Trax Gurkha - As good as it gets??

Tusker4x4 · 28th January 2009, 15:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torque-ative

After seeing the Gurkha up close and personal, If I had to ask myself this question again.

"Would you pay 8+lacs for this vehicle...??!

The answer would be a resounding yes OH YES !!

Deffinately Gurkha is worth the money. Amazing, everything an offroader will wish for

But the question actually is would pay that kind of money and take it twice a month on OTRs in Water, Climbs, on rocks and abuse the vechile the offroading way ???

If yes Thats the vechile to go in for !!!

Torque-ative · 28th January 2009, 16:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tusker4x4

But the question actually is would pay that kind of money and take it twice a month on OTRs in Water, Climbs, on rocks and abuse the vechile the offroading way ???

Hey Amit,... I would not abuse my 4x4 even if I paid 1 lac for it.
I am sure there is a way to push it with grace ! Now thats a oxymoron

!!

What I am trying to say is all obstacles can be done with a fair amount of,..well for want of a better word "grace" !!
For example use the right mix of torque and momentum to clear a marsh pit rather than brute force which in turn ends up smoking the clutch.

I believe in conserving all resources available and it means my car's components too. You can drive fast without being hard on your engine right ?!

Gurkha · 28th January 2009, 20:27

Trust me when I say this..........I have been abusing my Gurkha for the last 10 years and 115,000km later, I haven't spent anything on it except for basic wear and tear parts, have changed shockers, bushes and miscellaneous bits but no major repair, original clutch, original brakes. The Gurkha in its all India journeys took some hits to its suspension via the nice speed breakers that would split best of suspensions into two and yet came out unscathed. After a month of traveling in bombed roads and then doing off road I would get the alignment checked only to find that its not needed. Thats how over-engineered this vehicle is. Bear in mind, it has 3 ton diff in rear and 1.8 ton diff in front with axles rated for abuse being that the main axle is two piece. Also the divorced transfer case helps absorb the shocks far better than the attached ones. So guys and gals, go ahead and use the Gurkha off road, thats what it was meant to do although on road, you will find it has the least roll of any high CG offroader if proper tires are used.

gotzuk · 28th January 2009, 21:43

torque-ative,

Yes the Gurkha is definitely a very nice offroader. At one point of time I was very seriously contemplating buying one myself, till better sense prevailed

Will I spend 9 big ones on a Gurkha to use only for OTRs? No Sir!! If I want a real serious off roader and have that kind of money to burn, I would rather buy a jeep/gypsy for cheap as a base vehicle and make my own rig. Plonk in a engine of my choice, high lift kit, Atlas axles, diff locks, ultra low gearing, MT's on beadlocks, on-board air, etc. etc., the list is endless, and get a very
very capable off roader and still have some cash left. But all this if I want a rig for off roading only.

There is no such thing as the best off roader in the world. It is a sum total of all components and the driver behind the steering. There are jeep lovers, land rover lovers and followers of different vehicles, each of whom will advocate the wheels of their choice. Each have their own plus points and negatives as well.

The Gurkha has a driveline/transmission to envy. The same is used in the über expensive G Wagen as well. It is a very capable machine, no doubt.

But is it the best? No Sir, I beg to differ!!

Gurkha · 29th January 2009, 08:54

If it performs competently off road and runs out of the box with no issues or no mods, thats the best for me, so far, FJ, G Wagen, Gurkha and to an extent Patrol and Pajero fulfil that norm so they get the title of best. I would have added the venerable Rubicon to the list but my experience shows it to be a very competent off roader yet its sadly unreliable with parts needing frequent replacement.

rhandle · 29th January 2009, 13:24

@gotzuk: I guess I agree to you but my Gurkha is serving me as the daily vehicle as well. A/C is good. Some modifications on seat they are good.

Tell me would you be able to go on your "jeep/gypsy for cheap as a base vehicle" on road to some place with your family or office. I guess not.

I stuck on Gurkha since it works as dual purpose for me. Good enough for both on-road and off-road. I had even people sitting in TLC with

looks!

At the end I would just say it's everyone's personal choice. Few like Suzuki and few are die-hard Yamaha fans. So take your pick and count advantages of those.

Cheers!

Note from the Team-BHP Support Staff : Please take the time to use proper punctuation as per Team-BHP rules. Avoid...typing...like...this. Thanks.

rmonie · 29th January 2009, 13:27

Arrgh. Looks like everyone had a blast - as usual.

Just saw this. I was/ am very keen on testing out my vehicle after the revamp. Will keep my eyes peeled for the next OTR.

Kandisa · 29th January 2009, 13:46

Thats a very aptly summarized post gotzuk, very well-said.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhandle

...Tell me would you be able to go on your "jeep/gypsy for cheap as a base vehicle" on road to some place with your family or office... I guess not.

Can't comment about gypsy but have seen quite a few people using their jeeps for the purposes mentioned above. And with some changes, the MM 5x0 series are quite suitable for all purpose use. There are infinite options for mods/improvements and as gotzuk said it can be done in a much much lesser budget.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhandle

..At the end... I would just say it's everyone's personal choice... few like Suzuki and few are die-hard Yamaha fans. So take your pick ... and count advantages of those...

Thats the whole point gotzuk tried to highlight. There is nothing like the best, its 'to each his own'.
-regards,

gotzuk · 29th January 2009, 13:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gurkha

If it performs competently off road and runs out of the box with no issues or no mods, thats the best for me, so far, FJ, G Wagen, Gurkha and to an extent Patrol and Pajero fulfil that norm so they get the title of best. I would have added the venerable Rubicon to the list but my experience shows it to be a very competent off roader yet its sadly unreliable with parts needing frequent replacement.

I agree with your view on stock vehicles. What I meant to say was that any new 4X4 (domestic market) will always be a compromise.
If hard core off-roading is the name of the game, then the only way is to make your own. In the end it is all about what you want and more importantly what you enjoy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhandle

@gotzuk.......Tell me would you be able to go on your "jeep/gypsy for cheap as a base vehicle" on road to some place with your family or office... I guess not....

If you would read my post again, that is precisely why I mentioned that if I need a vehicle only for OTR's, and have that much cash, that's the route I would take.

Gurkha · 29th January 2009, 14:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by gotzuk

I agree with your view on stock vehicles. What I meant to say was that any new 4X4 (domestic market) will always be a compromise.
If hard core off-roading is the name of the game, then the only way is to make your own. In the end it is all about what you want and more importantly what you enjoy.

If you would read my post again, that is precisely why I mentioned that if I need a vehicle only for OTR's, and have that much cash, that's the route I would take.

The specs you write won't be enough for 8L, a new Gypsy costs around 6L to start with and then add the parts, it would stretch the budget close to 15L.

As for domestic market, there are no contenders for Gurkha period. Its a totally different class of vehicle meant to go up with the likes of FJ and G and in some cases it does better off road than both due to its inherent strengths like long travel IFS and super flexible tubular chassis.

And as rhandle puts it aptly, Gurkha is dual purpose, it takes me to work far more comfortably than my Jonga, its engine ( OM616 ) is quieter even with no mufflers so I can travel long without any issues. Unlike pure off road vehicles, the on road manners are excellent with the suspension easily taking up potholes. Come monsoon, I don't have to worry as I am one of the few vehicles plying around in West Bengal during monsoon season. Gurkha is far from perfect, but then it does its job well, on or off road.

gotzuk · 29th January 2009, 14:46

@ Gurkha

Please understand that I am talking about a dedicated vehicle for offroading only and not a dual purpose vehicle.
I am also not contesting whether the Tempo Gurkha is the best dual purpose vehicle or not. It is too subjective an issue to reach a consensus on.

By cheap donor jeep/gypsy, I mean a used old vehicle. Since almost all components will be upgraded, there is no point buying a new vehicle.
Get on the net, look around, do the maths and you will see that a 8 lakh budget will be a very comfortable budget including a donor jeep/gypsy for about one lakh.

Cheers

randeep04 · 29th January 2009, 14:59

@ Gotzuk,

I totally agree with you on this. In a 8L budget one can make the Jeep/Gypsy an amazing offroader. 1L for a Donor and one still has 7L's to spend on the best of lifts, differentials and suspensions.

Cheers !!!!!

Gurkha · 29th January 2009, 15:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by gotzuk

@ Gurkha

Please understand that I am talking about a dedicated vehicle for offroading only and not a dual purpose vehicle.
I am also not contesting whether the Tempo Gurkha is the best dual purpose vehicle or not. It is too subjective an issue to reach a consensus on.

By cheap donor jeep/gypsy, I mean a used old vehicle. Since almost all components will be upgraded, there is no point buying a new vehicle.
Get on the net, look around, do the maths and you will see that a 8 lakh budget will be a very comfortable budget including a donor jeep/gypsy for about one lakh.

Cheers

Well going by that logic, we should all refrain from buying TLC, G or FJ or Gurkha, OTR is one aspect of buying a vehicle, it has to be used for other purposes, as far as I know, rhandle and I bought the vehicle to use it for our tours, going to work and the occasional OTR, as OTRs go, Gurkha handles it quite nicely without any mods except for the tire change. That is the attribute one is looking for. If going by the donor logic, one can also buy a second hand FJ or Patrol or Jonga and hop it up till kingdom come, least the base platform is far superior with better potential than the others.

sgiitk · 29th January 2009, 16:02

Bravo! As the late count Enzo used to say."A Ford howsoever souped up can never be a Ferrari".

Gurkha · 29th January 2009, 16:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Bravo! As the late count Enzo used to say."A Ford howsoever souped up can never be a Ferrari".

Excellent quote and he was so right except when the GT 40 humbled his mighty Ferrari but then the credit goes to Carol Shelby and not FORD.

28th January 2009, 20:27	#513
Gurkha BANNED Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kalyani, West Bengal Posts: 444 Thanked: 10 Times	Trust me when I say this..........I have been abusing my Gurkha for the last 10 years and 115,000km later, I haven't spent anything on it except for basic wear and tear parts, have changed shockers, bushes and miscellaneous bits but no major repair, original clutch, original brakes. The Gurkha in its all India journeys took some hits to its suspension via the nice speed breakers that would split best of suspensions into two and yet came out unscathed. After a month of traveling in bombed roads and then doing off road I would get the alignment checked only to find that its not needed. Thats how over-engineered this vehicle is. Bear in mind, it has 3 ton diff in rear and 1.8 ton diff in front with axles rated for abuse being that the main axle is two piece. Also the divorced transfer case helps absorb the shocks far better than the attached ones. So guys and gals, go ahead and use the Gurkha off road, thats what it was meant to do although on road, you will find it has the least roll of any high CG offroader if proper tires are used.
	() Thanks

28th January 2009, 21:43	#514
gotzuk BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Delhi / Shimla Posts: 496 Thanked: 114 Times View My Garage	torque-ative, Yes the Gurkha is definitely a very nice offroader. At one point of time I was very seriously contemplating buying one myself, till better sense prevailed Will I spend 9 big ones on a Gurkha to use only for OTRs? No Sir!! If I want a real serious off roader and have that kind of money to burn, I would rather buy a jeep/gypsy for cheap as a base vehicle and make my own rig. Plonk in a engine of my choice, high lift kit, Atlas axles, diff locks, ultra low gearing, MT's on beadlocks, on-board air, etc. etc., the list is endless, and get a very very capable off roader and still have some cash left. But all this if I want a rig for off roading only. There is no such thing as the best off roader in the world. It is a sum total of all components and the driver behind the steering. There are jeep lovers, land rover lovers and followers of different vehicles, each of whom will advocate the wheels of their choice. Each have their own plus points and negatives as well. The Gurkha has a driveline/transmission to envy. The same is used in the über expensive G Wagen as well. It is a very capable machine, no doubt. But is it the best? No Sir, I beg to differ!! Last edited by khan_sultan : 29th January 2009 at 14:37. Reason: Made the post more readable
	() Thanks

29th January 2009, 08:54	#515
Gurkha BANNED Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kalyani, West Bengal Posts: 444 Thanked: 10 Times	If it performs competently off road and runs out of the box with no issues or no mods, thats the best for me, so far, FJ, G Wagen, Gurkha and to an extent Patrol and Pajero fulfil that norm so they get the title of best. I would have added the venerable Rubicon to the list but my experience shows it to be a very competent off roader yet its sadly unreliable with parts needing frequent replacement.
	() Thanks

29th January 2009, 13:24	#516
rhandle BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Ghaziabad Posts: 549 Thanked: 117 Times	@gotzuk: I guess I agree to you but my Gurkha is serving me as the daily vehicle as well. A/C is good. Some modifications on seat they are good. Tell me would you be able to go on your "jeep/gypsy for cheap as a base vehicle" on road to some place with your family or office. I guess not. I stuck on Gurkha since it works as dual purpose for me. Good enough for both on-road and off-road. I had even people sitting in TLC with looks! At the end I would just say it's everyone's personal choice. Few like Suzuki and few are die-hard Yamaha fans. So take your pick and count advantages of those. Cheers! Note from the Team-BHP Support Staff : Please take the time to use proper punctuation as per Team-BHP rules. Avoid...typing...like...this. Thanks. Last edited by khan_sultan : 29th January 2009 at 14:28. Reason: Removed excessive dots.
	() Thanks

29th January 2009, 13:27	#517
rmonie BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 231 Thanked: 60 Times View My Garage	Arrgh. Looks like everyone had a blast - as usual. Just saw this. I was/ am very keen on testing out my vehicle after the revamp. Will keep my eyes peeled for the next OTR.
	() Thanks

29th January 2009, 14:46	#521
gotzuk BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Delhi / Shimla Posts: 496 Thanked: 114 Times View My Garage	@ Gurkha Please understand that I am talking about a dedicated vehicle for offroading only and not a dual purpose vehicle. I am also not contesting whether the Tempo Gurkha is the best dual purpose vehicle or not. It is too subjective an issue to reach a consensus on. By cheap donor jeep/gypsy, I mean a used old vehicle. Since almost all components will be upgraded, there is no point buying a new vehicle. Get on the net, look around, do the maths and you will see that a 8 lakh budget will be a very comfortable budget including a donor jeep/gypsy for about one lakh. Cheers
	() Thanks

29th January 2009, 14:59	#522
randeep04 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 629 Thanked: 21 Times View My Garage	@ Gotzuk, I totally agree with you on this. In a 8L budget one can make the Jeep/Gypsy an amazing offroader. 1L for a Donor and one still has 7L's to spend on the best of lifts, differentials and suspensions. Cheers !!!!!
	() Thanks

29th January 2009, 16:02	#524
sgiitk BANNED Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Gurugram Posts: 7,969 Thanked: 4,788 Times	Bravo! As the late count Enzo used to say."A Ford howsoever souped up can never be a Ferrari".
	() Thanks