Bajaj Dominar 250 vs Suzuki Gixxer 250 vs KTM 250 Duke: Spec Comparison

The arrival of the Bajaj Dominar 250 begs the obvious question – how does it fare against the fiery KTM 250 Duke and the sublime Suzuki Gixxer 250? Here's a quick spec comparison. 

After months of waiting, the quarter-litre or 250cc version of the Bajaj Dominar has finally arrived. The Dominar 250 is based on the same underpinnings as the Dominar 400, and this makes us believe that it’ll offer great value to customers, just like its elder sibling. However, we’ll only be able to confirm this in a couple of days, as we’ll get our hands on the Dominar 250 early next week.

In the meantime, we decided to see how the new Dominar 250 stacks up against its main competition – the Suzuki Gixxer 250 – and its very own cousin – the KTM 250 Duke – on paper. So, here it is...  

Engine & Gearbox

The Bajaj Dominar 250 is powered by a liquid-cooled 248.7cc single-cylinder engine that develops 26.6bhp and 23.5Nm of torque. The engine gets Bajaj’s twin-spark technology and comes mated to a six-speed gearbox. The KTM 250 Duke uses the same powertrain, minus the twin-spark tech, but it develops 29.6bhp and 24Nm of torque. It also comes paired with a six-speed gearbox.

The Gixxer 250, on the other hand, has an oil-cooled 249cc single-cylinder engine that produces 26.1bhp and 22.2Nm of torque (it’s 0.4Nm less in the BS-VI version). The engine comes mated to a six-speed gearbox.

Now, the Gixxer may be the least powerful of the trio, but tipping the scales at 156kg, it’s the lightest here. The KTM weighs slightly heavier at 161kg. The Dominar, however, is the heaviest here – and by quite a margin. It weighs 180 kilos!

A slipper clutch is offered with both the Bajaj and KTM, but the Suzuki misses out on it.

Suspension, brakes & tyres

Unlike the Dominar 400, which gets 43mm upside-down (USD) front forks, the Dominar 250 gets slimmer 37mm USD front forks. The rear wheel features a similar mono-shock setup like the Dominar 400. The KTM lives true to its sporty intentions, as it features beefy WP 43mm USD front forks and a mono-shock at the back. The Gixxer 250 features 41mm front forks, but they are conventional and not USD. At the back, the Suzuki gets a mono-shock setup as well.

All three bikes come with a 300mm disc up front. At the rear, the KTM and Bajaj get 230mm disc but the Gixxer features a smaller 220mm disc. Dual-channel ABS is offered in all three bikes, but on the KTM, there’s ‘Supermoto’ mode, which disengages the ABS on the rear wheel.

The Duke and Gixxer are fitted with tyres of identical size – 110/70-R17 (front) and 150/60-R17 (rear). Not to mention, these are radial tyres. The Dominar 250, on the other hand, has 100/80-17 (front) and 130/70-17 (rear) tyres. These are non-radial, or bias-ply tyres.

Features

All three bikes come with a fully digital instrument cluster. The Dominar 250 and Gixxer 250 are fitted with full LED-headlamps, while the KTM uses a halogen setup – it does, however, get a daytime-running LED.

Price

The Dominar 250 has been launched at a price of Rs 1.60 lakh (ex-showroom). The KTM 250 Duke commands quite a premium over its cousin, as it costs a whopping Rs 2.04 lakh (ex-showroom). The KTM, however, will undoubtedly offer a more spirited riding experience, and it also looks sharper and sportier.

Suzuki hasn’t revealed the price of the Gixxer 250 BS-VI version yet. However, the company unveiled the updated version at the recently concluded Delhi Auto Expo. The BS-IV version of the Gixxer 250 is priced at Rs 1.59 lakh (ex-showroom). With the BS-VI upgrade, it’s expected to get dearer by Rs 4,000 – Rs 5,000. Still, it offers great value when you compare it with the Dominar 250 – on the spec sheet, at least. 

However, to know which one of the three is the best…well, you’ll have to wait for our real-world comprehensive comparison of these bikes. So, stay tuned...

Also read, 

Bajaj Dominar 250 launched 

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