Bajaj Dominar 400 vs Royal Enfield Classic 350: Comparison Test

Design & Style

There are two different eras of styling here. The Classic 350 from Royal Enfield isn’t meant to be flashy or win a beauty contest. The design dates back to the 1960s with its circular headlamp, big and bulky fuel tank and curvy mudguards. There’s chrome on the long exhaust, headlamp cover, rear suspension springs and the steel rims. The company has managed to keep its retro design intact and that attracts a lot of buyers.

Bajaj calls the Dominar 400 a power cruiser and that’s why the overall design language is muscular. Unlike the Classic 350, the Dominar 400 gets a lot of body panels that have a combination of sharpness and flowing lines. There is bulkiness across the motorcycle as well, but it isn’t disproportionate. The Dominar looks premium too, thanks to the inclusion of the 3D logo and the LED lamps. Bajaj has equipped the Dominar with alloy wheels that look outstanding and look like something that belongs to a segment or two above.

Classic 350: 7/10

Dominar 400: 7.5/10

Ergonomics & Quality

Both the bikes are supposed to help the riders traverse large distances with ease, comfort and no stress. That means the ergonomics need to be friendly, and they are. The riding positions on the Classic 350 and the Dominar 400 are upright and comfortable. But the seating triangle is a bit different. The footpegs on the Classic 350 are centre-set, whereas on the Dominar, they are slightly rear-set. So the rider has the option of aggressive riding on the Dominar, plus, the fuel tank has a good recess for the knees.

Royal Enfield and Bajaj are not known to use the best possible quality of components on their products. However, things have changed with Bajaj and there has been improvement in its last few products. It can be clearly seen on the Dominar as well. The quality of plastics, paint and switchgear are great. With the Classic 350, things are different. The fit and finish aren’t great, just like the paint quality.

Classic 350: 6.5/10

Dominar 400: 8/10

Features & Technology

The Classic 350 falls way behind the Dominar when it comes to features. There is no fancy equipment, nor there are features that are outstanding on the Classic. The instrument cluster is analogue and suspension is telescopic at the front and twin gas charged shock absorbers at the rear. The Classic misses out on a disc brake at the rear.

The Dominar 400 on the other hand, is loaded with features. This Bajaj gets an all-LED light setup, liquid cooling, fuel injection, a disc brake at both ends with an anti-lock braking (ABS) system. It also sports a digital instrument cluster that shows a lot of ride data. There’s a tank-mounted cluster too that displays basic details like the coolant temperature, low battery, side stand, ABS, high beam and check engine light. Just like other bikes in the Bajaj lineup, the Dominar also gets backlit switchgear. The talking point of this motorcycle is the slipper clutch and and the LED headlamp which has the auto headlamp on (AHO) function.

Classic 350: 4/10

Dominar 400: 7/10

Engine & Gearbox

The power for the Classic 350 comes from a 346cc single-cylinder air-cooled motor. This mill is all about low-end and mid-range torque. It makes 19.8bhp and peak torque of 28Nm at 4000rpm. This engine has vibrations (there isn’t a counterbalancer shaft like the Himalayan), lacks refinement and the performance, like the looks, harks back to a few decades ago. The five-speed gearbox offers shifts of decent quality.

The engine on the Dominar 400 is based on the KTM Duke 390 but has been detuned and toned down to suit the bike’s touring nature. Where it differs from the Duke is in the cylinder head – it houses three spark plugs and an SOHC setup. This motor makes around 35bhp at 8000rpm and maximum torque of 35Nm at 6500rpm. Bajaj hasn’t managed to get the Pulsar RS200’s level of refinement to this motor but it is better than its competitor here. A slipper clutch is standard and that’s an excellent add-on for a bike for the price.

Classic 350: 6/10

Dominar 400: 6.5/10

Performance

The strong low and mid-range makes the Classic 350 a bliss to ride in the city. In fact, the heavy torque rush is likeable and quite addictive. But the enjoyment diminishes as the revs climb. There are vibrations through the handlebar, footpegs and even the seat when the Classic 350 tries to cross 80kmph. The vibe-free cruising speed for this Royal Enfield is 70kmph, which doesn’t make it an ideal highway choice. Crossing the 100kmph is a big task; possible, but do it only if you like watching the world go past in a blur – and we don’t mean that in the usual sense of the phrase.

The Dominar 400 is one fast motorcycle. It doesn’t feel fast, but one look at the speedometer confirms the reality. The engineers at Bajaj have tuned this 373cc motor well for most situations. The torque off idle is great, and the mid-range of the Dominar 400 is accessible and usable. This power cruiser clocks triple digit speeds in no time. You can cruise at 100kmph on the Dominar with no discernible vibrations. But this motor isn’t as rev happy and as refined as the Pulsar RS200. Once the revs start to climb, the intensity of vibrations on the handlebar, seat and footpegs begins to increase, too.

Classic 350: 5/10

Dominar 400: 8/10

Ride, Handling & Braking

The Classic 350 scores an extra point over the Dominar in ride quality. It isn’t plush enough to glide over potholes, but the suspension on the Classic 350 absorbs them comfortably. Be it bad roads or potholes, this cruiser behaves well. The springs on the rider seat provides additional insulation on bumps, although be warned – if you’re an exceptionally heavy person, you’ll find yourself sliding backward off the seat! The Dominar offers a well balanced ride, but at low speeds, it is unsettled, especially at the front.

Neither of these bikes are excellent handlers, but the Dominar is eager to dive into corners. It feels composed in traffic too, thanks to the good weight distribution. The Classic 350 prefers to cruise around corners, rather than hurry through them. The chassis, weight and tyres were not developed for that. For going anywhere at a steady pace, the Classic 350 is a good choice.

The brakes on the Classic 350 aren’t great. The front gets a disc but feels wooden. The rear works just fine. Bajaj has equipped with Dominar with a Bybre setup which performs well. There’s enough bite and feel at both levers. However, the ABS isn’t switchable in the ABS-equipped variant, which could be a detriment off the asphalt.

Classic 350: 4/10

Dominar 400: 7/10

Fuel Efficiency

The Royal Enfield Classic 350 returned us a fuel efficiency of 35kmpl, thanks to abundant low-end torque. So with a capacity of 13.5-litres, the Classic 350 can be ridden up to 470km without a fuel stop. The Bajaj Dominar returned 34kmpl, so that’s a 400km tank range.

Classic 350: 4.5/10

Dominar 400: 4/10

Price & Warranty

The Classic 350 retails for Rs 1.59 lakh (on-road Mumbai) and gets a 2 year/20,000km warranty. The Dominar 400 will set you back by Rs 1.67 lakh (on-road Mumbai) and this is for the ABS version. The non-ABS version is close to Rs 15,000 less, making it cheaper than the Classic 350. The warranty for this Bajaj bike stands at 2 years/24,000km.

Classic 350: 5/10

Dominar 400: 4/10

Desirability

This is where the Classic 350 is a clear winner. The brand value of this motorcycle is the best in the Indian two-wheeler industry. Most of the Indian buyers don’t want to buy the Classic 350 for touring or commuting, but they want to buy it because it is a Royal Enfield and is also the most affordable neo-retro motorcycle.

The Dominar is a new brand for Bajaj and for Indian buyers. It will take time for this name to be on every motorcycle enthusiasts’ mind. This will happen when Bajaj has more bikes under Dominar and as days pass by.

Classic 350: 7/10

Dominar 400: 5/10

Verdict

Rank 1

The Dominar has been able to offer what the Classic 350 hasn’t – more value for money. This bike gets the latest design, is loaded with features and is safer too (thanks to ABS). The Dominar has been able to offer decent performance and impressed us with its practicality too. Being a Bajaj, we expect service and spares to be very affordable.

63/100

Rank 2

Like we’ve mentioned before, Classic 350 buyers buy it neither for the performance it offers nor for its features. They buy it because of its styling and the brand value. But these days, such aspects aren’t quite enough to impress your friends or your boss. You need more features, more technology and more importantly, a motorcycle that is more relevant to the modern world. All these aren’t provided by the Classic 350.

56/100

Photography by Kapil Angane

Final Scores