Bajaj Adventurer may take design inspiration from the Dominar 400 while adapting mechanical bits from the upcoming KTM 390 Adventure
Bajaj Auto took us by awe when the Dominar power cruiser entered the market last December at an astonishing starting price of around Rs. 1.36 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Pune-based manufacturer vowed that it is a worthy rival for the Royal Enfield’s bestselling Classic 350 and we cannot really argue against the claim. Despite ruing the heavy kerb weight, the features on offer and the advanced technologies like the slipper clutch on board make it a worthy prospect.
As Bajaj’s new flagship range was revved up with the Dominar 400, it is clear that the KTM owner will be targeting more products from RE’s stable. The flexible platform in which the Dominar is based on was reported to produce differently flavoured motorcycles eventually. All of them were said to have a common theme of competitive price tags as well.
Also Read: Bajaj Dominar 400 Launched in India (New Pics Updated)
The Dominar 400 underpinnings were predicted to spawn products in different body styles like a scrambler and café racer. A Scrambler based on the Dominar would indeed be a luring addition but in order to pit against the newest Royal Enfield, Bajaj seems to be gearing up with an adventure motorcycle.
The adventure touring segment in India has gained attention lately courtesy of the Mahindra Mojo and Royal Enfield Himalayan. Manufacturers like BMW, with the G310 GS, and KTM, with the 390 Adventure, will eventually introduce their entry-level off-roading choices in the near future. They are likely to be joined by a Bajaj counterpart as we can exclusively report.
Also Read: Bajaj Dominar Badge to be Expanded with New Products
Bajaj has trademarked the “Adventurer” moniker which effectively means a Dominar-based adventure tourer is certainly in the pipeline. It could arrive following the 390 Adventure sometime in 2018 or 2019 and may adapt the same trend Bajaj used with the D400. It will likely be a slightly tamed version of the 390 Adventure much like the Dominar itself being positioned as a not-so-rad version of the Duke 390 that can be accessible to a large band of customers.
The Bajaj Adventurer will be eyeing the sweet spot currently held by the RE Himalayan – in a similar fashion to D400 going up against the Classic 350. With the long travel suspension, tall fenders, off-road focussed tyres, a radical headlamp section, brakes and other mechanical bits from the 390 Adventure, Bajaj may use the same 373.3 cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DTS-i engine tuned to suit the off-roading necessities with gearbox calibrations.
It could pump out 35 PS of peak power and 35 Nm of maximum torque as in the D400 mated to a six-speed transmission. We can expect the adventure touring segment to expand on a large scale in the years to come and the presence of an aggressively pricing brand like Bajaj would only catapult the competition to newer heights.