|
|
Motorcycle Book Store > Motorcycle books beginning with H
|
Honda 250-350cc, 1964-1974: Service, Repair, Performance |
Author: Ray Hoy
Published: 1978-01-01 |
List price: $34.95
Our price: $34.95
|
Usually ships in 10 to 14 days
As of: December 03rd, 2008 04:57:48 PM
|
|
|
Customer comments on this selection.
 Indispensable, but far from comprehensive.
Having recently purchased my first motorcycle (a 1972 Honda CL 350), I needed a guide to show me around the bike and provide detailed instructions on how to work on it. There ARE original Honda shop manuals available, but they're difficult to find and seem geared toward mechanics who just need the specs. The only alternative that i've found is this manual by Clymer.
The Clymer manual does somewhat get the job done as far as orienting you around the varioius systems on the bike. And it does provide enough essential specs and mechanical information to make it truly indispensable.
But only because it's our only option.
As indispensable as it is, I find it to be too unspecific at times. Unlike many other auto manuals I've dealt with before, this manual never tells me what size wrench I might need for the task at hand. It also, provides too many generalities for a book so specific to a particular model and time period. For instance, it offers advice on choosing a spark plug with the appropriate rating for my engine and driving conditions, but doesn't offer a single suggestion as to what that rating might be for THIS engine under NORMAL driving conditions! Furhermore, I'm used to manuals that offer a bit more in terms of practical advice for non-mechanics. This book often leads you through various steps of taking apart a certain component, but some are specific steps and others are totally vague. And once your done tearing it down, the manual will simply say to reassemble by following the instructions in reverse. Great...but is it a good idea for me to lubricate any of these parts before i return them to the bike? Are there recommended torque values for any of these bolts I'm tightening? are there any detailed photos of how this part fit into place if i don't remember? no. most of the time you just have to figure that stuff out. Which of course is doable in this day and age, but shouldn't be necessary with a $30 book in your hand.
At this point I'm pretty far into the task of rebuilding this bike I've acquired and have learned alot about it in the process. But I've done so by referencing a few sources simultaneously for each job:
1. the clymer manual
2. the original honda service manual and shop manual (pdf versions i luckily found online)
3. the original honda parts & assembly diagrams (viewable when you search for oem parts on bikebandit[...])
4. internet discussion board searches
This approach has served me fairly well at this point, but it's definitely time consuming. I would prefer to have most of what i need packaged in one detailed book. But so far Clymer's all we got.
 Better than old one
I have both the new book and the old one - the new one is better, but I agree with the other reviewer above that it misses the mark. It lacks full specifications, forcing you to go to the dealer or surf the web. I do recommend it (its cheap), but buy it as a thin reference guide only.
I hope you have experience...
This book is very cursory in coverage. It's too bad that honda will not release their shop book and parts manuals directly to the public. I rebuilt a 1969 CB 350 using this book and I was always going to the local dealer for help. Look elsewhere.
|
|
Our Motorcycle book picks:
|
|
Search the Motorcycle Products Store
LCS Amazon Store 2.5 © 2008
|
|
