storysunfolding wrote:That's an amazing find
Sometimes luck smiles. I think nobody wanted it because it looked like a piece of $#!+. These days it's all about style for most people. They will spend a fortune for style, but not lift a finger to create it. The bike didn't look very amazing when I first looked at it. All I really wanted was the engine, and it did run. (I have a Redline flattrack frame that used to have a XL350 in it.) The box of parts was an unexpected bonus. Side covers and gauges survived because they were in the box with the lights and mirrors.
The seat foam is mouse-chewed. The rear fender is cracked. The front fender is broken off just at the front of the triple tree. There were some small dents on the tank, but a 1-inch combination wrench through the gas fill hole popped them out 95%. Now that it is all cleaned and reassembled, it looks pretty decent, at least salvagable, and I don't think I can cut it up.
The forks were bent a little, so I pulled the tubes and straightened them with a hydraulic press. A good spray with Seafoam cleaned the switches enough to get them working--they were so full of mud the knobs wouldn't move. A careful carb rebuild and a couple cans of carb cleaner helped the low-speed considerably. Hanging the cables and washing them out with Seafoam liquid, then dripping 30W through them brought them back to proper functionality. The chain was soaked in Seafoam, hung to dry, soaked in warm 30W, hung to drip, then reinstalled and sprayed with Champion Motorcycle Chain Lubricant. The chain and sprockets are usable, but maybe a little taller gear would suit my purposes.
There is still a lot of work to do.
A new battery will be necessary to pass inspection.
The handlebars are bent and will have to be replaced.
The muffler has some rust holes, so it will have to be welded or replaced. I sure would like to find one of the old Bassani downpipes with the reverse cone megaphone muffler with the steel core. Those things made good power on a mildly modified engine, and became torque monsters on big-bores with ported heads. Lightened the bike about 15 pounds, too.
The rear shocks are leaking, but I have a pair of Curnetts set up for a desert-racing XL250. Those should work for a motarded XL350 on the street. I have a couple sets of springs to adjust the rate.
The front rim is bent and needs to be replaced. The tires are dry rotted. I think I'll find 3.5x16 rear and 2.5x18 front rims and spokes so 150/80-16 and 110/80-18 street tires can be mounted.
I need to find a steel fender to mount to a fork brace. I prefer a low fender on a street bike. Then I can mount a matching fender in the rear. I need to look into upgrading the lighting coil because the stock headlight is very weak. The seat needs to be replaced. Come to think of it. I probably paid too much.
If at first you don't succeed, skydiving isn't for you.
) and you still have your head out there in the open air. 
you still get a good smile out of the ride and it's a reasonably practical and enjoyable commute, much more fun than by car.
