Shop manuals: Haynes or Clymer

Which is better?

Haynes seems to have better electrical drawings.

Clymer isn't available around here so I have no experience with them.

Chiltons seems to have better pictures and mechanical instructions.

Haynes.

Clymer manuals seem to have disagreements with reality, and even between pages in the same manual.

Wish Bentley was an option...

Haynes.

Factory, Haynes if factory cannot be had.

Thanks. I just ordered a Haynes.

haynes are good for toilet paper in a bind, otherwise worthless IMHO.

preferred order is factory, chilton, internet

In reply to patgizz:

+1

Where were you guys half an hour ago?

This is for my 1982 XL185S. I went with the Haynes because it covers 1978-87. The Clymer covers 1979-2003. Logic would dictate that would choose the Clymer for more coverage, but I figured that with the Haynes, I wouldn't have to filter through a lot of stuff that pertains to newer models.

is that a bike? for bikes i like clymer books

All of the above.

All of the above.

The Haynes will probably fine. I usually have two ( sometimes three) manuals for my cars. It seems what is not clear in one is presented differently in another and helps clear up any questions or confusion.

And you always have this place!

In reply to patgizz:

+1 (again)

patgizz wrote: haynes are good for toilet paper in a bind, otherwise worthless IMHO. preferred order is factory, chilton, internet

Unless of course you work on VW's or Fiats or anything else I have ever touched. The Chilton for VW rabbits is a giant hunk of crap with some very serious misinformation.

I have an old Chilton here that labels the fuel mixture screw in a VW CIS injection system as "idle speed adjustment" You know that mega sensitive screw in the fuel distributor that sets the fuel mixture for the entire curve? Yeah that one! The screw you should never touch without a CO analyzer connected and twisting it as much as 1/32nd of a turn can make the CO jump from 2 to 11%.

I honestly feel that particular chilton manual is why VW started installing a lead plug that has to be drilled out over the screw in 82.

IIRC the chilton also has incorrect info on setting base timing on Digifant era VW's as well. This isn't just info that is not covered. It is that they give you the wrong info.

I also think they try to be too widely focused. VW FWD 75-98 is a pretty big span for a book half the thickness of the proper manual of a particular model.

Knowing it's for a bike, I stand by my recommendation.

The CL350 and EX500 Clymers are both pretty awful. Bummed it seems to be the only thing available for the Kaw.

Factory is always best for me.