its because malaysian rider mentality. want fast bike only.
what they want: fast bike, more than 1 cylinder, cheap price, cheap maintenance, no need B full licence, and known branded bike. ( later friend said u buy local/stupid brand, u dont know where to hide ur face, better buy y15)

if u want to compare, its same as ktm duke 250/390. why the sales not that good. ( plus expensive price tag)

but for those true rider, they know each bike design differently and hv diff purpose.
bajaj built dominar using ktm 390 as base is due to cheap RnR. they are not those big brand that have more money to built from scratch. they hv built the engine before, so why not use it and tune to their bike characteristic.
indian is not rich country and hv bad road ( cant do top speed as always compare here in malaysia). why need to built another KTM duke in crowded market, why not built bike that their people always do, commuting/touring with cheap price, using parts that already in market.

To be fair, I don't mind the brand. No issues with Modenas. Modenas has so far provided decent stuff to Malaysians. Also, the quality of the Dominar is decent. Not fantastic but certainly not as bad as some China sourced bikes and it is totally acceptable. But I am wondering why it was not partially re-engineered for the market here. Yes it may have added to the cost but they could have done it slightly better rather than just taking something that was clearly developed for another market in mind. But yes, I also understand that the low cc bike market here is very price sensitive so, yeah, I know about that point as well.

By the way, I don't mind the brand. That is why I went for it instead of the Y15 kapchai. Don't get me wrong. I am all for the underdog. But I always that hope the underdogs can always punch above their weight.

keyword= cost.
and because they simply rebadge with 100% same spec, just put modenas sticker. thats why they can keep the price low. no other brand able to compete.
and because engine is single cylinder, even bajaj themselves hard to get more horse power from it after tune ( even faceliift 2019 just get 5hp increase). u cant expect modenas to tune and get more power than that

its single cylinder, its not design for speed. even KTM single cylinder 390 is praise because of its torque , power to weight ratio. not because of top speed.

This bike is fun at heart, but boring on the outside.

This post has been edited by alexei: Jul 2 2020, 07:52 AM

Hi guys, newbie learning B full lesen here.

Just want to enquire regarding this Dominar 400

I am in JB, usually my riding habit would be like 30-40km everyday, while long distance would be JB - KL / Ipoh maybe once or twice per month.

Is this suitable for my needs? normally best cruising speed would be how much? Thanks!

The bike is cukup for your purpose, with dual channel ABS and slipper clutch.
Topspeed is not as fast as R25 or Ninja 250R but even a CBR500 is not faster then them either.
According to users here, seat not as comfy and long distance ride can kebas one. Need add windshield.

Maybe you can provide your riding background and expectation of this D400?

Additional info that I came across, and I have no affiliation to pandulaju:
https://pandulaju.com.my/10-soalan-paling-b...s-dominar-d400/
https://pandulaju.com.my/4-reviu-pantas-mod...-kawasaki-z250/

Alexei, thank you for your reply!

I have zero experience in riding, well, i am looking for stability and reliability than speed or excitement as my first bike. Was thinking 400cc enough for interstate travel. I am driving a Golf TSI which can achieve 150-180 very easily, so i am looking for something similar for the bike riding but with very good stability.

My only concern on this d400, is whether it will rattle or vibrate above 140kmh, or is it requiring a lot of effort to achieve that kind of speed range? Should i spend more on bikes like Yamaha mt-07? safety wise i think d400 is already very good.

Of course, learning to ride a bike first, then after a few more months of riding then i would go highway distance travel. Being safe and responsible is my principal of driving/riding anything.

This post has been edited by ocb05: Jul 3 2020, 11:53 PM

I call my D400...

"THE GREAT VIBRATOR".

Nothing else makes my wife's ass numb for 2 days straight like a day ride to Melaka on my D400.


Does that answer your question?

cf400nk also can be considered. 2 cylinder with 400cc.

Get a bike that you won't mind dropping it too much, for learning, one with good off throttle and clutch release response, less jerky and predictable.

It's a single cylinder, so expect a lot of vibrations, and it will have 4 sets across RPM range. Some will be not obvious being absorbed by mounting dampers, but some will resonate across the whole bike.
3 cylinder is the best in vibe control, followed by twin with 270~275 degree firing sequence.

Between MT07 and D400, I would compare the frame and decide. MT07 punya ABS is front only IINM, and a bit intrusive based on reviews.

Engine wise, MT07 is definitely the better rounder. Gear ratio is similar between the 2.
140kmh is quite a stretch for D400 with stock sprockets. Sproket for D400 needs to be adapted for different speed range.




Oh my goodness... seat mechanism need add damper.

Answered definitely thanks haha! Although the "wife's ass numb for 2 days straights sounds so wrong LOL

Thanks wow i learnt something from you. What do you think of Kawasaki Versys X 250? Is it good or too lethargic for me with my luggage? I am 180cm and 83kg by the way. Or is it better if i go for Versys 650? To be honest, i have no idea on the ownership cost per year on each segment of the bike.

Yep i heard that model as well. Around 17-18k no? Kawasaki engine clone with great value. But i might consider the 650 MT as it is priced around 22-24k nowadays.

heard the x250 will feel sluggish with luggage. Check out the fortnine review on youtube

The VersysX 250 bikes out of my radar, sorry.

You're blessed with height and weight for touring bikes, how about some middle weight BMW such as F800R etc. Who knows you might leave your TSi behind afterwards.

You can try out some online insurance calculator for insurance. 30k is around 600 with 25% NCD.
Roadtax is 250 for 800cc or below, 350 above. Details below.



Touring tyres are ~1k per set, up to 10k km.
Sports tyres are more like 3k~8k km per set.
You can go cheap on non-major brands too.

Engine oil varies greatly too, from RM20~30 per liter, up to RM90. Some bikes take 3, up to 4 bottles.
Petrol is 4.2~7L per 100km, ranging from CB500 to CBR1000RR.

Spark plugs, air filter.
Valve clearance every 24k km.
Chain and sprocket set every 30k km.

In your case, would be 10~15k km per year?
Insurance roadtax ~1k
Fuel ~750L = ~1200
1~1.5 sets of tyres... and so on

Again, thank you so much to even spare your time for me providing these useful figures. BMW is great, but continentals would be expensive to maintain and this i learnt from my golf tsi. In fact, i am looking a bike that would satisfy me as a golf TSI would, that car has pampered me with torque, top speed of 170-200kmh with stability, sad that i have to sell it as it is approaching 8th year and having big repairs incoming my DSG gearbox, it is this car has made me lost interest with other continentals except for the GTi variant.

Tyres i would prefer to go for sports or the local cheaper touring as i would mainly doing daily commuting more than touring across states unless i am on outstation, which is once or twice per month. Now that i seen the insurance and the road tax, i can rest assured as it is affordable to me even up to 800cc.

Middleweight wise i think i will go for Yamaha MT-07, what do you think? Looks good, and quite stable no? if i am buying a used yamaha mt-07, say 2015/2016, 16-18k possible?

yep 250 might not suit me as i am looking for higher speed without much strain on the engine and i am 180cm and 83kg.

Haha, cool. You're welcome. Try AMG. (Disclaimer, I not working for Mercedes, not driving one, and don't receive benefits for saying this.)

At that price, you might need to deal direct with buyer, and handle the wear and tear yourself. Some shops may ask a higher price, but offers 1 year warranty.
ER6 is replaced by Z650, you might wanna look at this too.

VW is expensive because it has not been bought over by China. So is a certain French brand. Just ignore me if I'm wrong. Point is, don't let the perception of conti brands cloud your judgement.

On bikes, certain Italian bike brand is expensive to maintain but they are improving albeit slowly, while some other conti brands do not have such as good service support in Malaysia and rely on good pomen.
And to avoid hefty bills and lengthy waits, avoid certain brands that are weak in parts supply in Malaysia. A tip, just google '(brand) motorcycle parts Malaysia' and you can assess the search results. Some major brands do not have a parts supply chain.

Do be ready to have a fair expectation of the bike you plan to buy. 140kmh on first gear, then 200kmh is 3rd gear on most liter sportsbikes.
200kmh is 4~5th gear for 600cc sportsbikes and high performance tourers, 6th gear for most >600cc bikes in general.

ER6 and MT07 has ~200-210kmh top speed, and both have conventional forks. For your weight, the MT07 has better forks for you compared to ER6.
If TSi level is what you're after, do consider something with decent chassis, forks, brakes and aerodynamic. Weak suspension also causes poor tyre wear, too. On naked bikes, 160kmh is about the fastest you can go comfortably.

Bike tyres got sports touring, features dual/multi compound that's good for high mileage at the middle thread, and better grip on the sides. They perform better in the rain, too. With bikes, you better not go cheap on tyres. Bridgestone T31 is a good start. Some sports tyres also dual compound, with less thread for better grip... S22 is a good start. There is a myriad of choices out there. (Disclaimer, I do not have affiliation with Bridgestone, and I don't use those tyres myself.)

MT-07 is not at that price point yet, even direct buyers. You will be looking at close to 22-25k range, directs may cut down to 20k if you manage to nego it down. Plus another 1k for otr price.

I am looking as well for a mid-weight, er6 and cb500 is the only one in the price range for nakeds sadly. anything newer will push it to 20k+. Other types would be rebel s, versys, xj6.

Yep, i am contemplating whether to buy used mt-07 or just get the new 2019/2020 version altogether. Thanks for your tips on the parts supply! As for the Italian brands, it is a big no no to me. To me, it is either i go straight for 600-700cc range and spend more on upkeep cost, or settle with 300-400cc single cylinder with solid frames. I am really into sports touring, so when i don't go long distance, i can use it as daily beater.

ER6 and MT-07 i would prefer MT-07. But have to test them out to be sure. And yes naked bike while good in daily commuting, but lacking in long distance travel. Any modification i guess i ask you later, gotta get the basics right first.

I guess i better start with something basic and safe for touring then see how it goes. 140-160 it is then. Which is why i am looking at this dominar in the first place. But today i stumbled upon another China Brand, Zontes. I am really attracted by the Z310T touring version. They include the alloy box as well! What do you think? Single cylinder as well.