Do you have the service manual?

[boomerguy]

Originally Posted by Tomcatt

My '17 XL1200C I bought new (NOS) in Feb '19. I had the FSM included in the deal on the bike.

Likewise, mine came with the bike from the seller. Unfortunately, he didn't have the owner's manual and I eventually found one on eBay. It was still expensive but worth it. It has some info not in the FSM.

[Traxx]

I ended up with a electronic copy of both from Motor Manuals. $5 for each in a searchable PDF.

[boomerguy]

I like the hard copies so I can write in the margins, hi-lite certain areas and note the modifications I made to my bike that are different from OEM. I also make notes of VIN, dates, miles, sources of parts and people/places who do repairs. I'm an analog guy in a digital world.

[Bone]

Originally Posted by Traxx

I ended up with a electronic copy of both from Motor Manuals. $5 for each in a searchable PDF.

FYI, that's likely pirated.

[Rich1200]

The 1st thing I bought for the 2011 Nightster as I do for all my vehicles is all the factory manuals. Owners, Service, Parts, Electrical Diagnostic.

[Crusty]

Originally Posted by Rich1200

The 1st thing I bought for the 2011 Nightster as I do for all my vehicles is all the factory manuals. Owners, Service, Parts, Electrical Diagnostic.

[boomerguy]

Originally Posted by Crusty

Likewise. Note that the owner's manual has some extra info that the "Blue Bible" doesn't have and they actually supplement each other. Add equal parts of both plus a dash of this forum and you have an excellent recipe.

[Toejam503]

Originally Posted by boomerguy

Likewise. Note that the owner's manual has some extra info that the "Blue Bible" doesn't have and they actually supplement each other. Add equal parts of both plus a dash of this forum and you have an excellent recipe.

Now you're cookin'!

[RDHenley]

Originally Posted by boomerguy

I like the hard copies so I can write in the margins, hi-lite certain areas and note the modifications I made to my bike that are different from OEM. I also make notes of VIN, dates, miles, sources of parts and people/places who do repairs. I'm an analog guy in a digital world.

I never could get comfortable with writing in the margins of books. My elders always taught that books were to be respected and cherished. That said, sticky notes are one of the greatest inventions in the world for writing notes on and putting them in the appropriate page.

I'm with you on the analog guy in the digital world. Though I'll allow I wasn't too uncomfortable with the digital world until everything started going to touch screens.

[boomerguy]

Originally Posted by RDHenley

I never could get comfortable with writing in the margins of books. My elders always taught that books were to be respected and cherished. That said, sticky notes are one of the greatest inventions in the world for writing notes on and putting them in the appropriate page.

I'm with you on the analog guy in the digital world. Though I'll allow I wasn't too uncomfortable with the digital world until everything started going to touch screens.

I'm not against the digital world. I love the fact that I can immediately document all the steps I took and all the tools and parts I needed, to do a job. These are on Word Documents in my digital Folders for quick access so I can print them out and take out to the garage for the next time I do the job, or I just print them out for friends who are going to do the job. A lot of these pages are stuck in my hard copies of my factory manuals, owner's manuals or other books.
For me, it's not "either/or" digital vs analog. I just like the tactile nature of the books which have a ton of Post-It Notes and Post-It Markers in them.
Another nice thing about my system is being able to copy someone else's instructions, experiences, etc., and paste them into my Word Documents.