Bajaj Dominar 250 is the second most premium bike, after the Bajaj Dominar 400, from the Bajaj’s stable.
Bajaj took the engine from the KTM Duke 250, tuned it to its liking, and presented a quarter-liter bike in the form of Dominar 250.
Still, the quarter-liter segment in India isn’t that competitive.
And when you have a budget of less than 2 lakhs then you are only left with 3 options, Suzuki Gixxer 250, Yamaha FZ25, and Bajaj Dominar 250.
So does it makes sense to buy the Dominar 250 over the other two?
In this detailed review of Dominar 250 BS6, we tell you everything that you need to know about the bike.
So that you can make an informed decision and do not regret it later.
So, without wasting much time, let’s get started!
Let’s start with the way the bike looks.
Table of Contents
Dominar 250: Looks
Looks is one department where Bajaj has always struggled.
So it is not shocking that the Dominar 250 looks like it is a copy of the Dominar 400.
And probably this look will continue for ages like other bajaj bikes.
We have made a video of the detailed walkaround of the bike, which you can see below if you want to.
Front Looks
When you stand in the front, the first thing that you will notice is the big all-LED headlight.
Which has many LED compartments and it does look good.
The side Compartments of the bike form the logo of the Dominar and are only visible when lights are on and you pay close attention to it.
On the side of the headlight, you get LED indicators that add premium-ness to the bike.
Another noticeable thing from the front is the rear views mirrors, which look absolutely unique, good, and premium.
The bike comes with silver upside-down forks, that are also visible from the front.
The front fender of the bike comes in dual color treatment, and the rear part of it is very flexible and looks like it is made up of very cheap plastic.
Overall the bike looks good from the front and seems like the front is somewhat inspired by the Bajaj Pulsar NS 200.
Side Looks
From the side is where you can tell the difference between Dominar 250 and Dominar 400.
Dominar 250 is available in 3 colors.
In Dominar 250, you now get the silver treatment.
Alloys wheels are all silver-colored.
There is silver treatment on the fuel tank and side panel as well.
To be frank, this silver treatment gives the bike kind of a toyish look.
There is also a separate panel that holds the front and rear footpegs.
This panel looks premium and is in sync with the beautiful-looking rearview mirrors.
When you go to the other side of the bike, you can also see a beautiful-looking side stand that is again in sync with the rearview mirrors and the footpeg panel.
What adds to the sportiness and premiumness of the bike is its beautiful-looking twin-barrel exhaust.
Rear looks
At the rear, you get the Bajaj Pulsar-styled signature dual tail lights with some changes, and it does look good.
Then you get an extended rear fender that houses the number plate and LED indicators.
What spoils the rear look of the bike is its 130mm rear tire, and it is also one of the differences between Dominar 250 and Dominar 400.
You get a fatter 150mm tire in the Dominar 400.
The bike’s rear tire does not match the overall look of the bike and looks very skinny.
Overall the bike looks good and feels premium, except for the “Silver Treatment”.
Bajaj Dominar 250: How it feels to sit on the bike?
Once you sit on the bike and lift the bike from its side stand, the first thing that you will notice is the weight of the bike.
Dominar 250 weighs 180 kgs and you can really feel its weight when you lift it from the side stand.
However, the weight kind of disappears when you start riding the bike and it does not feel heavy to maneuver in the city.
Sit on the bike and the first thing you will notice is its fuel tank.
You get chrome treated 3D Dominar logo on both sides of the fuel tank.
The bike does not feel as big as it looks from the front and side.
Another noticeable thing is its dual instrument console.
Yes, you get two instrument consoles in Dominar 250 as well.
The smaller instrument console is on the fuel tank.
Which has the Bajaj logo in the middle and engine check light, ABS, side stand, etc indicators on its sides.
The main instrument console of the bike looks exactly the same as the Dominar 400.
You get an odometer and 2 trip meter display on the upper left side.
Below is the tachometer that goes all the way to the middle and then moves to the upper right corner.
A funny thing that you will notice when you will ride the bike is although the tachometer has its limit up to 13000rpm, but the bike refuses to go above 10500rpm and even starts misfiring if you keep running it at 10500rpm.
Then you get the time indicator at the upper right corner.
And you get a speedometer and fuel meter below it.
Below this instrument console, you get some other indicators and 2 buttons to navigate and select between two trip meters.
Now it may seem that there is a lot of information to be shown that is why Bajaj has given two instrument consoles on the bike.
But to the contrary, the bike does not even get a gear position indicator.
What was Bajaj thinking?
Only Bajaj and God know!
You get the tubular handlebar on the bike.
You also get backlit switches on the bike and the quality of the switchgear is good.
Bajaj Dominar 250: Exhaust Sound
Bajaj Dominar 250 is probably the loudest 250cc bike that we have ridden.
The exhaust is so loud that you can hear and feel it clearly while riding.
Listen to the exhaust sound of Dominar 250 below:
Bajaj Dominar 250: Engine and Performance
Dominar 250 is powered by a 248.77cc 4-Valve, 4-Stroke, Liquid Cooled, Single-Cylinder engine.
Which produces a maximum power of 27PS and a maximum torque of 23.5Nm.
This engine is based out on the engine of KTM Duke 250.
On paper, these numbers seem pretty good.
In fact, Dominar 250 is one of the most powerful bikes at this price point that you can buy.
The performance is good but since it is a cruiser bike, the performance is delivered like a cruiser bike.
I.e. performance is delivered in a very linear manner and you will not get any sudden rush of power.
However, there is an ample amount of power and torque available and the bike pulls cleanly, does not matter which gear you are in.
You just have to ring the throttle and you are good to go.
But again the power is delivered in a very linear manner.
So do not expect it to deliver the performance like a sports bike.
And in fact, it is not even made to ride like a sports bike.
Bajaj Dominar 250: Ride and Handling
You get split seats in the Bajaj Dominar 250.
And the seat height is 800mm.
Seat cushioning is neither too soft and nor too hard.
The front seat is quite big and there is plenty of room to move around.
And one good thing that Bajaj provides you in the bike is, you get four straps under the rear seat that you can use to hold or hang things while doing long solo trips.
Also, the footpegs are not set backward. They are somewhere in the middle.
But they do interfere a lot with your legs when you want to move the bike around without starting it.
The handlebar is also set on the higher side.
And all this results in a very upright and relaxed seating position.
The clutch is super smooth and light and you also get a slipper and assist clutch in the bike that makes the city ride effortless.
It is safe to say that you will enjoy the ride quality of the bike in the city as well as on the highways.
The Dominar 250 is a very good handler too.
You can easily maneuver the bike in the city.
In fact, it gives you the confidence to cut corners or take a tight spot even if you are riding it for the first time.
It even gives you the confidence to lean on the curves.
And at high speeds, the bike feels planted too.
The weight of the bike is on the higher side but once it is lifted from the side stand and is on the go, the weight kind of disappears.
You will not at all feel its weight even in the day-to-day city traffics, as long as it’s moving.
You also get six gears on the bike, and the sixth gear helps you to cruise easily at around 120 km/hr, which is a very good thing.
Overall the ride and handling of the bike are what you can expect from a sports cruiser.
But there is one thing that hampers the ride quality on the bike.
And it is VIBRATIONS.
There are vibrations in the bike at as low as 4500-5000rpm.
But they are limited to the footpegs only and if you are not an enthusiast, you won’t even notice them.
But they really start getting harsher as you move up the rev range.
You can definitely feel them from around 6500-7000rpm mark at footpegs and even at the seat.
In fact, they become so evident that the pillion rider can also feel it.
However, they are limited to the footpegs and the seat only.
And they do not get much harsher on the handlebar.
Bajaj Dominar 250: Specification
| Bajaj Dominar 250 | Specification |
| Engine Type | Single Cylinder, 4-Stroke, 4-Valve, Liquid-cooled |
| Displacement | 248.77cc |
| Maximum Power | 27PS @ 8500 rpm |
| Maximum Torque | 23.5Nm @ 6500 rpm |
| Fuel Supply | Fuel Injected |
| Number of Valves | 4 |
| Gear Box | 6-Speed |
| Clutch | Slipper and Assist |
| Front Suspension | USD Forks |
| Rear Suspension | Mono Shock |
| Headlights | LED |
| Tyre (Front) | 100/80-17 Tubeless |
| Tyre (Rear) | 130/70-17 Tubeless |
| ABS | Dual-Channel |
| Front Brake | 300 mm Disc |
| Rear Brake | 230 mm Disc |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 13L |
| Ground Clearance | 157 mm |
| Height | 1112 mm |
| Length | 2156 mm |
| Width | 836 mm |
| Seat Height | 800 mm |
| Kerb Weight | 180 kgs |
| Wheelbase | 1453 mm |
Have a look at the detailed specification HERE.
Bajaj Dominar 250: Mileage and Maintenance
The ARAI claimed mileage of Dominar 250 is around 35 km/l.
But shockingly the brand new Dominar 250 managed to give us only 17.43 km/l in our mileage test.
You can watch the full video below.
However, the bike that we tested was brand new and we really pushed the bike to its limits.
Hopefully, the mileage will increase after the first service.
And with relaxed riding, you should be getting an overall mileage of around 32-35km/l.
The bike gets serviced after every 5000kms or 4 months, whichever is earlier.
And if you follow the schedule you will get it serviced 3 times in a year.
The normal service costs around ₹1700-1800 per service.
So you will be shelling out a minimum of around ₹5400 a year maintaining the bike.
Bajaj Dominar 250: Price
The price is what brought back the Dominar 250 into the limelight and has increased its sale recently.
The bike was launched originally at a price of ₹1.60 lakhs ex-showroom.
And after some price hikes, the price went up to ₹1.70 lakhs ex-showroom.
But recently Bajaj dropped the price of the bike by over ₹16,000.
And now the Dominar 250 price is ₹1.54 lakhs ex-showroom.
And it will cost around ₹1.80 lakhs on-road.
The prices vary from state to state and you can check the exact price of the bike in your city HERE.
Bajaj Dominar 250: Verdict
Now comes the main question.
Is the Bajaj Dominar 250 worth buying?
Or moreover, if you are looking to buy a bike under 2 lakhs, should you consider buying the Bajaj Dominar 250?
The answer to this question is a YES!
But only if you are looking to buy a sports cruiser.
And only if you like to do long trips and drive your bike in a relaxed manner.
If you are looking for a sports bike that you can push or have fun then this is not the bike for you.
It is not made to be pushed around and you will not enjoy it if you do push it.
And if you like a retro cruiser bike then Royal Enfield Meteor 350 definitely is a solid contender.
Or if you want to check out more options, you can check out Best Bikes Under 2 Lakhs in 2021.
I hope you liked this review.
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And if you have any questions, feedback, or suggestion, you can comment below and let me know.
