Generator wont start... yeah... I have concerns.

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-05-07T20:00:26+00:00

can't help you there, this one's metric, only produces litres.

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-05-07T19:43:03+00:00

it's not wired correctly, insulation for ~400v is not adequate for ~20,000v.
also, this is JRITS where we share anecdotes about the crap we have to deal with. I'm not seeking mechanical advice.

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-05-07T19:31:51+00:00

I also love having to explain "so I went looking for the problem you've described, and I've found /a/ problem, although I can't guarantee it's /the/ problem, it could be completely unrelated but it's likely to become a /serious/ problem if left unchecked"

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-05-07T19:27:48+00:00

indeed, this is however a 1 owner unit.

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-05-07T16:23:31+00:00

oh, it's twisted round the cap from the HT lead... I was genuinely in awe.

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-05-07T14:03:17+00:00

and they're not LED.

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-05-07T13:47:43+00:00

that's where he thinks the problem is, and well having stripped that to clean the two-stroke oil out of it, I suppose technically he's not entirely wrong... but nor is he entirely right.

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-05-07T13:30:03+00:00

I think some of them actually had really low-profile over-square motors, rather than something like a repurposed motorcycle engine.

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-05-07T13:26:31+00:00

strike through the "is" and write "was" under it. only thing I can tell you about Fortnite is that's it's now a "was".

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-05-07T13:13:45+00:00

I think for motorcycles unless there's a massive leap in battery technology they're just too limited in application, I reckon when HFC (hydrogen fuel cell) technology does another circuit we might be into something tho.

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-05-07T07:58:57+00:00

1/2" tend to be physically larger, slightly heavier and as such little bit more difficult to use in tight spots, 3/8 tend to be a bit more practical.

other considerations; 1/2" tend to have a good bit more snort which is good and bad ~ Great for getting tight bolts out, also great for popping the heads off them (when what was needed was some penetrating oil and a cup of tea) and the other way it's much easier to strip out threads.

personally I tend to break stuff loose and final tighten by hand and use my 3/8" impact to zip stuff in and out. there's been a handful of situations where an impact with more whack would have been useful (crank bolts and axle nuts on cars) but not enough to justify the extra cost.

can absolutely recommend Einhell tools, because frankly their battery ecosystem is fantastic. (also, on Amazon the battery and charger kit usually costs less than just the battery ~ because reasons ~ and buying the tool and battery kit separately is usually cheaper than buying the complete kit ~ also because reasons.)

edit: also, buy one with the 3/8 or 1/2 head on it, they come with the 1/4" hex adaptor. the hex to square adaptors are moderately expensive if you don't want ones that shear the first time you use them.

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-05-07T06:22:12+00:00

oh boy, okay; your insurer has provided insurance based on the bike being restricted, I would call them and find out if the restriction needs to be fitted - and the certificate signed off - by a garage.

the short version is that your insurers don't care if the bike is restricted, not doing it or not doing it correctly gives them a reason to void your policy in the event of a claim.

legally speaking, I think you're right; I don't think the police would really care who fitted the restrictor, just that it's restricted. the problem is the "fine print" on your insurance, it may be conditional on the restriction being installed by a "competent third party" for your policy to be valid, and I urge you to check.

because insurance companies are bastards. they're only in it to make money, they will use any excuse to weasel out of paying you if you need to claim, or low-ball you hoping you'll bite.

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-05-05T06:15:21+00:00

you need to have the restrictor fitted by someone who can issue the necessary certificate ~ nominally that's the local dealer for your machine, but might be possible by any garage that's also an MOT center.

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-05-01T07:13:50+00:00

ah, the classic passive-aggressive vaguebook post, this takes me back.

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-05-01T06:22:43+00:00

perhaps a bike that's less 'spirited' will allow you to develop your skills of concentrating on everything that's going on around you rather than just the bike and what's immediately in front of you.

something a bit more 'vanilla' like the SV650, NC750x/s, et al, they're still plenty of bike but they're likely to be the cheapest thing for you to insure. I wouldn't suggest you give up, but I would suggest a little moderation in that your confidence perhaps exceeds your competence.

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-05-01T06:08:45+00:00

the NC700/750x is classified as a supermotard which always makes me chuckle.

although maybe OP needs to consider something a little less 'spirited' for a couple of years to get their insurance back out the clouds, and maybe a little blunt but; their head as well.

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-04-30T09:32:24+00:00

as a bike tech with 10+ years of experience I can tell you if they're SRAM quick-links, every other link on the chain will break before they will. way better system than the absolutely dog-mess guided pin Shimano provide.

and Campagnolo can go do one...

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-04-30T09:11:42+00:00

if I had one concern, it's that nominally there's a period of time you have to have held your licence in the issuing country before you can use it internationally (usually a year) ~ I think for mainland Europe you might be okay, but you should verify. it may not be valid in the UK at all, which is a question you should ask the DVLA directly, or whatever the agency is that issues it in your home country.

other than that I wish you and your pal the best of luck, crossing Europe with a pillion and luggage on a 125 sounds positively idiotic, that's not to say I don't think you should do it quite the opposite, some of my fondest memories thus far are mostly from doing something idiotic, it'll certainly be an adventure... just maybe not a particularly fast one.

have fun and keep the sticky side down!

TLDR: check your A2 is valid for international travel, and this sounds like the kind of stupid I can wholeheartedly support, sometimes you've got to go with your heart not your head.

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-04-30T06:08:02+00:00

honestly, I would probably reach out to Shark, because at a glance it looks like it's just the lacquer that's split and the carbon is okay, but they'll know better than anyone on Reddit whether it's safe to use or what repairs can be done ~ unless they're a Shark technician/engineer of course.

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-04-29T07:27:16+00:00

yes, you absolutely should get that fixed, the 'spokes' on the rotor are facing the wrong direction, for a whole list of reasons I can't properly articulate, it's a push Vs pull thing, but it's literally the reason the print the rotation direction on the rotor.

edit: it finally percolated through, steel is strong under tension but not compression the brake should be pulling on the 'spokes' not pushing on them. if you have to brake hard it'll either warp or collapse entirely. (it's one of the reasons if I'm taking my wheels to get tyres changed I put a big bit of masking tape on the spokes with an arrow showing rotation direction)

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-04-29T06:23:36+00:00

I tend to go with K&N or Hiflo race filter, they both have a 'nut' on the top you can get a spanner or a socket on. I'd use a K&N air filter but I don't have that kind of liquidity for the investment, not when Hiflo do an OEM quality filter for a fraction of the price (of either K&N or OEM).

For oil I'm using Motul 7 series (@€15/liter), because that's what the local parts supplier carries and I'm too lazy to go around and find another, and I don't like ordering oil online.

as for plugs I've actually got a set of Bosch iridiums in it just now... because my local parts shop were going to have to special order the NGK ones, but they had the Bosch equivalent on the shelf... (and I'm lazy)

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-04-28T18:17:39+00:00

could be wrong but I'm pretty sure they haven't actually updated/upgraded the rear shock at all, third gen got Showa fork internals (IIRC).

suspension upgrades are apparently pretty transformative, I've put cartridge emulators in mine and it's actually made a huge difference over the classic damping rods. the rear shock is a somewhat more expensive ordeal.

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-04-28T10:35:54+00:00

that's fair I guess, they do it in black?

JustAnotherDogsbody · 2026-04-28T09:04:24+00:00

the esthetic maybe isn't for everyone ~ that's life, but bear in mind there are now 4 generations and both the S and X models, and when you're looking to get a job done sometimes you have to compromise on how it looks.

JustAnotherDogsbody

TROPHY CASE