Last year, Bajaj took a dig at Royal Enfield owners when the first Haathi Mat Paalo ad was launched (Haathi here being referred to Royal Enfield bikes). That was by far their boldest ad till date. But guess what, they are not done poking fun at RE owners, yet.
The company launched Part 2 of the Haathi Mat Paalo series. In this, not one, but 6 new ads are shown. In the first ad they show how Royal Enfield bikes are pathetic when it comes to braking. In the second ad, the cold start issue is highlighted whereas the third ad shows how RE bikes cannot take on a steep climb. Now, they have launched a three more ads.
One which shows how the LED headlight of the Dominar is far superior and the other, how Dominar can overcome any trouble thrown at it. The fifth ad shows Dominar riders throwing a banana at the Haathi, in return, the Haathi salutes the Dominar. The latest, ad no 7 in the series, shows a tired Haathi rider, getting massage from none other than the Haathi, whereas the Dominar riders continue riding at ease. Watch all the ads below.
Also See – Royal Enfield fans have the last laugh after Bajaj Dominar gets stuck during off-roading – Video
You can watch the previous ads below.
Demand for bikes in the 350-500cc segment is on the rise. Royal Enfield has been posting healthy sales growth for quite some years now. Bajaj wants to have a piece of the same pie. Which is why the Dominar was launched. A much more advanced motorcycle in every possible way. But, it has failed to beat Royal Enfield as far as sales are concerned.
At the time of launch, Bajaj aimed to sell 10,000 units of Dominar every month. But, their sales average at about 1,500 units instead. Whereas, sales of Royal Enfield continue to grow. For the month of Jan 2018, they registered sales of 76,205 units, a staggering 30% growth. This, in spite of Bajaj being in aggressive marketing mode ever since the launch of Dominar.
CEO’s of the two company have also spoken about the rivalry. At the launch of Dominar 400, Mr Bajaj stated that Siddhartha Lal (CEO, MD Eicher Motor, parent of Royal Enfield) is a good friend. Rajiv Bajaj added that he is sure Siddhartha will be able to take brand Royal Enfield across the globe and register many more sales. Speaking of sales rivalry, Mr Bajaj said there is no rivalry – “Those who want slow bike, can ride Royal Enfield. Those who want fast, powerful bike can ride Dominar.”
Mr Lal of Royal Enfield on the other hand has stated that he is not at all worried about the Bajaj Dominar. And with less than 1,500 units sold last month in India, he is quite right. In an interview, Mr Lal said, “When one succeeds in a segment, others try to enter and take a bite. Of course, there will be competition but we are not worried. This segment is not open for anyone to simply enter and walk away with the market. One has to be the opposite of what the market leader is.”
It has been about 1 year since the Dominar has gone on sale and we have already seen multiple ad campaigns, social media posts, new editions, new colours, new alloys, etc being offered with the Dominar. This shows that Bajaj believes that their bike is worthy rival to Royal Enfield, and some day it will result in positive sales growth.
Speaking about the bike itself, Bajaj Dominar 400 offers relaxed riding position, comfortable ride, and effortless mile-munching capabilities. It aims to deliver the best traits of traditional motorcycles and cruisers in a single package.
The design remains identical to the concept that was showcased at the Auto Expo 2014 but there are a few changes like the front suspension system which is a regular telescopic fork (concept used USD fork), split seats, etc. The motorcycle employs LED headlights (first bike in India to do so), fully digital instrument console with auxiliary display on the fuel tank, front and rear disc brakes (with optional dual channel ABS), MRF tubeless tyres, LED taillights and indicators.
As expected, the engine is borrowed from KTM. It is the same 373cc single cylinder FI unit with liquid cooling. But the power output has been detuned to 35 PS while torque output stands at 35 Nm. It has a top speed of 148 kmph and does 0-100 kmph in just 8.23 seconds.