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I read the owners manual and I read the service manual. I see a lot of questions on here from people that didn't read the manual. Forum is great for interpretation of some problems. It is easy to mis-read or mis-think a problem. One of the most obvious problems I see on here is over-thinking. Turning a small problem into something it isn't by not checking the obvious or easiest possible source first.
Owners manuals & Service manual are good, though they occasionally have contradictory information. I would not want to own or operate my bike without them.
I got an owners manual 1 week before delivery of my bike. I read it pretty much thru, ear-marked pages of interest, and a week later took posession of my bike. Tire and shock air pressure, checking fluids, setting the clock (you would think the dealer would have), bringing up and then changing security codes was a snap! If I loose the FOB I have the card from the manual in my wallet with manual starting instructions.
Every once in a while I'll answer questions from here on the forum that are pretty much laid out in the owners manual. Can't imagine I'll remember everything I read, but at least I know where to go to find it.
I guess I could add that while I DO read both the Owners Manual AND Service Manual for my bike, I DO NOT read Owners Manual's for a car/truck. There have been a few exceptions. I've owned 7 cages and I've used an Owners Manual a TOTAL of 4 times I'd guess. One I never even had an Owners Manual. BUT........I owned Service Manuals on ALL of them!!!
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One of the first things I do when I get a new vehicle (motorcycle or car) is come home and read through the owner's manual. When it's for a car, I usually sit in the driver's seat and read so I can see all the items discussed.
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