because I lived a night (work) life much like vampires, the other Pulsar 150 was Dauntless. Here is where it got interesting – coincidentally as it turns out my mother’s first name begins with “D”.
So I figured I ask her. Keeping in mind that the name had to start with the letter “D” I began searching. In many ways there were certain similarities and one day while just glaring blankly at the logo – Eureka!! all I did was replace the last two characters and thus “Dominic”
First Spark Krishna Bajaj, Fatima Nagar in Pune. After selecting the the specific Twilight Plum motorcycle, the team got to work with the PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) and setting it up for the journey ahead. Finally it was time to fire him up and boy was I Excited to have #Dominic400 part of the family.
Bajaj Dominar 400: The Bling FACTOR As it turned out for most of us Dominar 400 owners we all had a preconceived idea for accessorizing our machines:
Apart from the standard stickers gifted from the Founders of The Lycans – India and Team Soul Riders I have added a sticker from TORQ which not only adds to visibility but also because it goes well with the Bajaj Dominar brochure scheme.
In the month of June 2017 I happened to visit 100kmph headquarters and their latest Racecraft caught my fancy not just by its simplistic design but by more so by the philosophy behind it.
In time to come we did cover all possible types of terrain to reach a point to ponder and I thank Neelanjan Chakraborty for his invitation to share my insights . Indeed all of those 9500 kilometers gave me immense joy and a service bill of 1515/-. This included Oil and oil filter Change and a new set of brake pads including labor charge.
This is an ongoing story not just any other review, stay tuned for more...
#Dominic400
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