Road Glide banner

Shop Manual

3K views 15 replies 11 participants last post by  FLTRX24 
#1 ·
Was not sure where to post this: I'm looking to buy a shop manual for my 09, but $60 seems a bit much. Has anyone tried any of the downloadable manuals one can find on the internet?
Thanks
RDGL2009
 
#3 ·
$60 seems like a fair price to me. It's definitely worth it if you're going to use it. I paid $120 for my Big Dog service manual and it's not 1/2 as good as my Harley Manual. The online versions are usually old manuals and they're not easy to use. A service manual isn't always organized to be user friendly and it's much easier to flip the pages than to scroll on a computer. I don't know how familiar you are with manuals but I will explain. If you want to service your bike, you need to look in several different areas of the manual to get the information. If you want to change your oil, you look under "Engine Oil" in section 3 and to get the proper oil capacity you will need to go to the Quick Reference Data in section 1. You will be flipping around a lot; especially on the more difficult jobs. The manual will pay for itself after you first service.
 
#4 ·
it's much easier to flip the pages than to scroll on a computer...
Couldn't agree more. I also have a 2005 BMW R1200RT and I could only get the manual on a disk, no paper manual is available.

I didn't see it as a big deal until I did my first service. Total pain in the a$$ trying to run my laptop and turn wrenches at the same time. Greasy keyboard, no place to put notes to myself in the margin, difficult to navigate, glare on the screen, etc., etc., etc...

I'd spring for the paper one, and another $30 or so for the parts manual. When I left the dealership with my shiny new bike, both manuals were in the saddle bag.

Best money you'll ever spend on your bike...
 
#8 ·
Guys

60.00 is not a bad price for a book. You can take it to office max or kinko's and get it laminated.

It's the honest thing to do. Your really stealing from HD.
 
#9 ·
The book I bought for my Triumph was $120.00 but it is a ring binder and really top notch. 1/2 that price for a Harley Manual, which I would consider top notch as well, is an absolute steal. As someone else posted, you'll make up for it on 1 oil change.
 
#10 ·
You can get the service manual for as low as $28 on ebay,.. but its on a USB flash drive and you would have to print it out. There are also the real deal in paper for as low as $48 from Lake Shore Harley on ebay. Thats the way I went.
 
#13 ·
I didnt want to dish out 60 smackers either! But! I'm glad I did. It DID seem like ALOT of money at the time. I aint very computor savy.Hell my Dad only had a 6th grade education! BUT there was not a BETTER fixer on the Planet. He had every service manual there was to buy, x-cept when it came to fixn a Chevrolet. He new them like a manual!
 
#14 ·
I have the pdf manual. I just print off the pages I need and take them to the shop. If they get dirty, no big deal I just print off some more. Let's face it, there are only a handful of pages that are being used on a regular basis (brakes, wheels, fluids, etc.). I have the printouts in a folder and will use the same pages until they are shot.

I will say that using anything in pdf format takes some getting used to. At first I hated reading technical documents in this format, but I have done it so much through work that it no longer bothers me. I completely understand why some people prefer hard copies, they are easier to handle if that is what you are used to.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top