[Nav-i-gator]

7 years to be precise.

Finally after 7 years, I have got Teambhp membership, and I don't know what to do? It reminds me of my love life. After a year of courtship during my MBA years, I finally gathered courage to propose my GF (now my wife) and she accepted it! Next day when we met, we were, like, silent!

My tryst with Tbhp started in 2008, when I was looking to buy my first bike. I was fresh out of college and as a young, enthusiastic lad, was hooked to bikes. Soon, browsing Tbhp became a regular practice, a practice which is still there with me. I have been an avid writer, I used to publish my own blog, and was a part of many online communities & forums, ranging from defense forums to socio-economic discussion boards. Never managed to get admitted to Tbhp though.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge now, and 6 failed attempts later, after 7 years, I finally managed to get on board. Over these years, I have matured, got settled, became a proud father last year, have now stopped blogging, stopped visiting all forums after getting married, lost my love quite a bit from bikes to car, but still hooked to Tbhp. Nevertheless, now that I am finally here, I will keep trying to make most of it.

I am Navneet, currently living in Gurgaon. Education wise I hail from rural & Agribusiness background (owing to a twist of fate), though workwise shifted to non-agri to retail, to FMCG to now CDIT sector, working in supply chain domain. Currently I'm employed with a Korean Tech giant.

Coming from agri-education background, have experienced a wide range of farm machinary and equipments from close quarters. I must say, the frugal engineering (Jugaad) that one can see in rural hinterlands, done by non-engineers, is awesome. Multiple combinations of drive belts, chains, pulleys, gears and clutches, produce multiple machinery run by same engine. I have also seen high tech tools like laser/GPS guided automatic field levelers, Paddy transplanters etc working on fields. I have driven tractor in paddy fields (doing 90 degree turns in paddy field corners is an art). I have once sat on an tractor pulling overloaded trolley, with tractors' front wheels hanging in air, and tractor being driven only on its rear wheels, steered by using only rear independent brakes and accelerator.

Coming to commuter segment, I have extensively driven two-wheelers like Apache RTR160, Pulsar 180 NS, Splendor, Activa and bajaj scooters as well. Among cars, my driving experience comes from Chevy beat Petrol, Dzire, Alto800. I have also experienced Vista TDI, Honda city, Amaze, I10, Santro and Alto K10 to a considerable extent.

I am a sedate driver, though I love cars with good pickup from standstill. Like in relationships, I am not very fond of modifications in cars. All the cars I have in my family are stock ones. I believe that every car has a different character built into it, modifying it kills that character. My car is like a cocoon to me, I like driving long distances and absolutely hate it when I have to sit next to the driver over long distances (it makes me sleep).Unlike a bike, where pillion is as much connected to it as the rider, cars are boring if you are not on the steering wheel.

Personally I prefer hatchbacks over sedans, and if money permits, I like to own a mid-sized SUV with decent off-roading capabilities.

For me, torque is more important than power, journey is more important than destination and enjoying the car that I have is more important than owning a car that I like to.

[condor]

Hi Navneet, Welcome to TBHP !!

That was a lovely opening to your introduction. Straight from the heart. Simple, beautiful ! Wishing you and family lots of happiness, too !

Interesting background there. Hope to hear from you about these improvisations that are done across the land. Guess that kind of knowledge and seeing such things first hand gives a different perspective to things mechanical.

And the point about the tractor being navigated with just the brakes on the rear wheels - had never thought of that ! I have seen tractors being driven with one / two front wheels up, I know of the independent brakes - but never had connected the two.

Wishing you a long happy stay here on TBHP.

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by Nav-i-gator

My car is like a cocoon to me, I like driving long distances and absolutely hate it when I have to sit next to the driver over long distances (it makes me sleep).Unlike a bike, where pillion is as much connected to it as the rider, cars are boring if you are not on the steering wheel.

Personally I prefer hatchbacks over sedans, and if money permits, I like to own a mid-sized SUV with decent off-roading capabilities.

For me, torque is more important than power, journey is more important than destination and enjoying the car that I have is more important than owning a car that I like to.

These things match my thinking.
There are many others on this forum who can relate other parts of your welcome message to their thinking
And that's the beauty of this forum which discusses almost everything in, under and over the sky apart from just automobiles
Welcome on board!

Regarding your handle... I can understand that 'Nav' is your name.
But I'm curious to know why you chose the word "Navigator" when you have written that you hate to be in the navigator's seat

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by Nav-i-gator

For me, torque is more important than power, journey is more important than destination and enjoying the car that I have is more important than owning a car that I like to.

Enough said. Welcome Nav-i-gator. Hope to read your ownership & travelogues on the forum.

+1 about farming equipment. In-fact, I have seen gensets [rural, hand operated ones] running on any engine oil, any.

See you around

[Nav-i-gator]

And the point about the tractor being navigated with just the brakes on the rear wheels - had never thought of that ! I have seen tractors being driven with one / two front wheels up, I know of the independent brakes - but never had connected the two.

Yes, indeed! A simple mechanism, though very scary if you are nearby. Applying break to one of the rear wheels make that wheel act like a hinge and the whole tractor rotates around that. Clever use of brakes and accelerator in quick succession leads to very effective steering. Front wheels are only used for steering, anyways, in a tractor, and get stuck in rice puddle very easily. Drivers frequently apply this technique then to take out the front wheels from slush.

Regarding your handle... I can understand that 'Nav' is your name.
But I'm curious to know why you chose the word "Navigator" when you have written that you hate to be in the navigator's seat

Well sir, I have experienced twists in my life when I least expected, and over time, I have learned to just let the experience pass and enjoy as much as I can, without worrying too much about where I would land up. Hence, the name "Navigator" and not "driver" for example

[Nav-i-gator]

Originally Posted by Sheel

Enough said. Welcome Nav-i-gator. Hope to read your ownership & travelogues on the forum.

+1 about farming equipment. In-fact, I have seen gensets [rural, hand operated ones] running on any engine oil, any.

See you around

The same genset is used for running tubewell, flour mill, and then plonked into the four wheeled "Jugaad" for transportation + selling sugarcane juice, apart from electricity generation during family functions by attaching to a dynamo.

Tractor PTO shaft is also used by villagers for pumping water onto their fields from canals. Tractor is one hell of a equipment, being put to more uses than we normally expect.

[Gannu_1]

Lovely intro there! Welcome aboard Navneet.

Trust you've glanced through the rules of the board. Have a pleasant stay here!

[Jaguar]

Welcome to the forum. A nice intro indeed.

Originally Posted by Nav-i-gator

absolutely hate it when I have to sit next to the driver over long distances (it makes me sleep).Unlike a bike, where pillion is as much connected to it as the rider, cars are boring if you are not on the steering wheel.

Doesn't this statement contradict your handle

[Nav-i-gator]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

Welcome to the forum. A nice intro indeed.

Doesn't this statement contradict your handle

Thanks.

Not really. Navigator means one who explores the sea...synonym would be pilot, guide etc. you don't necessarily have to be seated next to the driver to be a navigator. I navigate on my own.