motorcycle repair manual

[crazypete24]

I recently bought a used 2003 suzuki katana 600 and want to get a repair manual. Both haynes and clymer only have manuals for years up to 1996. Does this mean there weren't any significant changes made to warant a new one and this would be fine for my 2003?

[safety-boy]

Usually, if the guide covers several year models, it will list as such (1990-1995 models, as an example).

Avoid Haynes guides. They are worthless. The Clymer I had was good.

The older model guide might be useful. See if the engine name is the same. That might indicate how basically useful it will be.

--Dave

[DivideOverflow]

http://www.allbookstores.com/book/18596 ... sx750.html
Click on the "compare prices" thing to get a list of a bunch of stores selling them for better prices.
Enjoy.

[2will]

I have been reading this:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/bookse ... 4798&itm=7

recently and find it to be incredibly informative. It won't tell you the ins and outs of your particular bike, but I think what it offers is even more valuable: an understanding of motorcycle systems and how they work, as well as general maintenance and repair procedures. It also has pretty detailed sections on tools and fasteners.

If you take the kind of knowledge a book like that gives you and combine it with the factory factory service manual for your specific bike, I think that combo will blow Haynes/Clymer out of the water.

a heads up...if you shop around for this particular book make sure you don't accidentally buy the softcover workbook, which is not the same as the text.

[Sev]

I have been reading this:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/bookse ... 4798&itm=7

recently and find it to be incredibly informative. It won't tell you the ins and outs of your particular bike, but I think what it offers is even more valuable: an understanding of motorcycle systems and how they work, as well as general maintenance and repair procedures. It also has pretty detailed sections on tools and fasteners.

If you take the kind of knowledge a book like that gives you and combine it with the factory factory service manual for your specific bike, I think that combo will blow Haynes/Clymer out of the water.

a heads up...if you shop around for this particular book make sure you don't accidentally buy the softcover workbook, which is not the same as the text.

HAHAHA, that's the text we're using in my course! Of course we have to scratch out aprox 1/3 of what's written in there to replace it with the correct stuff.

It won't teach you how to work on your specific bike, but it will give you an idea of how everything works, and how to go about fixing it if it isn't working right.

Of course it also tells you that there are only 4 types of motorcycles... so like everything else in print, take it with a large grain of salt. Much of what's in there is dated and what isn't can on occasion be outright wrong.

[Flting Duck]

Get the manual (I lean rwoards Clymer too) but, more importantly, find a good on-line forum for your bike.

[Koss]

Oh nice, I need to pick up a copy

[crazypete24]

thanks for the help,

i got a manual and have done some repairs. nice.

[Johnj]

There is nothing wrong with Haynes manuals. They're written in 'British' English.

[crazypete24]

i actually got a haynes manual and it worked fine for me. it was in british english and a lot of stuff in metric, but conversion is pretty easy