Kawasaki Dominar: Top features we like

There aren’t a whole lot of options to look at if you are planning to buy an affordable 400 cc motorcycle that’s easy to ride and maintain. This category was more like a no man’s land until Kawasaki launched the Dominar 400 in the country. It quickly grabbed a lot of attention not only because of its Php 165,000 price tag but also because of the kind of features it offered. The Dominar 400 is a great value-for-money package. And here are its top features that we like.

The engine

One of the features that make the Dominar such a capable machine is its engine. It is a 373 cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine which shares a lot of internal components from the KTM Duke 390’s engine. However, Kawasaki has tuned it differently to make it more suitable for the Dominar. It produces nearly 35 bhp of max power at 8000 rpm and the same amount of peak torque at 6500 rpm, and is mated to a smooth 6-speed transmission. The DTS-i technology incorporated in the engine works behind the scenes to ensure you get the maximum performance and fuel efficiency.

The engine has more than enough power to allow you to easily cruise at 100-120 kmph without any stress. Also, the way the power is delivered on this thing is not instant and abrupt like in the Duke 390. It is much more linear and calm. This makes it easier to ride at low speeds in city traffic. Also, the cooling system is pretty commendable. It does a good job in keeping the engine temperature in check and we haven’t found any case in which the Dominar 400 would have stalled due to overheating. What could have been better though, is the on-off throttle transition. It feels a bit jerky which gets quite irritating.

Ride quality

One of the top features that you look for in a cruiser like the Dominar is good ride quality. And that’s exactly what you get with this motorcycle. Many factors contribute to Dominar’s overall good ride quality. The seat is quite wide, so there is space for the rider to move around. And it is pretty comfortable too. You can easily do 100-150 kms stretch without stopping.

Then we have the suspension. It is set up somewhere in the middle - neither it is too hard nor too soft. Minor potholes and undulations are dealt nicely but don’t expect it to soak up gigantic speed breakers. It isn’t an off-road or adventure bike. We would also like to mention here that the Dominar is a heavy motorcycle and when it comes to its ride quality, its heavyweight turns into its favour. It aids the bike to be more compliant at high speeds on the freeways. Another feature that makes riding the Dominar a breeze is its upright seating posture. You sit comfortably and there is hardly any strain or pressure on your wrists.

LED headlight

Kawasaki Dominar gets full LED lighting - headlight, tail light, indicators, everything. But we are a fan of its powerful LED headlight. Not only it imparts an aggressive look to the bike but it also performs brilliantly. There are several LEDs installed in the headlight. They have an amazing throw and they light up the dark pretty well. This comes in handy when you are touring at night or during the early morning hours to avoid the rush and cover as much distance in peace as possible.

Braking

We have earlier mentioned that Dominar’s heavyweight works as an advantage when it comes to ride quality. However, it does have a few disadvantages. Stopping a bike this heavy and this powerful would require some strong brakes and that’s exactly what Kawasaki has provided. The Dominar 400 comes with disc brakes at both the ends but it is the front that would do most of the work in bringing the bike to a halt. That’s why, if you look carefully at the Kawasaki Dominar 400 specs, there is a large 320 mm rotor at the front. And on top of that, we also have the aid of ABS.

While the Dominar impresses us with these aforementioned features, it is not perfect and has a few issues. Thankfully, they have been addressed by the company in the 2019 model which has already been launched in India and received good reviews. We are waiting for Kawasaki to bring the new 2019 Dominar in the Philippines.