Is the Haynes manual worth getting

[Mick550]

As a new proud owner of a K1, I was wondering if the Haynes manual is a good addition, or is there an alternate publication that's better, as it seems to be "unpopular" in some quarters ? 
I have downloaded the shop manual from the "cave", which seems to cover everything anyway, so would value opinions as to whether this would be all I'll every need?

[Nurse Julie]

Personally, I would say yes, get the Haynes. It's the combination of the Shop Manual and Haynes that will help you but, there are errors in both so best to ask on here if not sure about something.

[Bryanj]

Haynes is a reasonable priced book for the diyer whilst the Honda shop book was written for dealer mechanics so assumes basic knowledge.
As Julie says there are mistakes in both and some of the Haynes ones are really anoying whilst the Honda ones are mostly bad translation, though not all

[AshimotoK0]

I have never scanned my 500/4 Haynes manual to pdf but I did my CB750 one and the scan is in my Droobox links. Seeing as my 500 one is falling apart I can auto scan it to pdf at work if there is any interest. Personally I see the Haynes ones as a good addition to the Honda Shop manuals. Problem with the Honda ones were that they were done very early when the model was introduced and never really updated other than Service Bulletins being issued to dealers.

[MCTID]

Nobody bit when I posted this FREEBIE back in June....but it is still here if anyone wants it.

'Haynes Manual for CB350 and CB500 Fours up for grabs.......it is 'as new' as I didn't keep my CB500 for long.

Just pay for the postage and make a suitable donation to the sohc Forum and it's yours'.

[deltarider]

That Haynes has been translated in German, Dutch and maybe other languages. As far as the CB500 it is useful for the UK models, not for the CB500K2 GENERAL EXPORT: too many differences.

[AshimotoK0]

Why don't you bring something useful to the party DR ... same old same old ... Its SOHC.co.uk BTW

[deltarider]

Why don't you bring something useful to the party DR ... same old same old ... Its SOHC.co.uk BTW

Why the Brits didn't forbid Japanese bikes to enter their market, remains a miracle to me.
Ash, first, you can-not-image the frustrations we have had all those years the Haynes manual was the only available. Nothing seemed to match a 100%. It drove us crazy.
Now that all models surface anywhere, I thought it good to warn K2 owners to stick to the original Honda Shop Manual. It is free available, in a good resolution. So far my advice in general.
Now to the OP. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Mick own a 550K1? Is that model in the Haynes manual? Not in my Haynes which deals with the CB400F, CB550F and CB550K3. Over to you, Ash.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

It is a tenuous connection to the original topic but back in the  mid 1960's a young engineering photographer named John Colley used to moonlight doing Commercial Photography mainly at weekends IIRC he worked at R.R back then in the engineering department somewhere. A few years later in around 1973/4 he did some new model launch photos at the Car Dealership where I worked in BoT.

In around 2014/5 when collecting a Merc from a customer I noticed the name J Colley on the Job Card, I had not seen him since around 1973/4 so I asked him if he used to be a photographer at RR Derby, it was the same John Colley. He was not fully retired, he has a website if you google him.http://www.johncolley.com/

I had a really interesting chat with him, he went on to tell me he went self employed after winning a lucrative  contract to photograph for the Haynes manuals in the UK. Judging by his nice rural house he clearly had done well for himself. He went on to tell me that when Haynes was bought out they dumbed down on the quality & detail as part of the cost cutting drive. By this time he was well known in the right circles so stopped the Haynes work, he has clearly done quite well for himself.

[Mick550]

Cheers all. I’ll be adding the Haynes to my Christmas list...