Harley-Davidson® Service Manual
Bob LaRosaDescription
For over 10 years, Fix My Hog has been producing the #1 how-to videos on Harley maintenance and performance.
One of our goals is to bring the Harley-Davidson service manual to life. We are another resource for you to go to when working on your pride and joy. Tools, manuals, videos, and products are all part of what you will need.
Haynes and Clymer have been producing how-to manuals for over 54 years. Writing each manual takes 30 man-weeks, with authors working as teams to shorten the production time and avoid fatigue during the difficult process. Hundreds of photographs accompany each manual’s step-by-step instructions. The books are written from the actual experience of Haynes’ own expert personnel using only a basic set of tools and presented in a style that any DIYer can follow, even a beginner. The DIYer can save a great deal of time and money, not to mention feeling proud of the job, by using a Haynes or Clymer book or online.
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Welcome to Fix My Hog. I'm Bob LaRosa. I know every video we've done every little tidbit of information that I've tried to pass on to you All referenced back to utilizing a good quality service manual. These days, Clymer and Haynes the Clymer manuals are brought to you by the Haynes Corporation. Are an invaluable reference for repairing your motorcycle. Year and model specific, the manuals are clearly laid out. They have nice indexes in the front that pinpoint you right to the troublesome or service-related area on your motorcycle. Most manuals, the newer ones come with a CD in the back. It has a nice flow chart section also includes complete colored wiring diagrams. Some manuals come with wiring diagrams in full color, laid out in the manual. But all the manuals probably the most important part are full of not only correct index troubleshooting tips and ideas correct service, the way it's laid out, the way you would take something apart and reassemble it. But they also come with dozens and dozens of numbered photographs that basically guide you through the entire disassembly and reassembly process. All these manuals are very good quality. Of course like any other tool, a service manual is a tool. Make sure your hands are clean when you're using it. You don't wanna be able to identify. I did a clutch way back when and all the pages are full of grease. You can't read them again or disturbs the nice finish of the manual itself. Keep your hands clean when you're working. Keep your manuals your reference material clean when you're working. Again Clymer manuals brought to you by Haynes are an invaluable resource. Again another resource in your arsenal for knowledge. When you go to service or you go to repair your motorcycle.
As a professional technical writer that works directly with manufacturers creating product support materials such as Service Manuals, your endorsement of Clymer/Haynes manuals is curious. At best, these "knockoff" manuals cover only the basics and are "generalized" to cover multiple model years with little regard to individual model year differences much less model production changes. Manufacturers invest a huge amount of money developing product support for training and warranty purposes only to have "posers" and YouTube idiots undermining their efforts. People, think about this, if you use a non-factory manual (or random video) and things don't turn out right, who do you blame? The correct answer is the manufacturer! Motorcycles, like nearly everything else, have become much more complicated due to integrated systems. If you want to change a tire or find a broken wire, buy the $30 Clymer manual. If you want to truly maintain, diagnose or repair YOUR bike, buy the $250 genuine factory manual. It's worth it!
I have always bought a Harley service manual and a parts manual, I'm not all that convinced by the Haynes manual, but clymer always make a good back up manual to accompany the Harley factory service manual, I don't know as well, but the older Harley manuals seems better than recent ones, the older manuals seemed to baby step you more through the process.
Bob, have bought H-D Service manual AND H-D Part manual [how else am i gonna get correct p/n f/my repairs/replacements?]f/each model Harley & Buell i own & work on. in your opinion, do i need Clymer/Haynes manual in addition? thanx f/input. marklewis