It's a 360....but not a CB

SkiMan

Active Member
Am in the process of completely a CB360 cafe project but knew that I would be wanting something to do after that build. Over this past weekend I picked up a Yamaha XS360. The price was right and it came with a new set of tires mounted on a cleaned up set of wheels that are nice an shiny, extra tank, new clubman bars, new rear tail light assembly, a set of FZ600 rear sets, clean engine, and acouple of plastic bins full of parts to get me close to a comlete bike.

Am thinking Tracker. The seat has to go, chop of the rear rails just behind the shocks, mount a flat/straight seat, mount a set of motocross bars, swing both pipes around to one side and maybe a set of dual head lights.

Anyone done a XS360 build or have any additional sites to look at. Apparently they were only build for a year or 2 to compete with the CB360. Really want to know if they shared any parts with other Yamaha's (have been doing a parts search on various models around the same years). Anything you got would be helpful.

Will post up photos as I move forward (maybe alittle while as I really need to finish the CB first).

Skiman
 

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Nice start. You could probably sell the tank, tires, and other stuff to a cafe racer and use the cash to fund the rest of your project ;)

How's the compression? Does it start, and if not, what is it missing?
 
SkiMan said:
Am thinking Tracker. The seat has to go, chop of the rear rails just behind the shocks, mount a flat/straight seat, mount a set of motocross bars, swing both pipes around to one side and maybe a set of dual head lights.

Anyone done a XS360 build or have any additional sites to look at. Apparently they were only build for a year or 2 to compete with the CB360. Really want to know if they shared any parts with other Yamaha's (have been doing a parts search on various models around the same years). Anything you got would be helpful.

Will post up photos as I move forward (maybe alittle while as I really need to finish the CB first).

Skiman

First off, get it right - flat trackers rarely use MX bars. The main exception is usually on the MX chassis bikes. Flat trackers use a flat track bend which are low rise with a fair amount of pull back. Check them out on my old flat tracker:

bikepics-1707354-full.jpg


Both my old Sherpa S and my current street tracker in progress run those bars, the REAL thing. They are K&N model 24 bars. Now Flanders makes them. They're about the best bend bar I've ever used on a bike for comfort and leverage.

You may want to consider some sort of tail, maybe use an MX fender, like the one on the Sherpa in the picture. It was a Pursang "boat tail" M42 front fender mounted on the back. But any current MX rear fender would work great and look good. They're relatively cheap to buy.

Street trackers aren't just rat bikes, they really should look like they're ready to take to the track for the first heat. Go look at some flat track sites to see some.
 
klx678 said:
You may want to consider some sort of tail, maybe use an MX fender, like the one on the Sherpa in the picture. It was a Pursang "boat tail" M42 front fender mounted on the back. But any current MX rear fender would work great and look good. They're relatively cheap to buy.

Anytime I hear Pursang, I'm reminded of the photographer's description of the Mint 400 in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" 8)
 
Bikes differ from cars in that there a fewer pieces to modify/customize/add/remove. With a bike, it could be as easy as putting the wrong type tire on a bike to blow the whole look. ;D Granted, I used the tires I have because they were available, (just like my MX bars), but if you're starting from scratch with a pile of parts and frame and it's a true "project" (ie not your daily rider like me), you might as well do it right the first time versus doing it over again. Bikes evolve and things change (like the pain in my lower back that is now mysteriously gone w/ my clubmans ::))
 
I really dig the stock tank on your 360. The squared off edges look really cool. Looks like a great bike to start with, nice and clean.
 
SquadraCorse said:
I really dig the stock tank on your 360. The squared off edges look really cool. Looks like a great bike to start with, nice and clean.

Thanks SquadraCorse, I got an extra tank with the deal. With the rash'n of #$%^ over what constitutes a street tracker..... we'll see what it actually turns into.

Maybe a Bobbed Cafe Tracker, oh wait.....that would actually be a rat, right?

No...wait a minute..... Ahhhhh who gives a &^%$ what its called as long one rides it.
 
whiteflagwar said:
sometimes people build bikes and the closest "genre" happens to be tracker, and its easier to call the bike a tracker as opposed to a brat, bobber, or cafe. and just because you call it a tracker doesn't necessarily mean it looks or performs like a real flat tracker.

just my .02
not trying to offend anyone with this comment

Good opinion, I think I'll call my KLX a long distance tourer... :D

Same with me... $.02 and no offense, just the humor of the idea of calling a bike something that it doesn't really resemble. Thus my comments on what a street tracker actually looks like.

The best catch all when it comes to chopping stuff off is a bobber, after all, that is what the term bobbing means in motorycle speak. It has for the past 80 years...
 
SkiMan said:
Anyone done a XS360 build or have any additional sites to look at. Apparently they were only build for a year or 2 to compete with the CB360. Really want to know if they shared any parts with other Yamaha's (have been doing a parts search on various models around the same years). Anything you got would be helpful.

Hey SkiMan,

Don't know if you have checked this out yet...

http://www.cmsnl.com/yamaha-xs360_model16836/

The detailed parts drawings have come in handy for me in determining some interchangeable parts. I've downloaded all the drawings for most of the "small" XS bikes, RD's and some of the others. As you know, I have the 400 too, so just ask if you need me to check anything for you, or maybe take specific close up photos.

-Jeff
 
Jeff,

Thanks for the lead on the site and your offer for additional information.
Haven't gotten to the point yet of actually doing any of the tear down or build, just at the think'n point. I'm hoping to keep this at the minimalist level but still haven't really decided if I'm going the cafe route or the tracker "look". Working on acouple of photos with different ideas, will post up at some point. I still need to go through all of the boxes to see what I actually have for parts and what I'm going to need to replace and what I can salvage. In the mean time I need to complete my CB360 project so the XS still needs to wait alittle.

SkiMan
 
Great bike to start with!! Love the tank on that bike. You said you got an extra, if you want to part with one let me know! I could find a use for a tank like that! really looking forward to this winter and all the builds!!
 
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