I recently bought an F3 cheap, but mechanically strong. The only thing that worried me was the frame...Before buying it, I saw this...


The frame isn't actually bent, however, when he dropped it, the piping of the frame "sunk in." Still drives straight as an arrow, but is should I somehow reinforce it? I have no welding skills whatsoever or even own a welder, but should I take it to the shop to have them just weld an extra plate or something to give it more support so it won't bend?

Also...
Upon replacing the regulator/rectifier, since the battery is dying whenever at low idle and won't start now, I found this in the battery box...


First off what is it? and Second, I know it's not supposed to be there, so where should it be?
Thanks
Aaron

 

its to adjust the rear shock. Usually they are mounted to the frame, but that may be an "upgrade" for your model.

As for the frame, if its not cracked and the bike is structurally sound, I'd leave it alone.

 

that little silver canister is for your rear shock/suspension. it should be connected to the rear shock coil under your seat. and is mounted on the left side and outside of the frame under the front seat on my f4i. (check any pictures you can see it)

 

That canister is suppose to be mounted by the right side passenger peg

 

some good ole zip ties will hold it, look at some pics for reference on where to put it and zip tie it for now. You could find another frame and swap everything over winter, or whatnot. But it still looks ok to ride in the condition its in. check for any cracks within the frame in that area.

 

as far as the frame, i wouldn't brace it or anything. if the rest of the frame is straight, good. if you did take it to a welder, id have them take some tubing and replace that tube exactly instead of bracing it.



as far as the remote reservoir, are you sure it's an F3 shock? throwing f4 shocks on f3s is a popular mod for raising the rear. but the remote reservoir hose isn't near long enough to mount where the f3 shock's reservoir does. i put an f4 shock on my f3, and i tucked the reservoir in the battery box similar to where that one is.

it's not all that important where it is, zipties do just fine.

 

Thank you all for the responses and I think I may just leave the frame alone then, just scared that over time it will start to bend, but I don't plan on riding this as hard as it'll go anyhow. As for the shock, it may as well be from an f4i. It looks newer than the rest of the bike which doesn't take a genius to figure out. (The shock is red if that means anything). And sorry one more thing...the bike didn't come with passenger foot pegs, or even the mounts. I can tell where they came off of, but I'm trying to eventually over time to repaint the whole bike black, but have gold accented parts, and I'm not finding any actual mounts on amazon, but finding plenty of gold pegs. Any distributors you recommend or any that you think I should stay away from even?

 

That part of the frame is not even close to as strong as it should be with that damage. Personally I would have walked away as that is enough damage by itself to total a bike and I sure as hell wouldn't ride with it like that.

 

Well I appreciate the honesty, but that kinda makes me upset, not at you but at me. I got it basically so I didn't have to worry about dropping it and whatnot and hopefully I'll be able to get something much better in the future. As long as this thing lasts me a couple years I don't even care...unless the damn thing starts bending in half

 

Itll be fine, all it is is an engine mount, you have 4 others, just check it every once in a while. As long as its being kept out of the weather and it has no cracks in it to fill with water and rust out, itll still do its job as intended.