Bajaj recently launched the Bajaj Dominar 400 in the Indian market with an upgraded BS6 compliant engine at the price of INR 1.92 lakhs ex-showroom. The brand has also launched the Dominar 250 at the price of INR 1.60 lakhs ex-showroom in the Indian market. Both the Dominar 400 and the Dominar 250 are positioned on the sport-touring category, with the Dominar 250 Bajaj has made its entry into the popular and much-favoured 250cc Quarter-Litre segment favoured by touring enthusiasts.
The Dominar 400 is a tried and tested platform for the brand and the Dominar 250 is based on the Dominar 400 at least in terms of the exterior design and styling but it gets a smaller powertrain and different mechanical parts such as the brakes and suspension not only to reduce the weight of the motorcycle but also position it at a justified price point.
The Dominar 250, when compared to its elder brother Dominar 400, both the Dominar siblings come with the same roadster design language and feature a small flyscreen, multi-LED headlamp, relaxed straight handlebars with a relaxed positioning, negative full LCD instruments display, a secondary tank display with telltale lights, comfortable seating for highway touring and all-round city rides, relaxed mid-set footpegs, LED tail lamps, body-coloured belly cowling, twin-tipped exhaust.
While the Dominar 250 features 37mm diameter USD front forks and 300mm hydraulically operated front disc and 230mm single disc on the rear with dual-channel ABS. But for an extra INR 32,000 on the ex-showroom price, the Dominar 400 comes with a larger 373.3cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, 4-valve triple-spark fuel-injected DOHC engine that produces 40 PS of power and 35 Nm of torque matched to a 6-speed gearbox, larger 43mm diameter USD forks, larger 320mm single disc on the front and a single 230mm disc on the rear equipped with hydraulically operated callipers armed with a dual-channel ABS system.
The Dominar 250 features a KTM derived BS6 compliant 248.77cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, 4-valve, DOHC fuel-injected twin-spark engine that produces 27 PS of power and 23.5 Nm of torque paired to a 6-speed gearbox.
The Dominar 250’s prime competitor in the Indian market is the Suzuki Gixxer 250 that features a BS6 compliant 249cc single-cylinder 4-stroke 4-valve SOHC fuel-injected engine with an innovative Suzuki oil cooling system (SOCS) produces 26.5 PS and 22.2 Nm of torque matched to a 6-speed transmission. The Suzuki Gixxer 250 comes close to the Dominar 250 both in terms of engine power as well as price which is INR 1.63 lakhs ex-showroom but lacks features such as USD front forks offered by the Dominar 250 and is more inclined towards street riding than highway touring.
Another competitor in the quarter-litre segment is the Yamaha FZ 25 recently upgraded to BS6 standards offers the least powerful powertrain among the four major 250cc class motorcycles. The Yamaha FZ 25 is powered by a 249cc single-cylinder, air-cooled, 4-stroke 2-valve SOHC fuel-injected engine that produces 20.8 PS of power and 20.1 Nm of torque matched to a 5-speed transmission.
When compared to its competitor at home, the KTM 250 Duke that features a 248.8cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 4-Valve, DOHC fuel-injected single-spark engine that makes 30 PS of power and 24 Nm of torque coupled to a 6-speed gearbox with an assist & slipper clutch. And the Husqvarna Vitpilen/Svartpilen which are also powered by the same 250 Duke engine. But the Husqvarna Vitpilen/Svartpilen is priced at INR 1.85 lakhs ex-showroom which is INR 20,500 less than the 250 Duke priced at INR 2.05 lakh ex-showroom and as compared to the new Dominar 250 over INR 40,000 more.
While Honda discontinued the CBR 250R in the Indian market the motorcycle with the decade old design which was positioned in the sport touring segment comes closest in terms of power and torque figures in its BS4 avatar which was powered by a 249.6cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, 4-stroke petrol motor producing 26.5 PS of power and 22.9 Nm of torque matched to a 6-speed gearbox and is still considered as an old wine by sports touring enthusiasts.