Best Repair Manual?

[Anonymous]

Hi folks, my first post here. I'm the proud owner of an '81 GS850GL.

I just ordered a Clymers manual for it online, so it'll be a couple days to get here, but still I am wondering: Which manual is best. Are there factory manuals available? Also, does anyone have a source for the microfiche on CD rom?

This poor baby has spent a few years outside in the New Hampshire weather, so it needs a lot of care. I did get the engine to turn over pretty good, but can't get a spark. The wiring looked as if it had a meltdown or two, and I've spent a couple hours splicing out the badly-corroded connectors in an attempt to keep some form of continuity. Any suggestions/advice here on what to look for next would be priceless!

Thanks in advance, and THANK YOU, HISPL for sending me here. :-)

Pally

[bwringer]

I bought both Haynes and Clymers manuals from eBay, and it's been well worth it. Not very expensive, either.

Of course, there have been occasions when the books disagree and they're both wrong, but that's what thegsresources.com is for...

In general, you'll find that often one book will explain something better or have a better photo than the other, so having both is valuable.

I don't have the Suzuki manuals, but the word is that they are fabulous. And fabulously expensive and hard to get.

I would also love to dig up a set of microfiches or microfiche printouts, so I'll keep an eye on this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anyone know where I can possibly buy a factory manual for my bike?

[Anonymous]

I got a factory shop manual on eBay and a parts CDROM from Zedder Ent. at http://www.zedder.com.

[Anonymous]

Anyone know where I can possibly buy a factory manual for my bike?

Try your dealer. I ordered one for my 82 GS1100E a couple of weeks ago and I just received a call yesterday that it is in. Price was about $92CDN (about $70USD at current rates). Yes it costs more than a Haynes ($35CDN) or a Clymers ($50CDN) and it should be worth every penny. I always try to buy a true factory manual for every bike I own and they are ALWAYS so much better than the others that I never regret the extra money it cost. Nobody knows your bike like the people who manufactured it...

My $0.02

Mark

[crc1214]

The first manual I had for my bike was a Suzuki shop manual I found on e-bay. And then a guy at our local Japanese Bike Salvage shop here in Columbus talked me into buying a Clymer manual. In my opinion, the Clymer was actually MUCH better.

The pictures in the Suzuki manual are much more clear and detailed, but the actual processes and instructions are spelled out better in the Clymer manual. And the Clymer manual gives suggestions and alternatives to all those damned "Special tools" listed in the Suzuki manual. And weird stuff gets lost in the translation from Japanese to English (in my manual at least).

However, the specs in my Clymer manual differ from the Suzuki manual, and I ALWAYS use the specs listed in the Suzuki manual. That is what I use that manual the most for - and the clear pictures.

Chad
Columbus, OH 1978 GS550E

[Anonymous]

The pictures in the Suzuki manual are much more clear and detailed, but the actual processes and instructions are spelled out better in the Clymer manual.

True enough. The factory manuals do assume you have had the OEM course on that bike, so they often skip little things that were explained to their own mechanics. I have always found the better pictures and spec info (torques, capacities, etc) to more than make up for the less detailed instructons, though. This is just a good excuse to have several manuals, though. Tell that to the wife, anyway...

Mark