Looking for a budget-friendly middleweight bike? Here’s one that might tickle your fancy
National motorcycle manufacturer Modenas has given the Dominar D400 an update for the 2021 model year, some three years after it was launched here. Priced at RM13,997, the sports tourer still looks familiar but it in fact comes with a number of technical upgrades, as well as two new colour options.
Chief among the upgrades is the addition of 43-mm upside-down forks, which replace the conventional telescopic fork on the previous model. Equipped at the back is an adjustable Nitrox monoshock absorber that offers 110 mm of wheel travel.
As before, the Dominar D400 is powered by a liquid-cooled 373 cc single-cylinder engine with DTS-i technology. However, thanks to a new twin-barrel exhaust system, power has increased by a modest 5 PS to 40 PS at 8,650 rpm but torque is unchanged at 35 Nm at 7,000 rpm. A six-speed transmission equipped with a Slipper & Assist clutch is tasked to channel the output to the rear wheel.
The bike rolls on 17-inch wheels wrapped in tyres measuring 110/70 at the front and 150/60 at the rear. As for the braking system, it consists of a 320-mm disc at the front and 230-mm disc at the rear, paired to a dual-channel ABS.
Elsewhere, there’s a new faux carbon-fibre tank pad, a Dominar logo stamped on the rear seat as well as a mosaic-type LED headlight, which according to Modenas, allows riders to be seen from as far as 1.5 km away. There’s also a fully digital LCD instrument panel where information such as speed reading, rpm counter, fuel gauge and gear position are displayed.
Available at all Modenas authorised dealerships from this month onwards, the 2021 Dominar D400 can be had in Savanna Green and Charcoal Black.
