As it's the time of year for heated grips, all manner of electrical and battery problems I thought this might be useful.
                       www.gs500e.co.uk/wire.jpg

With both of us scanning and posting various bits, Haynes may never sell another manual to the folks on this board!  That would be a shame.

Come on, folks!  How can you resist the COLOR wiring diagrams?  Order your own copy today!   :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:

(No, I'm not affiliated with Haynes and I don't get any kind of kickback.   I just happen to like the manual.)

Not true! I just obtained the Haynes manual today! Granted, I had to get someone who was visiting the other side of the country to grab it for be because the East Coast is a bit of a backwater, but I got it!

YAY! No more irritating Kerry with my stupid questions!

R.

Thanks, I feel vindicated now..........

Oops, I got a Haynes manual intended for the UK market... all the torque settings are in newton metres.  Oh, well, now I have an excuse for any future broken case cover bolts.

Kerry,

I already own a Clymer manual.  I've read numerous recommendations for the Haynes manual over the Clymer, but can you describe the advantages of the Haynes over the Clymer (aside from the cool color wiring schematic).  

Quote from: JLKasperKerry,

I already own a Clymer manual. I've read numerous recommendations for the Haynes manual over the Clymer, but can you describe the advantages of the Haynes over the Clymer (aside from the cool color wiring schematic).

For some of my previously stated opinions on this topic, see the thread Service manual... and the threads referenced from there.

You won't hear me say that the Haynes manual is the hands-down better of the two.  I think the two manuals work well together.

The "beginning biker" (like I was) will appreciate the checklists in the front of the Haynes manual.  Right after the introductory stuff is a list of daily (or per-ride) checks, with step-by-step instructions.  Right after that is Chapter 0, which lists and gives instructions for all of the scheduled or to-be-expected maintenance tasks:

* Every 600 miles
* Every 1000 miles
* Every 2000 miles
* Every 4000 miles
* Every 2 years
* etc.[/list:u]The subsequent chapters are organized by subsystem like the Clymer, but each begins with an index of the sections in the chapter.  

This is something the Clymer manual desperately needs.  If you need to find the steps for a particular procedure, you're stuck thumbing through the Clymer chapter until you happen to run across what you're looking for.

On a related note, here's a quick example of how the Clymer manual does "cross referencing" between chapters:

[Chapter 8, page 234]

CARBURETORS
Removal/Installation

1. Park the bike on the centerstand on level ground.
2. Remove the seat and frame side covers as described in

Chapter Thirteen.
3. Remove the fuel tank as described in this chapter.
4. Disconnect the battery negative (-) lead as described in Chapter Three.
[...][/list:u]Where the Clymer tells you a chapter to hunt through, the Haynes gives you a chapter and section number (yes, each section is numbered!).

Data like torque settings, service limits (spark plug gaps, clutch lever freeplay, etc.) appear at the BEGINNING of each chapter in the Haynes manual.  The Clymer manual stashes such data at the END of each chapter.  No big deal, but something to be aware of.

In my opinion the photos in the Haynes manual are usually a bit more clear than in the Clymer, but the Clymer usually has some photos that the Haynes doesn't (or which are taken from a different angle), and vice-versa.  The same is true of diagrams and charts - the two manuals complement each other nicely.

I haven't compared the indexes side by side, but the Haynes index seems more exhaustive, especially given the smaller page count.

====================================

So far I have concentrated on the things the Haynes manual does better.  Now I need to state categorically that I would not split the engine cases (for example) without the Clymer manual handy.  The Clymer does include extra information in many cases, and indispensable information in several situations.

I don't remember the Haynes manual having anything like Chapter 1: General Information in the Clymer manual.  Clymer's Chapter 2: Troubleshooting has a rough equivalent at the end of the Haynes manual, but again I see them as complementary.

====================================

If I had to take a stand I would say that the Haynes manual is the better choice for the new biker or the biker that doesn't plan to tackle hairy mechanic-level jobs.  Such a person would never use 1/3 of the information in the Clymer manual.  And the better organization of the book makes those first few (and all subsequent) maintenance tasks that much less frustrating.

The experienced wrencher who has to choose a single manual should probably go with the Clymer.  But I hope that over time I have shown the utility of some of the charts and other information unique to the Haynes manual even for these folks.

Bottom Line?  I'm glad I have them both!

And now I think I've said quite enough on the subject.  (Whew!)

Kerry,

Wow!  Talk about a thoughtful response...  I agree with you about the Clymer's shortcomings.  I think their layout was fixed in the time when removing a gas tank and other seemingly simple maintenance tasks was pretty much self-explanatory, instead of the relatively arduous ordeal it has become.  Clymer would be well served to incorporate some of Haynes' finer virtues, specifically the chapter overview.