Bajaj Dominar 250

The Bajaj Dominar 250 is the smaller quarter-litre version of the Dominar 400. It intends to be a more affordable sporty tourer. The Dominar 250 is meant to replicate nearly all the things its bigger sibling does, except for the engine and performance. Let’s find out if it does it as good or not: 

Design

When it comes to looks, the Bajaj Dominar 250 appears exactly like the Dominar 400 because it shares the same body design and gets the same twin-barrel exhaust. However, it misses out on the standard touring accessories that the new Dominar 400 gets including a tall windscreen, hand guards, saddle stays and a tail rack. The 250cc bike also gets a dual-tone paint scheme with alloy wheels finished in matte black. More noticeable differences include a thinner 37mm front fork, a slimmer rear tyre, a box-section swingarm and a smaller 300mm front disc.

Engine, Mileage and Performance

The Dominar 250 is equipped with a 248.77cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine, derived from the KTM 250 Duke and undertuned to produce a peak output of 27PS and 23.5Nm. It gets a 6-speed gearbox with a slip-and-assist clutch. The Dominar 250 gets a 13-litre fuel tank and delivers a real-world tested mileage of 35kmpl in the city and 34kmpl on the highway. 

The engine on the 250cc tourer impresses you with its refinement. It was already quite smooth on the Duke, but on the Dominar 250 it feels even more relaxed because of a lower compression ratio (11.9:1 compared to 12.5:1). It effortlessly reaches 100kmph in 6th gear, just above 6000rpm and feels incredibly smooth at this speed. Even cruising at 120kmph feels comfortable, although it takes a bit of time to reach that speed. The bike feels a lot more easily usable in the low-mid-range rpms compared to the 250 Duke thanks to the different cam profiles and valve timings on the 250cc Dominar.

Handling and Ride Quality

The Dominar 250 handles better than its older sibling, thanks to its narrower, softer compound tyres. While the tyres on the 250 may not provide the same confidence as the 400’s radials when you're leaning into turns, the 250 is more responsive when turning, making it easier to steer into corners. You'll notice this agility while riding around the city. The Dominar 250 feels planted on the highways, however, it may feel a little sluggish during high-speed overtakes, because of its heavy weight.

Comfort

The Bajaj Dominar 250 offers a relaxed riding position and well-cushioned split seats. It provides a comfortable ride to the rider and pillion as well. The front and rear suspension are softer than the bigger Dominar and handle bumps really well, but be careful when braking on sharp bumps, as it can make the front fork to bottom out. Overall, the ride quality on the Dominar 250 is fantastic.

Features

The same all-LED lighting setup as the bigger Dominar has been passed on to the Dominar 250, but it gets an old digital instrument cluster from the first-gen Dominar 400. The primary screen shows the odometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, and clock. The tank-mounted console displays the basic tell-tale lights and misses out on instant fuel consumption and a gear position indicator. The Dominar 250 sits on a perimeter frame and comes with a twin-barrel exhaust and bungee straps under the seat. To save costs, it has matte black alloy wheels instead of the dual-tone ones found on the bigger Dominar.

Should you buy the Bajaj Dominar 250?

If you are looking for a stylish motorcycle that can be your touring partner on the highways and can perform well in city traffic, then the Bajaj Dominar 250 can be the one for you. The Dominar 250 genuinely lives up to the 'sports tourer' label. It is comfortable on the highways and is agile in the city. While Bajaj may market it as the entry-level Dominar, we believe the 250 represents the Dominar in its ideal form.