5 Reasons To Use a Professional Manual for DIY Motorcycle Repair

Clymer Manuals are an ideal addition to your DIY motorcycle repair kit.

Motorcycles are often ridden as a hobby or passion on special trips and voyages and are typically used to unwind and relax on the open road – either alone, or with a group of like-minded enthusiasts.

For millions of riders, motorcycles are a way to access motoring enjoyment on a higher level than with a daily-driven car, truck, or SUV. As such, when it’s time for a ride, the last thing the rider wants is a setback caused by a broken or worn part or some other maintenance-related issue.

That’s just why a Clymer® or Haynes repair manual is such an indispensable tool. Trustworthy, highly affordable, and incredibly detailed, these application-specific manuals provide in-depth information, instruction, illustration, and supplemental data on how to repair, service, inspect, and maintain your two-wheeled toys with confidence and ease.

Whether you’re doing an oil change, replacing brake pads, or tearing down and rebuilding the transmission, Clymer and Haynes manuals have you covered with the best instruction available, presented by the world-leaders in DIY repair.

Many new owners purchase a manual for their specific motorcycle up front, using it as a reference tool for the life of the vehicle. Available in both print and online versions, a Clymer manual is one of the most valuable tools a rider can keep in their toolkit. Unlike general repair and how-to guides, the Clymer manual puts decades of experience and expertise to work for riders who want detailed instruction and illustrations for quality servicing of their specific ride.

Below are five reasons to consider adding a Clymer manual to your DIY Motorcycle repair toolkit.

Clymer and Haynes offer up detailed manuals for most major motorcycle brands, including BMW Repair Manuals, Kawasaki Repair Manuals, Suzuki Repair Manuals, Honda Repair Manuals, Triumph Repair Manuals, and Harley Davidson Repair Manuals.

With instructions, tips, and illustrations geared to your specific motorcycle, each manual is filled with pertinent information, not generalized instruction that leaves you to figure out the finer details for yourself. Before you turn a single wrench, you’ll also understand the precise list of tools, supplies, and other provisions required for the job, which enables easy, fast, and frustration-free setup of your workspace.

Unlike owner forum write-ups and YouTube videos posted by just about everyone, Clymer and Haynes manuals provide instruction in a format proven over decades of experience with how-to guides created for thousands of vehicles. Most YouTube videos provide some limited insight on how to tackle certain repair jobs for certain makes and models, but only a Clymer or Haynes manual includes complete, authoritative instructions for virtually every repair and maintenance task, in one source. All manuals are application-specific, so you get everything you need for servicing your specific motorcycle – and nothing else. Supplemental information and helpful tips are built in, and no question or detail is glossed over. This helps enhance your safety, too – particularly given the importance of fully detailed instructions when it comes to servicing brakes, steering, and other components that directly affect your ability to control your motorcycle.

Clymer manuals are available in both printed books and in an online-accessible format that’s easily viewed via your smartphone, tablet or laptop. In either format, it’s easy for the reader to completely visualize the job, and the tools and supplies needed to tackle it before they begin. This takes the guesswork out of deciding whether to self-repair or visit a shop and can also help assess the feasibility of making a roadside repair, or calling a tow-truck, if the need arises.

Many riders consider bringing their Clymer manual along for the ride, especially on long-distance tours, in case of a mechanical setback. Bring the printed manual along in your bag, or simply pack your Smartphone with you for the trip: in any case, the detailed instructions of a Clymer or Haynes manual is perpetually at your fingertips.

Motorcycles are machines best ridden with loved ones – and whether you’ve got a young or future rider in your family, or typically travel with a significant other, motorcycle repair and maintenance can make a great bonding experience. If you long to ride but the weather isn’t cooperating, an afternoon spent in the garage inspecting, maintaining, and tuning up a pair of motorcycles makes a great way to pass the time and can ensure that each machine is in tip-top shape for their next voyage. With a Clymer manual at your disposal, repairs with a son, daughter, husband, or wife are easy, effective, safe, and stress-free.

With incredible detail and professional explanations, Clymer repair manuals allow riders to read through each step of the repair or service job at hand, determine if they have access to all required tools and supplies, and determine how long the job will take – all before starting the work. Stopping to scour the internet for additional instructions or clarification halfway through the job becomes a thing of the past since Clymer manuals fully explain every step required from start to finish, with application-specific instructions.

If your motorcycle needs work, consult your Clymer manual first – as the job may be simpler than you think. If that’s the case, you’ll save time and money versus visiting a shop for a repair. Often, a Clymer manual pays for itself the first time you use it and can leave you with extra hours to ride, rather than sitting in a waiting room at a dealer service department.