New owner of an "original" 76 XS360

JERRY BARVINEK

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Hey all

Quick intro, at 56 years old I bought my first bike a month ago!ll

More or less original condition. Runs great...original paint is tired and the decals are deteriorating. It also needs tires and a battery.

My plan is to clean it up and keep the original look. I will repaint it and have already purchased new decals. Does anyone have a tank they want to sell?

LOL....now I need an M license!

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Welcome! Looks like it has had a few things done. Post more picks and I can point them out. I would leave the stock paint and decals as you would never be able to really match the 44 yr old ones. With a first year bike I would take to back to fully stock. Finding all the correct parts won't be cheap or easy but you would have a bike that most of us don't see anymore. Most get cut up and modified and not for the better.
 
Welcome! Looks like it has had a few things done. Post more picks and I can point them out. I would leave the stock paint and decals as you would never be able to really match the 44 yr old ones. With a first year bike I would take to back to fully stock. Finding all the correct parts won't be cheap or easy but you would have a bike that most of us don't see anymore. Most get cut up and modified and not for the better.

https://www.facebook.com/jerry.barvinek/videos/pcb.2524570977579233/2524728904230107/?type=3&theater
 
I have the original shocks ...but one is leaking. I also need to reinstall the original gauges. I ordered a seat cover that seems to look OEM...from the UK. The mufflers are aftermarket....and there is one side available on ebay but at over 300US. Good grief!
 
You need a gmail account for that. I don't have one. Most people that post vids use you tube and post the link.
 
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I might try buffing the paint. A bit work that way may bring the color back. Maybe not all the way but very close.
Leo
 
I wouldnt touch the paint at all. I have the same color on my bike and the gas tank gets all the attention. The color pops in the sun! Everyone loves it. I wipe it clean and use a spray wax and shine the wheels up once in a while.

One thing you may consider upgrading is the mechanical voltage regulator. The stock setup is perfectly fine, but the mechanical regulator is a weak point.

NOS mechanical regs are very hard/impossible to find. I dont trust used ones. Id keep a look out for one of these just in case.

You can also buy the correct plastic harness connector for the regulator and use that to splice a new solid state regulator. A solid state regulator will be better if you decide to use a AGM or lithium battery. This way you will be able to switch back to original stuff if you want.

Try to find NOS contact points for the ignition. Aftermarket ones are fine but I came across some NOS ones from Yamaha and they are superior.

Oil filters, I buy in bulk on EBAY. Get some spare O-rings for the oil housing and for the oil housing bolt.

Take a look at the brake lines too, I replace automatically for safety/performance concerns.

Sometimes the clutch can feel sticky, its worth it to try and clean the cable and lube it, or replace.
 
A stock 44 year bike will get lots of looks. My all stock 79 gets a lot more looks and people coming up to me than when my 80 was all modified. Not many good clean stock ones left.
 
You've got a nice looking original 360 Jerry. You will be lucky to find nice original mufflers today. Yamaha mufflers from the 70's did not hold up well over the decades. The 360 used a similar pattern to the XS650 and they rusted badly as well. They would rust from the inside, and form rings that expanded and busted out the chrome eventually, usually near the end of the muffler. You can see the rust ring on this pic.
XSProject 017.jpg
 
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