Back in 2016, the Bajaj Dominar 400 occupied a very different place in my world than it probably would for most American riders. I was still new to “big bikes” (that’s to say, motorcycles in the 400cc-and-up category), and in the Philippines, the Dominar wasn’t just another affordable motorcycle.
It was one of those machines you stared at a little longer than necessary because it looked like something you’d eventually work your way up to owning. I wanted one badly. Instead, I saved up a little longer and bought a used KTM 390 Duke, which wasn’t exactly a bad consolation prize considering the two shared plenty of mechanical DNA.
