When you ask someone, “What’s your happy place?” The most common answer is imagining themselves on a sun-lounger on the beach, sipping on a cocktail and watching the sunset. But, to a motorcyclist, the open road is our happy place. What happens when you blend the best of both worlds? You stumble upon paradise! I got a taste of heaven on two wheels through the Konkan coast with Bajaj’s Konkan Tour 2.0, a customer experience curated for Dominar owners to have the possibility of doing what their beloved dominar was designed to do, touring, or how Bajaj like to call it, hyper-riding! The tour consisted of 4 days of riding along the Konkan coast of Maharashtra from Mumbai to Goa. Hugging the coast along the way, taking in breathtaking views while riding through fantastic roads. I had the privilege of experiencing this tour and this is how it went!
The Dominar
The Dominar has been on sale for 7 years now, and it has amassed a cult following for its ride comfort, fuel efficiency and stability. even though it hasn’t received any major upgrades since its launch in 2016, the Dominar is still considered to be a mature decision in the entry-level performance segment. The Dominar 400 is impressive, no doubt – as much from afar as from up close. It is like a large, ready-to-lunge brutish beast that would demand as much from its master as it can give in return. A solidly built bike with those beefy fork tubes, the stout perimeter frame and that muscular swing arm. The robust theme defines the whole bike and inspires confidence. The long and low profile said to have been inspired by the Gir lion, is not just good to look at but also affects the bike’s geometry in just the right manner. Even though there’s a certain edginess to the design, it flows into a shape that wraps the entire machine into one sleek and strong element. In a nutshell, the Dominar 400 is impressive when introduced. Time to find out what it is like to spend a holiday with it!
Day 1 – Mumbai to Diveagar
Our day started early at the hotel in Mumbai, we headed to Diveagar via Revdanda with a quick stop at Korlai Fort, we set off at 9 am towards Alibaug where I got to start getting used to the bike. The road in the beginning, was rather dull exiting Mumbai. The twisty highway patches between Alibag and Revdanda was the perfect introduction into the Konkan coast. the second half of the trip to Diveagar involved a ferry ride across the Rajapuri Creek followed by a quick blast on tight twisty roads towards Diveagar. The Dominar performed fantastically on the highway, easily cruising at 3-digit speeds.
Day 2 – Diveagar to Dapoli
Day 2 was packed with adventure! We headed out from the hotel by around 9 AM , our destination would be Dapoli, but we stopped along the way in many locations to take pictures, enjoy the scenery and sip on the local ‘kokum soda’. To bear the harsh coastal sun, we were constantly taking breaks to rehydrate ourselves, but the roads quenched our wanderlust. after a long ride, we stopped at Anjarle beach to take our bikes on the beach, we rode them along the shoreline and over the sand, ending our day with tomfoolery around the beach, where the Dominar’s tameable, off-road characteristics were showcased.
Day 3 – Dapoli to Ganpatipule
Our next destination is Ganpatipule, we took a route well known among riders that would cross two rivers via ferry, the first stretches of road were very narrow B-roads mixed with rough sandy roads, which made this a great test to see how the dominar performed off road, and I was pleasantly surprised, my bike had MRF dual sport tyres which provided decent grip on-road and off-road, we rode till Dabhol and used a ferry across towards veldur, the roads were similar till we reached Tawsal where we crossed the river via ferry to arrive in Jaigad. from there, the roads were great up to Ganpatipule.
Day 4 – Ganpatipule to Goa
The last stretch of the trip before a day’s break is a highway run towards Goa! The day began exiting Ganpatipule towards Ratnagiri, we crossed Ratnagiri City during rush hours, but the roads became phenomenal after exiting the city, twisty highway patches that are butter Smooth, so smooth and filled with turns, you could imagine yourself riding on a racetrack if it wasn’t for the road markings and the occasional patch of traffic. once we reached the Mumbai-Goa expressway it was pretty much a straight road up to Goa which took us about 2 hours of riding time.
While I made so many memories on the road with the Dominar on this tour, the highlight of any trip is the company, and what better way to do an exploratory trip on two wheels than with a bunch of like-minded people! Every stop, every break, every interaction with any member of the trip, whether the Bajaj team or any of the riders, was one filled with insight, connections and most importantly, uncontrollable laughs! And that, in my opinion, is what makes a holiday a good one, the fact that you’re experiencing new things with people you enjoy being around. This initiative from Bajaj allows novice riders to get a proper taste of what touring is like. You will always be under the guidance of experienced riders like Mr. Sarath Shenoy. And in my case, I had the privilege of joining content creators who have spent decades on the road like Mr. Rajeev Acharya a.k.a Ride with Raj and Mr. Mohith Vashisth that were very keen on giving their insights to newer riders. All in all, Bajaj’s Konkan Tour 2.0 is a fantastic experience for anyone whether a seasoned rider or a new comer!
A special mention goes to Mr. Santosh M, who is responsible for capturing these beautiful images during the Konkan Tour 2.0.
