SuzukiSavage.com - Clymers vs Official

Reelthing Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Fish or ride that is the question Posts: 5397 Houston,Tx Gender:	Re: Clymers vs Official Reply #15 - 04/12/07 at 10:38:40 and of course I don't get the updates on the used one but how many updates have happened in say the last 12 years not many Maybe the extra $40 is for the update service?
Back to top	IP Logged

Savage_Greg Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Don't go around your ass to reach your elbow... Posts: 7844 SW Washington State Gender:	Re: Clymers vs Official Reply #16 - 04/12/07 at 10:55:05 Updates would at least include a spec. sheet in the back section for each year...I think. I feel incomplete now
Back to top	IP Logged

praetorian

Ex Member

Re: Clymers vs Official
Reply #17 - 04/12/07 at 11:09:37

T140V wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:04:

Greg_650 is right. I certainly didn't mean any offense praetorian. Since you are an accomplished mechanic the Clymers guide made it easy for you. A service manual would benefit a person such as yourself. If noshow wants to learn something about working on a " motorcycle" the Clymers Guide {and that's just what it is, a guide} would be a good starter book.

The Clymers guide will tell you how to find things such as crankshaft runout in a step by step descripion. The service manual will assume you already know how to do that and will only give you a measurement. I think it's really great you rebuilt that bike useing the Clymer's Guide. I'm just saying it would take me twice as long to read through the Clymers as it would to use the service manual. Sometimes the Clymers will put the technical data in with the discription and you have to go back and forth looking for the information you need at hand.

I have 5 or 6 Clymers/ Chilton guide's in my collection but I prefer the service manuals for quick referance. The LS650 service manual cost me $82.00 with the tax. I expected it to cost about that. The manual for my Ford pickup cost me $150.00, it has 5 books and is 6 inches thick. I wouldn't expect someone who is inexperienced to be able to use it. However the Clymers would be much thinner and involve one book. The Clymers can be very incomplete and sometimes down right wrong on their information.

I see what you mean now. I CAN say that there were definately times when I had to fight thru droning descriptions to get to the little bit of info that I needed in the clymer. I may have to keep an eye out for a SSM for my '96 Savage.

Back to top

IP Logged

Reelthing Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Fish or ride that is the question Posts: 5397 Houston,Tx Gender:	Re: Clymers vs Official Reply #18 - 04/12/07 at 13:51:53 Savage_Greg wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:04: Updates would at least include a spec. sheet in the back section for each year...I think. I feel incomplete now for the first time?
Back to top	IP Logged

Rockin_John

Serious Thumper
Alliance Member

Offline

Posts: 1562
+36° 10' , -95° 48'
Gender: male

Re: Clymers vs Official
Reply #19 - 04/12/07 at 14:25:05

Just a side-bar, as the pos/neg of the Clymer's vs SSM have already been well covered... Someone else mentioned Haynes Manuals. Given my preference, I wish they had one out on the Savage.

I like Chilton's manuals for complete instructions and data.

The MSM (Master Service Manual) for anything is always nice; because it contains ALL the data.

Clymer's, as mentioned, is good for beginner maintenance, or those that only need a few tips here and there.

But I love Haynes manuals. They show and tell it all in both shade-tree and master mechanic readability levels. And the tech data is usually shown in more than one location: As you read through; or inset illustrative text box and/or pictures; or in addendum. Not only that, they often assume that you are working without factory tool#- @#$ - %&@#*!!!$$$ and they will show a way to complete the job without special tools. I've even seen cases where they show how to make your own substitute tools. Now THAT'S how a service manual for all levels should be written.

It was mentioned that Haynes manuals are from England. But I think maybe some are written and edited down-under, or from South Africa, as they show the kind of ingenuity and common sense once found in the U.S.A. (many decades ago).

Back to top

IP Logged

Savage_Greg Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Don't go around your ass to reach your elbow... Posts: 7844 SW Washington State Gender:	Re: Clymers vs Official Reply #20 - 04/12/07 at 14:26:49 Reelthing wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:04: for the first time? Best I can remember
Back to top	IP Logged

T140V

Ex Member

Re: Clymers vs Official
Reply #21 - 04/12/07 at 22:51:37

$75.00 plus tax is the going price around here for the manual so I bought it from the dealer where I took it in for it's first service. The manual for my Triumph was $67.00 plus tax in 2004 and is a much bigger book. The updates are a quarter inch thick for the Savage. Unfortunatly I couldn't find an official service manual on ebay, all they had were Clymers.

The warranty is most critical on that first service. They are supposed to tighten every bolt on the bike. Funny thing is the exhaust bolts were loose when I came home. Sure am glad I have that book, the bike won't be going to anymore service departments accept my garage. Wink

Back to top

IP Logged

sparkett

Full Member

Offline

never ride faster
than your guardian
angel flys!

Posts: 168
central florida
Gender: female

Re: Clymers vs Official
Reply #22 - 04/13/07 at 07:57:24

I have both Grin

the only difference i found is that the service manual has a better layout. The clymer's is good, but read the whole section FIRST!, they some times will walk you through and then say "dont forget to....." Shocked

argggg, take it apart and add that step, then continue. not a problem, unless you waited 6 weeks for the gaskets. and bugger one up trying to back up a few steps!! :'(

Back to top

1987 pet thingy, dyna muffler,dyna jet carb,K&N cone filter, still working on her!

IP Logged