Your Motorcycle Manual And Fiche Are Your Friends

On another page, I go into detail about my sudden discovery that a simple but mandatory part of my motorcycle is missing. Namely, the document tray, which holds the most basic of tools and keeps the battery secured, was missing when I bought the motorbike (used). Not having the part wasn't enough for me to realize it wasn't there.

You can easily resolve that pattern issue by mentally adjusting your overall motorcycle maintenance philosophy.

To start, always buy and read through your shop manual and fiche (Haynes, Clymer or otherwise). I'm beginning to think it's time to order a second copy for my bathroom. While some of the information inside translates poorly when put to practice, its component reference makes the overall idea of how your motorcycle operates far clearer.

In essence, had I read it as a work of science, I'd have noticed in the chapter that mentions battery removal an important element that I'd never seen before (the document tray in question).

The wording in your average motorcycle shop manual is, for the most part, scaled down to absolute brass tax. It's a minimal compilation of ordered grammar and mathematical perspective that aims to get you through a given process in a timely manner (yeah, right). I joke a little because a manual's description of more robust maintenance tends to be missing crumbs here and there no matter what manual you buy.

What's most important, however, is that the person performing the necessary maintenance avoid skimming through the written instructions. Again, the manual strips down core attributes to guide what you must do to properly maintain your motorbike. To blindly ignore a single sentence might cost you a lot of money. Keep your wallet in your pocket. These things are pretty easy to read!

Then there's the fiche (I love the fiche). It's the Playboy centerfold of the motorcycle manual world. When I learned that something should hold my battery in place, I smacked my forehead, realizing that I'd never gone online to view the fiche for my largest bike. Fellow owners mention the danger of a battery fire or electrical short due to condensation. My wife and I rode for days on end completely ignorant of any threat. It was a phantom issue. I didn't know I needed the missing part. In hindsight, a quick cross-check of the manual and fiche would have saved me the trouble.

If you combine your motorcycle's shop manual with an online motorbike parts fiche, you gain an operational understanding of how your motorbike behaves when you enact specific functions. The manual provides a formulaic representation of "how (x) happens when (y) activates in conjunction with (z)", all in a dialog that's simple to keep track of. Equally important is that it also precisely informs you about how and when you are to replace, rebuild or adjust a given part.

Read and analyze your manual and fiche! If you find yourself excited, take 'er for a ride ;-)

What Manual Do You Prefer?

Haynes and Clymer are the two best known providers of motorcycle manuals. Do you know of another? Which do you prefer and why? Your input is invited. Leave a comment and/or write an article!