Friend looking at buying a Dominator, wise choice?

[keewee]

Seems a good reliable bike but is looking to do the odd long trip on it around Wales,Scotland,Ireland . What are the benefits & disadvantages of Dominator ownership & what kind of riding/trips is best suited to it?

[Scott]

I use mine to commute everyday - 26miles - it's a great bike.

I bought it in addition to my GSXR 600...I haven't even ridden the gixxer yet, in fact I am tempted to get rid of it because the Dommie is soo much fun to ride.

Check this (http://pachome2.pacific.net.sg/~baljinder/bike4sale.html) out, shows what a dommie can do outside of run of the mill journeys

Make him get it :thumbup:

[BlindPugh]

Had a Dommie before the AT - great bike but really not suitable for an 80 mile a day commute. Good for travelling at 60-70 for long periods not so good at 85mph - the seat is a bit of a plank. Fuel consumption pretty good (55ish), tyre wear rates about the same as AT 6-8K from rear, double that from front. Had quite an appetite for chains. Great round town and with the right tyres can go anywhere - careful with that expensive bodywork though.

Rumour has it that the earlier ones ( made in Japan) were better finished than the later (Italian or Spanish) ones. Honda Dealer told me that when I changed from Dommie to AT in '98. They may have got this sorted eventually.

[squirrelciv]

Completely bias here, but I rate the Dommie right up there as a top all rounder. This could well be cos the old girl suits my style, but I find her hard to fault.
I cover 10-12k a year, mostly comuting, but quite a bit on rallies and scratching. I've taken her on 300mile plus trips to the Dragon (for example) and am so confident in her, have planned to take her on an end-to-end run in May.
The thing is (and hears the crunch) I can do this cos I take the A roads and travel light. I must admit, she would be tiring if I wanted to hit the motorway and blast to the end of the road fully loaded. She is very comfy sitting on or around 70mph, but much more and wind blast/vibes become a tad annoying. The good thing though, is when you get there, unload, set up base, she becomes a great, light wieght bike to explore the twisty roads or little villages.
I agree the saddle is a bit narrow, but that can be got round with a little bit of sheepskin or a bottle of linseed oil and a close mate :oops:
Another big plus for the Dommie is how easy they are to maintain for the home mechanic. Air/oil cooled, one plug, screw & lock tappets, single carb, electronic ignition (showing my age there aren't I. No such thing as points anymore :oops: )
As for the bodywork costs, it ain't that bad. Front fairing side costs around 40 quid, but don't ask how I know (damn that pesky gravel, i'd have got away with it too :evil: )