This is for my 92 Gixxer 750, but I think it may apply to everyone. Is the 75 dollar asking cost for the Zuki manual worth it?
Speaking from my experience on the matter makers manuals tend to contain more information in the way of service limits for component parts, details on yearly model variations and detailed test procedures and go/no-go figures for particular components and systems. Downside is that as they are intended for use by professional workshop staff they assume that you are using proper manufacturers service tools and already have a good understanding about how the bike/engine comes apart and how certain parts/systems function. As such they tend to miss some of the finer points. If you are doing just basic service/repair work Haynes and Clymer are more than enough, if you want to go into serious engine/gearbox rebuilds etc, makers manuals are the better option.
Have you tried e-bay for a used manual, thats where I got my (unused) GS5 manual from for a fraction of the new price.
There are .pdf versions of the factory service manual floating around on the net. Don't spend $75 on it, it's not worth it. I use the Haynes manual primarily and it's really excellent. The FSM is laid out in a more direct manner and some elements are better than the Haynes (proper torque values are listed right on the exploded diagrams in whatever section you're looking at; Haynes lists all the values at the beginning of the chapter so you have to constantly flip back to reference them). The Haynes book has some good photographs and explanations which are almost completely absent in the factory manual.
I suggest buying the Haynes (or Clymer) book and downloading the fsm. You can just print out the applicable pages and use them along side the book.
Send me a PM with your email addy... I might be able to do something for you, need to do some checking and see...
Look on the net - ebay in particular and on sites like the maxim's xjbikes.com - people have scanned in factory manuals on CD. Buy those and print it out. BTW Yea a manual on a laptop is BS. You cant look at it and work in your driveway.
Cool.
Srinath.