Putting Workshop Manual online: a good idea?

[NFG]

I've started working on something that seems important to me, but I'm not sure if I'm alone in that.  Basically, the old service manuals are all scanned images, and so cannot be searched or copied, etc.  I started putting the 1994 M900 service manual online:

http://nfgworld.com/ducatiguide/doku.php

It's a wiki, which means anyone can correct mistakes or add tips, etc.  Does this seem useful?  Am I recreating a wheel here?  It's time consuming, each page takes 10-30 minutes to type up, but...  If no one's done this already then it seems to be a good idea to me.  I much prefer to read these pages in this format than in the PDF manuals, but I don't want to get too deep into it if someone's already done this or if electronic (non-scanned) versions already exist.

Any thoughts?

[ducatiz]

it's a great make the beast with two backsing idea but seems very work intensive if you are copying the factory workshop manual.

i think what would be cool would be a model-specific wiki for all the various maintenance tasks, but well written and edited by many, wiki style.

but it is a good start..  nice! 

[NFG]

Well I had kind of figured on two things:

1. Other people might join in, and

2. Some bikes would have similar/identical pages, between years or models.

I'm going to do as much of the 1994 M900 manual as I can stand before my hands fall off or I get bored.  I'm not in a rush and I'm doing it because I'd like it to be done, and I figure others can benefit from my efforts.  if anyone/everyone joins in and starts putting pages together, well hey, a hot new internet resource is born.  =)

very work intensive if you are copying the factory workshop manual.

Definitely, however I'm better with webpages than I am with bike maintenance, so this is my launchpad.  If people with more experience can add to this starting point, we all benefit.  

UPDATE: As you can see, progress happens quickly enough...  It's fun, I type and I learn.  =)

[ducatiz]

i have about 100 lbs of manuals lying around, going back to the 70s.  i've scanned many of them.  i'm debating putting the effort in to scan the 90s supersport manual (93-97, covers the 600, 750 and 900 for all years as well as the 350/400 models in an addenda)...  .. it's like 600 pages, so i have been putting it off...

i have paso 750, sport 750, a few cagivas, all scanned if you're interested in using them...

[NFG]

I can't believe so much of this stuff isn't online electronically already. 

I've got my own server and all the storage in the world...  I'll definitely give your scans a home if you like, but I reckon I'll stick to typing in only the manuals for things I own.  My altruism has limits.  =)

I should really investigate some OCR software... 

[Justo]

Great idea. But what if some noob decides to edit and gets it wrong.

Ive seen some dodgy assed crap added to wikipedia.

ive got the digial version of the M696 if ya want to add it to your library.

[NFG]

Justo: Generally speaking people who know what they are doing will notice and fix errors introduced by newbs.  When someone tells you to use a 13mm fish to blazphaz your shimstock, you can tell it's totally bad advice (use a 15mm, duh) and fix it.

Of course, it's always a risk, but I've run a tech site this way for years and no one's caught fire yet.  =)

I've finished my work on it for today, having completed both the General Operations and Settings and Adjustments segments.

[loony888]

not too hard to find a free pdf copy online.


http://pdftown.com/Pdf-eBook/Ducati.html

cheers,
paul.

[NFG]

not too hard to find a free pdf copy online.

The problem with that is they're not searchable, nor updatable.  It's a bunch of JPGs all in a single file, which is fine if you want the manual, but try copying and pasting a chunk for your buddy or mechanic, or searching for that thing you know you read in it last night and can't find today. 

Plus, they're full of filthy moon languages that terrorist foreigners use.  German, French, Italian...  Disgusting.

[ducatiz]

lus, they're full of filthy moon languages that terrorist foreigners use.  German, French, Italian...  Disgusting.

philistines!  rofl

[loony888]

The problem with that is they're not searchable

hmm, the index maybe? why would you want to update a manual? if everything is there, it's there.
you can always go through and delete the pages in languages other than english, but it's handy keeping them because the english is written with imperial measurements, the european languages use metric measurements.
stupid i know, it's a metric bike, but they're obviously catering for the yanks.

paul.

[NFG]

why would you want to update a manual? if everything is there, it's there.

Well, Ducati makes a lot of errors.  Typos and spelling mistakes mostly, but I won't rule out real errors quite yet.   There's also the idea of updating what they say with real photos, real-world advice and extra detail.  A lot of what Ducati put in the manual is a bit terse, I thought.

Typing it all in also means you can google for the info, and you can read a single page without downloading the 40MB PDF, etc.  This is something that would be useful to me, especially if I can get the whole manual..

The problem I have now is that the person who scanned this manual was Italian - he didn't keep any page that didn't have Italian text on it, so the carburetor section (for example) is missing ten pages at a time, and so is basically useless for me (and my current carb problem).

...Anyone have a complete 1994 M900 workshop manual?

[loony888]

ahh, see, now if you do a wiki version in english you may get crazy italians complaining that they can't read it! LOL.
the factory manual remember, is made primarily as a reference for ducati trained mechanics, that's why it's a bit light on detail. maybe a haynes would be better, putting in photo sequences of specific tasks is a good idea, but video, on you tube works well too.
i'm not ragging on you, it's a good idea, just a lot of work and frankly, it's probably out there in one form or another already. try looking for a haynes, i know they do a 900SS one, same carbs. the link i posted is an edited one in italian only huh? bummer, i didn't download it cause i have a 4 valver, sorry bout that.

paul.

[loony888]

here's some torrents for haynes ones.

http://www.torrentreactor.net/find/haynes-service-manual-ducati-900-ss

paul.

[ducatiz]

hmm, the index maybe? why would you want to update a manual? if everything is there, it's there.
you can always go through and delete the pages in languages other than english, but it's handy keeping them because the english is written with imperial measurements, the european languages use metric measurements.
stupid i know, it's a metric bike, but they're obviously catering for the yanks.

paul.

hey hey HEY!

yanks know all about the metrics... our cars have been metric since the early 90s and we even know about them meters and kilometers...  !