Harley-Davidson Workshop Manuals: Where to Get the Information

There are times when we can't directly access our passion: riding motorcycles or performing maintenance and mechanics. But this doesn't mean we can't continue enjoying what we love and take advantage of the opportunity to consolidate and expand our knowledge.

Nowadays, there are a multitude of resources, both physical (paper) and electronic, that allow us to obtain information on features, maintenance, spare parts, etc. It's also important to keep in mind that brands are becoming more transparent when it comes to providing access to technical information to the general public, and, combined with online databases, forums, social networks, and the like, it's usually relatively easy (and inexpensive) to find what we need.

Types of information

When we want to obtain some information about our motorcycle, depending on the characteristics of said information, we will have to use certain resources:

• Owner's Manual : This is the "instruction book" typically delivered with the vehicle. It contains detailed information on operation, maintenance, and basic maintenance. This is essential to make the most of your machine's features.

• Official Workshop Manual : This manual covers all maintenance, disassembly, diagnostics, repair, and assembly operations related to the models covered. It's the most comprehensive manual used by professionals, but sometimes a bit complicated for amateurs. This manual is considered the most important tool in any workshop. It sometimes contains so much information that it's divided into volumes, usually one dedicated to mechanics and another to electrical and electronic diagnostics.

• Alternative workshop manuals : These are generally produced by specialized motorcycle publishers, such as Clymer, Haynes, Motorbooks, and others. These manuals are geared toward the amateur enthusiast and are usually quite comprehensive and include many photographs and explanations. They aren't as complete as professional manuals, but they cover virtually all the operations you can perform on your motorcycle in a more user-friendly manner.

• Explosion proof manuals : Formerly called microfiche, these books contain information about each vehicle component (from a complete wheel to the smallest screw), along with its location and part number. They are essential for identifying spare parts. Nowadays, they are mostly used in electronic format.

• Updates and Service Bulletins : Manufacturers often publish short documents with specific troubleshooting and procedure updates that complement the workshop manuals. These documents specify the latest updates, so it's a good idea to read them. They're not easy to find, as they're generally intended only for the brand's professionals.

Other technical literature (in English, of course)

We live in the information age, even in our field, which means we have a vast amount of literature, courses, tutorials, etc. at our disposal to learn and advance our knowledge. The problem is that quality information is usually in English, so it's best to be comfortable with its terminology. In any case, keep in mind that it's much easier to understand a technical publication if you know what it's talking about than it is to have a casual conversation with an English speaker.

The good news is that one of the best books for beginners in motorcycle mechanics is written in Spanish: I'm referring, of course, to "Motocicletas" (Motorcycles), by Arias Paz, a professor of Army engineering. If mechanics are your thing, you have to read it.

From here, we have to turn again to publishers such as Motorbooks (with a multitude of interesting titles), Haynes (whose publications are used as textbooks in technical training schools around the world), SA Design (who publish the high-performance and competition books of the famous Smokey Yunick), etc.

Online resources

Below is an example of resources you can find online, geared toward the Harley-Davidson brand, although you can find similar ones for any other brand:

• Workshop Books : At Harley-Davidson SIP you can access workshop books and all official resources as if you were a dealer, in exchange for a modest fee, which you can pay hourly, daily, monthly or annually.
• Exploded views : The website of the American distributor Ronnies is the most famous when it comes to finding the updated reference of the part you need, as it uses the brand's official program.
• Tutorials and training : There are many quality resources for learning, such as the YouTube channel of high-performance equipment manufacturer S&S Cycle or Kevin Cameron 's. Of course, you can also watch technical videos from California Motorcycles .

Remember that books are the most important tool when it comes to repairing and diagnosing your motorcycle. They'll save you time and money, and expand your skills and abilities.

Frank Burguera

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