Yamaha FZ25 vs Bajaj Dominar 400 – Specs Comparison

Yamaha FZ25 targets to grab a strong position in the segment right below the Dominar 400; poses an indirect threat as a cruiser

Yamaha has freshly unveiled the FZ25 in the domestic market and is the latest entrant in the 200+ cc segment in the country. The bike targets to grab a good share in the 200 cc – 250 cc segment that is positioned right below the 300 cc – 400 cc segment where bikes like the Bajaj Dominar 400 and KTM Duke 390 are positioned. The Yamaha FZ25 comes with an attractive styling, powerful performance and strong road presence.

The bike comes with a price tag of Rs. 1,19,500 (ex-showroom, New Delhi). Its aggressive naked streetfighter stance surely enhances the appeal of the bike and it is a perfect model to lure the young generation urban customers who seek a bike to show off that will be powerful and not too pricey. Yamaha claims that the all-new FZ25 has been designed in such manner that makes it a perfect machine to serve the purposes like daily commuting, hanging out with friends and occasional long rides as well.

Bajaj Auto on the other hand has launched its flagship bike few days back. It has been a topic of discussion since the Indian bike manufacturer showcased the CS400 concept at the 2014 New Delhi Auto Expo. Initially it was thought to become the flagship model of the very popular Pulsar range, but later the company decided to introduce the bike as a completely new model with a different moniker, which is Dominar.

The Bajaj Dominar 400 comes with a larger engine and churning out more power and torque output. Being equipped with a larger engine, more premium equipments the Dominar 400 comes more expensive than the Yamaha FZ25. Now the question comes – is it worthy to spend more money for the Bajaj D400 rather or is it better to buy the more affordable Yamaha FZ25.

Here we present you a spec-sheet based comparison between these two bikes that have caught our attention in recent times.

Yamaha FZ25 vs Bajaj Dominar 400 – Design

In terms of design, both the Yamaha FZ25 and the Bajaj Dominar 400 come very aggressive and muscular looking from every angle. The Yamaha FZ25 comes built on a lightweight chassis. It sports a slender and sculpted looking full LED headlamp that gets Auto Headlamp On (AHO) technology. The bike looks like inspired by several of its siblings like the MT-03, M15, MT-10 and FZ16 as well.

The true sporty and aggressive naked streetfighter design of the FZ25 is reflected through the side profile as well that comes with sharp, edgy and muscular fairing. It sports a 14-litre sculpted looking fuel tank with black plastic element on it. The fully digital instrument cluster with LCD display gives the bike a premium vibe. The handlebar and the rider seating position have been designed to give the rider superior control over the bike.

The split seat with lower rider seat and stepped up saddle seat, narrow tail section, split grab bar, full LED taillight simply enhance the styling of the bike. The exhaust comes with a chunky and muscular appearance and it comes inspired by the MT-10. The seat and exhaust system of the Yamaha FZ25 look similar to the Yamaha FZ16. The Japanese brand has designed this bike focusing on the aerodynamic efficiency, controllability in mind.

Dimensionally, the 148 kg weighing Yamaha FZ25 measures 2,015 mm in length, 770 mm in width, 1,075 mm in height and it has a wheelbase of 1,360 mm. The bike also gets 795 mm of seat height and 160 mm of ground clearance.

Speaking about the Bajaj Dominar 400, it also comes with a very bold appearance. This bike gets a sculpted looking headlamp that features full LED headlamp and it also sports AHO technology. The fully digital instrument cluster features a LCD display that increases its premium appeal. Apart from that, the bike gets a secondary LCD display on the fuel tank just ahead of the fuel cap.

The muscular fuel tank can carry 13-litre of fuel. It sports a split seat design, but the pillion seat doesn’t come with much height that certainly increases the pillion rider’s comfort level. This bike comes inspired by the sibling Pulsar NS200, but distinctiveness is also visible pretty easily. Rear of the bike features narrow tail section and split grab bar along with dual strip LED taillight that is a signature Pulsar styling element. The chunky and beefy looking exhaust helps the 182 kg weighing bike in appearing muscular.

Therefore, both the Yamaha FZ25 and the Bajaj Dominar 400 catch attention very easily. Both are very muscular and bold looking. The sportiness is also clearly visible through the styling of both these bikes. Therefore when it comes to design, it is very difficult to choose one among them.

Yamaha FZ25 vs Bajaj Dominar 400 – Performance

The Yamaha FZ25 is powered by a 249 cc single cylinder, air-cooled, four-stroke 2V engine with BlueCore technology. The engine is paired with a 5-speed gearbox and churns out 20.9 PS of peak power at 8,000 rpm and 20 Nm of peak torque at 6,000 rpm. The engine is claimed to be capable to return 43 kmpl of fuel efficiency.

The Bajaj Dominar 400 on the other hand is powered by a 373.3 cc DTS-i single-cylinder, 4-valve, triple-spark, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected engine that is mated to a 6-speed transmission with slipper clutch. This engine is derived from the KTM Duke 390. The Bajaj Dominar 400 churns out 35 PS of peak power at 8,000 rpm and 35 Nm of peak torque at 6,500 rpm.

Bajaj Auto claims, this bike is capable to accelerate 0 – 100 kmph in just 8.23 seconds with a top speed of 148 kmph and it is capable to return a fuel efficiency of around 30 kmpl. The Bajaj Dominar 400 is clearly the more powerful bike here than the Yamaha FZ25 with the larger engine.

Yamaha FZ25 vs Bajaj Dominar 400 – Dynamics

Braking duty in the Yamaha FZ25 is done by disc brakes at both front and rear wheels. The front wheel comes equipped with a 282 mm disc, while the rear gets a 220 mm disc brake. Suspension duty is done by telescopic front fork and rear comes with a monoshock unit. Disappointingly, there is no ABS on offer, not even as an option also. The bike runs on 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in meaty tubeless tyres.

The Bajaj Dominar 400 on the other hand is equipped with 320 mm front disc brake and a 230 mm rear disc brake, combined with dual-channel ABS that is offered as an option. Suspension duty in this bike is done by 43 mm telescopic front forks and multi-step adjustable monoshock absorber at rear. It runs on 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped with tubeless tyres.

Yamaha FZ25 vs Bajaj Dominar 400 – Comparison Verdict

Both the Yamaha FZ25 and the Bajaj Dominar 400 comes very stylish and aggressive looking muscular bikes. Both the bikes have been designed keeping the urban young age customers. Both of them are positioned in different segments that appeal to different customers.

Yamaha has a strong customer base in the Indian market for long time, while the Bajaj is one of the most popular brands in the country. The FZ25 has been equipped with pretty powerful engine and high-quality instruments. Pricing of the bike has been kept very competitive. On the other hand, the Bajaj Dominar 400 comes with a larger engine generating more power and torque output compared to the FZ25.

The Dominar gets ABS like safety feature that is becoming popular among the Indian riders. The Yamaha FZ25 misses on that. The D400 is priced significantly higher than the Yamaha model. In terms of handling, the D400 comes much heavier than the FZ25, which certainly makes the handling of the latter one little easier.

Now giving our verdict, we can say that the Yamaha FZ25 is truly a tough and worthy competitor against the Dominar400. But with the complete package on offer, the Bajaj bike comes on top.