I bought an almost new red 1977 XS360 from my cousin in 1977 or 1978 and it didn’t have many miles with I got it. Call it #1. It did not have the push button for the starter. I can’t rember if #1 had a disk front brake or not. I remember a dealer had a used one with the push button for the starter and the motor in good shape, but the kick stand was missing and bought it. Call it #2. And the #2 was blue and the one I got from my cousin was red. So, I bought the second one and swapped the blue parts with the red parts from #1 to use in #2 and cut off the kick stand on #1 and had it welded on #2 and it was my go bike for many years. Go fast-forward. After many moves and many years, we finally found our forever home and moved #2 to my shop as had sold #1. I kept it covered in garages from when I got it but the last 10 years and it has been parked in a car port but not covered. Over the years rust began to take its toll. The last time I rode it was in about 2016 or so and stopped driving it as the vibrations hurt my feet and hands. So, I decided to redo it and bought a used drop in XS400 motor with the right bolt places for a swap as they are to run smoother, but the driver apparently dropped it as a few of the top fins and other parts were broken and put it covered until later. So, here are a photo of my project before it beings. So far, I have put a new battery with fresh gas, and it really started. I have fixed the front calipers; I have rebuilt the master cylinder and but am waiting to get new screws and parts to bolt it on. I have had the seat covered and have ordered a lot of NOS parts. I had given it to my son, but he lost the title and he really was not the motorcycle type, and he gave it back to me. I have sent off a new certified title so it can be sold when I don’t need it anymore. I have bought a set of NOS muffles as I love the look and the sound of those mufflers. I found the left NOS one years ago and have just found the right one and ordered it. I was very happy to find the right one as after looking for about 20 years, if not more the left ones was very expensive. Started it up last night and the right cylinder seems the carb was plugged as the right exhaust was cold but the left one was warm and gas smelled wrong. Then today would not start at all. They have a guy on eBay who rebuilds carbs and he did in 2016 for me so next off goes it goes next week. I have the forks and most of the parts to rebuild them as over the years, they got rusty. Re-chrome and repaint and some powder coat as needed to bring it back to 1977 as possible. I like the stock look so plan to rebuild it as close as possible AND see looking into have the XS400 motor fixed up to use it IF is rebuildable. Will post time to time so you can see the stasis of the project.
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