Topic: Clymer or Haynes manual to CB 550

[bmh]

Whats the best manual to CB 550, Clymer or Haynes?








Regards from Norway!

[mj_honda]

I don't have any info on your specific needs but I have found the the Haynes manual for my 78 750k to be just okay. They seem great if you have actually done that type of work before. Since I haven't they don't have enough information for my needs. I would not want it as my only reference so I found myself an actual Honda shop manual. Look here:

http://www.honda4fun.com/man_officina/man_officina.html

Combine this with a Haynes or Clymer and you should be good to go.

[cbass*gxc]

bmh are you wanting to order one or are you wanting to download one?  If you would like I can upload the whole thing in one pdf file.  They have it here for download but it is in separate pieces and the one complete one in the FAQ's doesnt work.  Anyways let me know.

edit - Actually it is uploading so give it 20 minutes and I will post a link.

[76 cb550]

someone should remove that manual and replace it with a higher quality version.  The pictures in that PDF are practically useless.

here is the good one
manual


EDIT:

owners manual 74
honda common service manual

[cbass*gxc]

Yep that is the good one.  Thanks 76 now I can stop the download.

[76 cb550]

no problem

If you don't know much about mechanics I strongly recommend you read the entire honda common service manual.  It's very helpful

Also I have the honda service manual, the honda common service manual, the haynes manual, and the clymers manual and I am glad I do.  Seems like everytime I work on the bike I read one of the manuals at random and ask myself "what the hell are they talking about" then I read one of the others and usually I can figure it out.  Multiple sources are very helpful

[cbass*gxc]

You got all those in pdf format?  Or links to them.  I would love to book mark those.

[76 cb550]

No sorry
The haynes and clymers are paper...although I could scan them if I was properly motivated (a  nice please and an explanation of how to put them in PDF should do) And the owners manual link isn't working...I have it saved though...I think

here is the owners manual I have
owners manual 74

and I'll look for a link to the common service manual

[bmh]

You guys are just great!
Thanks a lot!






Regards from Norway!

[76 cb550]

I edited my last post bmh it has the owners manual link in it...didn't want you to miss it.  it's helpfull with some things

honda common service manual

Anyone got the index for this thing?  I can't find it.  I know someone on here has it hiding away on there hardrive or in a bookcase.

EDIT: to answer your original question clymer's is better IMHO

[Artfrombama]

Just received H131 Haynes manual for 69-79 CB750 from repairmanuals.com.

Really disappointed.
Printed on poor quality "grocery sack" paper, the pictures are so dark and blurred you can't see any details.

$32.41 up a hog's butt   

[MoTo-BunnY]

While Honda OEM manual is the way to go, if you had to just have one, its nice to have several from different manufacturers to cross-reference. Sometimes something might not be too clear and better explained in a different manual.

Haynes and Clymer manuals are all over feeBay pretty cheap - NO reason to pay any more than $25 for either unless you are soooo anal-retentive that you can't deal with some fingerprints on it.



Also, there are many editions of each. Regarding the Clymer manual, look for THIS version:



Early Clymer manuals use higher quality illustrations (which are straight out of the Honda manuals) while later versions use crappy hand-drawn versions (I think Honda told Clymer to quit using their images, at some point or something)



Here is another manual many of you probably haven't heard of:



Its by Intertec (sic?) and is kinda neat - it covers ALL the CB cycles, to some degree. Its rather minimal but has real good illustrations and is a nice compliment to other manuals.



There is also the Drake manual:



Another manual that's nice to have as a compliment to the Honda OEM - similar to the Intertec.


(for those that don't know, I sell automotive-construction-farm-cycle manuals and literature for a living - and no, I don't have any of these manuals currently for sale. 

[NShahdadi]

Does anyone have the updated links for either of those manuals posted above? Would really like to find a PDF of the Common Service. Thanks!