How good are the Clymers Service Manuals compared to the HD Factory one? The Clymers are quite a bit cheaper but I dont want waste the coin if they are not worth it. This is for a softail that I picked up.

Thanks.

 

I don't know how technical the h-d manuals are, but the clymer is ok..it has everything you should need for adjustment's & spec's

 

There are softail manuals on ebay. I got my dyna manual for $48 today. GL

 

Clymers works fro me. But I'm machanicly inclined too.

 

I have the Clymers and serves me well. No sense in wasting money on the moco manual.

 

used the clymers manual to help with the install of 250 kit, trans work and primary work...all info was in it.

 

I like the Clymer for its color wiring diagram schematics and the manual is OK also. I buy the HD parts books for the models I work on and I also purchase the S.M. & electronic from HD. All have their place. The Clymer service lots of years where HD is year specific.

 

For a vehicle, I ALWAYS buy the factory manual, and one or two additional "popular"/"after-market" manuals. Had that compulsion since I was in High School and continue it to this day!

The reason being: EACH manual has its' own personality. A solution to a problem that just doesn't seem to "Sync" with you in the first manual, may make a very real connection with you in another manual.

It's a matter of broadening the "Knowlege Base" of the folks you choose as your "advisors"!!!

Money spent for the Factory Manual plus one or two aftermarket manuals is NOTHING compared to the 80-100 dollar an hour rates charged by many mechanics!

You wouldn't scrimp on the quality of your tools, would you??? Repair manuals are just tools made of paper... Don't scrimp on THEM, either!!!

Jim aka kiltiemon

 

I should have added, my friend...

That, as with Porsches and Harleys, there are a variety of "tutorials" on many subjects that have been compiled by enthusiasts of almost ANY interest you can think of that are available on the internet. The ones that are applicable to your bike (or any other "Beloved source of agrivation that you may be maintaing!) you can down-load to a memory device, and/or print up and put in loose leaf form in a binder.

When I travel in my recalcitrant, 24 year old Porsche, I carry (On a CD...) The Factory Parts Manual, The Seven Volume Factory Service Manual, Plus Four independent (and reliable compilations of) tutorials from a variety of internet sources. So... On a trip, Anything that my kit of wrenches cannot cure can STILL be cured by ANY GOOD wrencher with the help of my friendly databases!

Jim aka kiltiemon, aka Jim 944S, etc, etc, ad nauseum.........!!!

 

There is no comparison between the clymers and the HD manuals. The HD manual is the best. If you are going to do anything more than very basic maintenance on your bike get the HD book. It is an excellent investment.