Haynes or Clymer

I've got some Haynes auto service manuals I haven't been too impressed with. Does Clymer produce a better book?

Which one do you like better?

 

Factory Service Manuals ONLY for me.

 

Yamaha manuals here, too.

 

hayns b/c its the only one i have ever used

 

I always get the factory manual, and use it for my primary reference. Having a Haynes or Clymer (or both) in addition certainly doesn't hurt, and a couple of times has helped me because they use different photos and writeups. If you can't quite understand the procedure and photo in one manual, the slightly different writeup and photo in another manual might give you the insight you need to get the job done right.

Haynes and Clymer manuals can usually be found on eBay for about $20-$25. When you consider how much we spend on our bikes themselves, then add in gas, insurance, riding gear, licensing, etc..., the manuals are pretty cheap inusrance to make sure you fix it right.

 

If you have a bike to get running and don't plan on working on other Models ... you should spent the extra 15-20 Dollars for the Factory Manual.

The Factory Manual is specific to that one Model your Bike is. No confusing data about other Models and procedures for different Bikes.

All the information you could possibly need is laid-out inn the Factory Manual and the break-down includes pages with the exploded views of the parts and assembly's.

That, plus wiring and cable routing charts make the Factory Book your choice for a Workshop Reference that will guarantee to answer every question about yoaur Bike in detail without the Sub-chapters for other Models and years.

 

I agree the factory manual is the way to go for any given bike. However I need some basic references that cover specs, torque values, things like that. And I preferably would have 1 book for a family (Say all 80-83 XJs instead of a different book for each variation).

So far 4-2 in favor of Haynes.

 

For those of us who have to refresh our memory on a system when a Member writes-in with a question ... Haynes does the trick.

As a reference book. It's several books a bundled into one.

For actually wrenching on a Bike ... I need the clarity of having bike-specific information without all the Sub-paragraphs and other model information.

You save time (and therefore Money) having the Manual four YOUR Bike.
But, when your Buddy comes over with his bike ... and all you have is the Factory Manual for YOUR Bike ... it makes sense to have a Haynes.

I think we can agree that having the Factory Manual for THE Bike you are working on is a Time Saving investment!