TOPIC:

Hello, I have a 1982 KZ550-A3, but my Clymer Manual only covers up until the 1981 model year. I found a downloadable pdf that covers up through 1985, but I prefer to hold a physical paper book in my hands while I'm in the garage with my bike. I've looked over the 1982 supplement for the online Clymer manual, and it seemed like most of the changes are for the H1, F1, and M1 models, as well as the ZX550-A1 and A2. I didn't see mention of my A3, aside from the wiring diagram and torque specs, which I've printed out. Does anyone know if the 1982 A3 model is different enough from the 81 to warrant referring to the online 1982 supplement rather than my 79 - 81 Clymer paperback?

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationNo eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationI would just bite the bullet and buy the correct Kawasaki manual.  Ed





 

In my opinion the factory manual, plus supplements, is vastly superior to a Clymer.  Physical copies can be found on ebay.  Just be sure to get one that already has the supplements.

wrote:

In my opinion the factory manual, plus supplements, is vastly superior to a Clymer.  Physical copies can be found on ebay.  Just be sure to get one that already has the supplements.

Agreed 100%!!

Mike
 

If you follow the links in my signature, I have links to several manuals and supplements.  You should download all of them for reference and comparison.

The 82 Kz550A3 is about as "standard" and classic as a Kz550 can get, but you will still want to check supplements for the odd change etc.  Depending on which "base" FSM you get, you will need the supplements for various things.  The first Kz500/550 had points and quite a few other minor differences. 

wrote:

If you follow the links in my signature, I have links to several manuals and supplements.  You should download all of them for reference and comparison.

The 82 Kz550A3 is about as "standard" and classic as a Kz550 can get, but you will still want to check supplements for the odd change etc.  Depending on which "base" FSM you get, you will need the supplements for various things.  The first Kz500/550 had points and quite a few other minor differences. 
 

I've actually been to your site before, it's super helpful and packed with loads of useful information. I've been looking through the manuals, and the one drawback is that the 79-83 400/500/550 FSM isn't a searchable document. The 79-81 FSM that's listed contains searchable text, so I can use the Find function (ctrl+f) to quickly navigate to the information I'm looking for, but the 79-83 FSM requires scrolling through all the pages until you stumble upon the appropriate section. Do you know if there's a searchable pdf out there somewhere for the 79-83 FSM?

If not, I might be able to make one using Adobe Acrobat's Optical Character Recognition (OCR). I've tried it before, and the program struggled to convert the whole 420 page document, but if I were to convert just the final 70 pages that make up the 82-83 supplement, then combine it with the 79-81 base FSM, which is already searchable, then that could give us a fully searchable 79-83 manual. The question is, are the two base manuals the same, or are there changes even before the supplement? I didn't fully understand if that's what you were trying to say in your last reply.

I'm quite sure that I don't understand the issue.  In your first posting you state ".....I prefer to hold a physical paper book in my hands while I'm in the garage with my bike."  In your last posting you state that "the 79-83 400/500/550 FSM isn't a searchable document"  and you mention other possible ways to electronically search documents.  Ed

wrote:

I'm quite sure that I don't understand the issue.  In your first posting you state ".....I prefer to hold a physical paper book in my hands while I'm in the garage with my bike."  In your last posting you state that "the 79-83 400/500/550 FSM isn't a searchable document"  and you mention other possible ways to electronically search documents.  Ed
 

I understand your confusion, as I am kind of all over the place in this thread. I would ideally prefer a physical book, but I'd rather not have to spend $60-80 to get one. And if I have to use a digital one, I'd much prefer one that allows me to easily search for the information I need. The digital FSM that contains the supplement for my model year is not searchable, and in my last posting, I was kind of thinking out loud about how I might come to some sort of intermediate solution without having to spend any money. I've played around with that software a little bit and it's kind of a PITA, but it could be worth revisiting. And even though I would prefer a hard copy, I'm sure plenty of people prefer electronic, so I could be willing to take another stab at if it's something that might be useful for other riders. 

Search KZ550 manual on ebay.  There are quite a few.  Several for $35 or less.  I found a super nice and clean one for my KZ750 for only $20 shipped.  Just be patient.  

Sounds good, I'll keep my eyes peeled. Thanks everyone.