[ashwinprakas]

Hi Guys,

A.P here from Trivandrum/Kollam, having taken notice that a number of automobiles on the road on this side of the state to be sporting Team-Bhp stickers I thought it would be apt to start a thread to get to know each other and eventually plan a meetup.

What say?

P.S.
The reason I stuck with 'Travancore' is taking distance range into consideration as it would be convenient for a person from one end of the Travancore region to take part in an event taking place at the other end without much hassle as in comparison to including the whole of Kerala, though I've had meetup's in Kozhikode and other parts of Kerala the toll to contain the affair to a day was something that I doubt anyone would be willing to consider taking current road conditions and traffic into consideration.

As for the self introduction part, I'm Ashwin, the guys from other enthusiast portals refer to me as A.P due to my name being common and you could do the same to avoid potential mix-up's.

I'm not a textbook enthusiast as I do not make it a point to keep myself updated about all things going on in the automotive sector, nor would you find automotive magazines in my cupboard or find me sporting an automotive wallpaper of the latest or hottest offering in the market, I'm more into covering miles, having fun, breaking and then fixing my machines and if you ever would require a hand to work on a DIY project then I would be very much interested to join, some of the best times I've had with fellow enthusiasts were when we were either covering some serious miles or putting our machines to the test on off-road terrains and later on fixing them.

I drive:
1. 2005 G10B Maruti Suzuki Zen(Silver, Mesh Grill, Dirty!).
2. 2009 F10D Maruti Suzuki Zen Estilo(Panda, Black Roof).

I ride:
1. 2015 Bajaj Pulsar 220F.
2. 2017 Bajaj CT100B.

So that's all about me, do introduce yourselves so that we may one day graduate to the very first Travancore Team-Bhp meetup!

[DrANTO]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Hi Guys,


I'm not a textbook enthusiast as I do not make it a point to keep myself updated about all things going on in the automotive sector, nor would you find automotive magazines in my cupboard or find me sporting an automotive wallpaper of the latest or hottest offering in the market, I'm more into covering miles, having fun, breaking and then fixing my machines and if you ever would require a hand to work on a DIY project then I would be very much interested to join, some of the best times I've had with fellow enthusiasts were when we were either covering some serious miles or putting our machines to the test on off-road terrains and later on fixing them.

:

I am Anto Baby; working as Consultant Oncologist in a private hospital near Thiruvalla. Even though I am 120 km away from Trivandrum, it is okay for me to drive down to Trivandrum to catch up with fellow Team-bhpians.


Like you, I am not into the details of the latest variant of popular cars or features on offer; I am more interested in the mechanical aspect of cars [especially engine and drive train] and into DIY stuff. I like driving and my average mileage is around 40000 km per year. Also for me, the drive is the most important aspect, not the car. Remember the tagline " You are not defined by the car you drive but the way to drive your car"


1. My daily drive is Hyundai Elite i20 Asta option CRDi covered 43000 km in last 18 months

2. Weekend drive/fun tool/project vehicle is my Maruti Gypsy 2017 MPFI current Odo at 11000 km after 10 months of ownership

3. Maruti Ritz K12 [pre-VTVT ] 2010 @ 95000KM;pre-VTVT engine is way better than today's K12 engines because of excellent low-end torque and drivability

So if a handful of team bhpians comes forward we will arrange a get-together. Till then Keep Revving...

[DicKy]

Hi

I am Akhilesh here. Would like to join if there is a meet planned.

If am right, there are other threads too for south Kerala meets, but the most recent of them is 2 years old.

No fancy ride here, just a bone stock '09 WagonR F10D and a '16 Etios D.

(And about the TeamBHP stickers.....
Well, tired of seeing fake ones on auto-rickshaws and taxis, have started to ignore them. )

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by DrANTO

I am Anto Baby; working as Consultant Oncologist in a private hospital near Thiruvalla. Even though I am 120 km away from Trivandrum, it is okay for me to drive down to Trivandrum to catch up with fellow Team-bhpians.

Hi Anto, I'm a fan(jealous stalker) of your Gypsy thread and it would be a pleasure to meet-up, I'm hoping that more members would reply as I know a few of them live in the Travancore vicinity, once we have a decent headcount I'm thinking we'll decided on a midway point and drive/ride to the point. Also considering setting up an ICE(In Case of Emergency) shared document once we get things into motion.

2. Weekend drive/fun tool/project vehicle is my Maruti Gypsy 2017 MPFI current Odo at 11000 km after 10 months of ownership

After having hunted for a Zen for months before getting hold of one I know deep within my heart that only the Gypsy King would give me the same euphoria, I believe this is the last G series in production and it would be an absolutely loss to miss out on the opportunity of owning one, fingers crossed!

If my dreams would come true it would be a hard-top with flat seat conversion at the rear as I've learned from a fellow enthusiast from WB who drives a Marina, sleeping,cooking etc in the car really brings down the overall travel costs which translates to more distance on the road.

3. Maruti Ritz K12 [pre-VTVT ] 2010 @ 95000KM;pre-VTVT engine is way better than today's K12 engines because of excellent low-end torque and drivability

I used to be in touch with a HVK'ian who owned a Gen 1 Ritz and he had the same thing to say, which changed my perspective of the K Series, the only reason I do not like the K series was due to how mediocre MS has made them to be, I do get the efficiency POV but still I feel they hit the best balance with the G series because I find anything made after that to be a compromise considering what could have been, irrespective of the fancy monikers they're given, cough! Boosterjet!

Originally Posted by DicKy

Hi

I am Akhilesh here. Would like to join if there is a meet planned.

If am right, there are other threads too for south Kerala meets, but the most recent of them is 2 years old.

Hi Akhilesh, I'm currently staying at Pothencode, used to work at Technopark for EY but resigned last December, been jobless since, giving competitive exams a shot.

Used to frequently meet-up with the xBhp Trivandrum chapter and once managed to meet-up with a few HVK-ians out of the blue at the universal meet-up spot for Trivandrum enthusiasts i.e Manaveeyam Veedhi, but other than that I've not come across any activity as far as enthusiast groups go which is a shame so hopefully lets change that.

No fancy ride here, just a bone stock '09 WagonR F10D

Almost same pinch on that, coming from a F10D Zen Estilo. I really wanted the F8D 800 but my parents or rather my mom being a mere mortal wanted something more middle-classy and I was in the 11th grade so you can imagine how that discussion went about.

[DrANTO]

Originally Posted by DicKy

Hi


No fancy ride here, just a bone stock '09 WagonR F10D and a '16 Etios D.

(And about the TeamBHP stickers.....
Well, tired of seeing fake ones on auto-rickshaws and taxis, have started to ignore them. )

Both Wagon R and Etios are sensible choices and I agree with your opinion regarding Team Bhp stickers; Many of the auto-rickshaws/Taxis and cars have fake 'Live To Drive' sticker. Once out of sheer frustration I asked a guy where did he get this sticker. He said the number plate guy give this sticker to him for free while installing number plate so had he pasted it on his car. Of course that guy had no clue regarding Team-Bhp though

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Hi Anto, I'm a fan(jealous stalker) of your Gypsy thread and it would be a pleasure to meet-up

If my dreams would come true it would be a hard-top with flat seat conversion at the rear as I've learned from a fellow enthusiast from WB who drives a Marina, sleeping,cooking etc in the car really brings down the overall travel costs which translates to more distance on the road D

Thanks for the kind words. I follow your CT100B thread/travelogues and find those really enjoyable. Regarding Gypsy as a Touring vehicle; unless we live in Himalayan snow belt or atleast in Nilgiri mountains,it is quite difficult/cumbersome to travel long distance in a stock Gypsy. Off course, subtle/tasteful/functional modifications can take care of that aspect. Jeeps/Gypsy's are more of a passionate indulgence which will let you forget about the mundane work-home-family cycle.

[kraken]

Hi fellow BHpians ! About me, I'm Aswin from Pathanamthitta, but I reside and work in Cochin. Used to be a banker until I quit and started a pharma c&f in Cochin in 2013. Recent developments have made a big change and I will be taking over our family business of pharma distribution in Pathanamthitta. Which means I will be in Pathanamthitta for 5 days a week and I will be thrilled if there's an opportunity to meet up. No matter if I have to come to Trivandrum. Driving itself enthuses me, meeting fellow petrol heads even more so !

Trivandrum has always been close to my heart and having previously lived and worked there, it's one of my favourite cities and take pride in knowing every nook and cranny of the place (no cars/bikes during the time meant walking and public transport so it comes naturally).

I currently drive:
1: Swift VXi 2016 (sadly the VVT K series) as my daily driver in the city.
2: Toyota Fortuner 2wd 3.0 2wd 2015 for those long weekend drives home.
3: Volkswagen Polo TDI as daily driver when my wife decides to take away the Swift.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by kraken

Hi fellow BHpians ! About me, I'm Aswin from Pathanamthitta

Hi Aswin, I'm Ashwin

Nice to meet you.

One we have more members I guess a meetup would work out on its own.

I joined TBhp presuming that I'd moved to Cagers from Motorcycles after getting myself my dream car i.e a G10B Zen LX.

But funnily I'm more into motorcycles than ever now!

Currently staying at Pothencode, Trivandrum, so do holler if you're in the vicinity, I'm basically from Kollam so most of the time I'm shuttling between both cities.

I'm 26 and unemployed for the past year, currently giving a shot at competitive examinations including bank exams.

Before this I used to work in Human Resources for one of the Big 3 professional services firms, I've worked at Infopark Kochi as well as Technopark Trivandrum.

Guess that's all there is to know about me.

[anoop.u]

I'm in. About time we had an active thread for Kerala (err, Travancore) meetups.

As for my rides, a '07 Alto and a '15 Polo.

Weekends at KL-34, KL-05 and weekdays at KL-07 (usually).

Regards,
Anoop

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by anoop.u

I'm in. About time we had an active thread for Kerala (err, Travancore) meetups.

As for my rides, a '07 Alto and a '15 Polo.

Weekends at KL-34, KL-05 and weekdays at KL-07 (usually).

Regards,
Anoop

Hi Anoop,

Nice to meet you online.

Lets hope things go well that we get to set up an offline meet.

Cheers,
A.P.

[sreeJiva]

Hi Ashwin,

I work in Technopark and my home town is Ranny, Pathanamthitta. I switch between 2018 Alto 800 and a 2009 Honda Activa to make the weekend trips (260 km roundtrip per week).

I'm a big fan of your DIY lifestyle and have been stalking your threads and comments for a while.

Though I have been window shopping/dreaming/itching for an upgrade to a big bike, your threads always keep me grounded and make me fall in love with my good old Activa.

I stay at Pangappara and pass through Pothencode 2 times weekly.

I travel mostly at night for lesser traffic, good mileage etc.

As you'd know, Activa's headlight is pretty bad when it comes to night driving. I always wanted to upgrade the lights which are legally road worthy but enough to help me with safe night riding. Would love to work on the brakes as well. It's up for an oil change and love to get my hands dirty this time.

Though you have already posted about Activa maintenance very clearly, I'm still hesitant to take the tools myself due to lack of knowledge. I can't stand the idea of ruining my reliable scooter, but I'm confident that I could safely get my hands dirty and learn with guidance from a hardcore DIY King like yourself.

Flattery aside, I really do need your help if you are up for it. What do you think? Can you help me transform my Activa into a proper tourer while teaching me be self dependent and saving some moolah? Beer Bombs on me

[Kris_risk]

How about a monsoon drive to Ponumudi? The road is fairly good and the 22 hairpins are fun to drive.

And the weather was gorgeous last weekend. May be a good reason to plan a Travancore Team-Bhp drive to Ponumudi before the rains disappear?

[anoop.u]

Originally Posted by Kris_risk

How about a monsoon drive to Ponumudi? The road is fairly good and the 22 hairpins are fun to drive.

Sounds good. I'm in (as long as it's on a weekend).

We do have quite a few BHPians in Trivandrum and Kochi.

Regards,
Anoop

[dragntailonfire]

Hello fellow Trivandrites - I recently joined the community. I live and work in Kochi, but goes to Trivandrum during alternate weekends.

I drive a 1st gen Ford Figo TDCi.

Originally Posted by Kris_risk

How about a monsoon drive to Ponumudi? The road is fairly good and the 22 hairpins are fun to drive.

I am certainly interested in a trip/meet-up, and Ponmudi during rains does sound exciting.

Originally Posted by Kris_risk

And the weather was gorgeous last weekend. May be a good reason to plan a Travancore Team-Bhp drive to Ponumudi before the rains disappear?

I can join on a weekend; perhaps next weekend? Will have enough time to plan I guess.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by sreeJiva

Hi Ashwin,

I work in Technopark and my home town is Ranny, Pathanamthitta. I switch between 2018 Alto 800 and a 2009 Honda Activa to make the weekend trips (260 km roundtrip per week).

Ola Bro, used to work in Gayathri Building at Technopark before resigning, now I'm rocking the unemployment life for close to 2 years

I'm a big fan of your DIY lifestyle and have been stalking your threads and comments for a while.

Thank you for reading.

Though I have been window shopping/dreaming/itching for an upgrade to a big bike, your threads always keep me grounded and make me fall in love with my good old Activa.

The old saying remains true when it comes to the motorcycling lifestyle;

Its not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of fight in the dog that matters.

After all remember Dilip Bam(RIP) conquered the Sahara Desert on a KiHo!

I stay at Pangappara and pass through Pothencode 2 times weekly.

I stay quite near the junction, do let me know when you pass by and we can meet up, would be my first official TeamBhpían meetup as I'm yet to meet a fellow TeamBhpían in the flesh.

I travel mostly at night for lesser traffic, good mileage etc.

As you'd know, Activa's headlight is pretty bad when it comes to night driving. I always wanted to upgrade the lights which are legally road worthy but enough to help me with safe night riding. Would love to work on the brakes as well. It's up for an oil change and love to get my hands dirty this time.

DIY bro, as for the HL I presume you have a BA20D setup instead of HS1 as that used to be the norm back in the day, you could get a BA20D Silverstar 35/35 or you could go for a HS1/H4 conversion(which I've done on the CT100B) and get a Rallye 45/40 Bulb installed, output is just amazing.

Though you have already posted about Activa maintenance very clearly, I'm still hesitant to take the tools myself due to lack of knowledge. I can't stand the idea of ruining my reliable scooter, but I'm confident that I could safely get my hands dirty and learn with guidance from a hardcore DIY King like yourself.

Flattery aside, I really do need your help if you are up for it. What do you think? Can you help me transform my Activa into a proper tourer while teaching me be self dependent and saving some moolah? Beer Bombs on me

If it weren't for fellow enthusiasts helping me out I wouldn't have rode past my Panchayat, as I'm not even close to being an Engineer and in fact way far from it.

You will break a thing or two in the process but trust me, there's nothing you'd be doing that'd be worse than what any random mechanic would be doing to your motorcycle in your absence.

You can tour just as it is, though touring on a scooter needs more guts than touring on a motorcycle, due to a smaller front wheel the possibility of flying over the front is imminent.

Then there's the fuel range planning.

I've only toured/commuted on scooters for under 35k km's(15k on Kiney and 18k on Wego) and did manage to total my Wego while riding to Wayanad. But in that short while I've got to know first hand that just about anyone can tour on a top of the line motorcycle but it takes that extra something to haul ass on a Scooter.

Originally Posted by dragntailonfire

I can join on a weekend; perhaps next weekend? Will have enough time to plan I guess.

Originally Posted by anoop.u

Sounds good. I'm in (as long as it's on a weekend).

Originally Posted by Kris_risk

How about a monsoon drive to Ponumudi? The road is fairly good and the 22 hairpins are fun to drive.

Had been there a few weeks ago, heard its gotten better.

Do count me in on a weekend ride!

Regards,
A.P.

[sreeJiva]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

I stay quite near the junction, do let me know when you pass by and we can meet up, would be my first official TeamBhpían meetup as I'm yet to meet a fellow TeamBhpían in the flesh.

Aswin,

I'm planning to ride to Dhanushkodi from Trivandrum. I know you just took your garage queen for a spin. Having done the GQ twice, you might have also been there already, but care to add 1000 more kms to one of your bikes?

I can only do it on a weekday as I visit my family during weekends.
I've taken leave on 27 & 28 August - Tuesday & Wednesday.

Start Tuesday early morning Return by Wednesday late night. What Say?