In a 1976 Motorcyclist review, Bob Greene calls Yamaha’s XS360 “exceeding my every expectation of handling, performance, and comfort…What Yamaha’s done here is close much of the credibility gap betwixt little bike an dbig bike, evidenced by their expensive electrics and point adjustment systems, electric starter, trick flashers, and on and on. Small only in displacement and wheelbase, Yamaha’s new generation four-stroke twin is a wire to wire winner that’s going to make their contemporaries hump like they never humped before.”
The SOHC 358cc parallel twin (180 degree crank) engine was fed by dual 34mm Mikuni CV carbs and paired with a six-speed transmission. It weighed 380 pounds ready to go with a 2.9 gallon fuel tank. Motorcyclist saw 53 mpg while commuting and 62 mpg on the highway – you can check out their review here…remember when publications used to tear down motors as part of their stories?
This example has 1,645 miles and it’s said to be “all original down to the protective wrap on the levers.” Find it in Chicago, Illinois for $3,850 here on Facebook Marketplace.
The seller is Ben Clauss of motobenco, and he’s got two other classic Yamahas (YR3 and YCS1) for sale via his Instagram.