On Line Library

[Baytown]

G'day everyone.
I've just found the link on the Home page to the 'AMCA On Line Library'.
What a great resource, however I couldn't finalise my purchases as there is supposed to be a members half price coupon number that you enter. News to me.
I've e-mailed the store manager, so I look forward to being able to download items relevant to my 1922 Standard (Powerplus) soon.
Has anyone else used this facility yet?

Best wishes.

Ken.

[Chris Haynes]

WOW! 20-40 bucks a copy for literature? Lots of that stuff is already on the market for less. Then they ask for us to loan them our stuff to them to copy and sell. It is in my, never to be humble, opinion that all they have should be online for members to download at little or no charge. I have hundreds of pieces from the teens to date. When the members can download it I will loan it to them.
I guess the clubs treasury needs a boost after the split.

[exeric]

Well said Chris.

[INLINE4NUT]

nothing in life is free ! Chris do you bitch about everything?? (HA!HA!) I feel its half price for members and I am almost sure that the cost does not cover what ever it cost for set up all and the other things needed to bring this service to us !!!!!!
Maybe an Admin will explain the costs!
Baytown does not seem to mind!!!

[jmanjeff]

And that is just to download it there out off there dam minds

[INLINE4NUT]

Come on people!! a cheap basket case runs 7,8 10 k and you all are to cheap to pay for a download give me a break!!!

[Chris Haynes]

I remember when basket cases were 250 bucks and gas was .12 a gallon. But does that make it OK to charge somebody up to 40 bucks for a copy of a brochure that somebody else loaned them to copy?

[Paps]

IMHO......The library should be totally free to members. Members pay the dues and support the whole organizations ventures and projects. Non members should pay a fee. Paps

[INLINE4NUT]

I to remember when gas was 12gallons for a dollar! But I was only making 1.25 an hour! back in those days I also remember a fellow or two paying two of us to clean out the barn and we could have anything they where throwning out,We scored some nice parts...THAT was then THIS is NOW! I dont see anyone bitching to hard or boycotting buying gas????????
How much can what we pay for dues be stretched?????Or should we just be asking for a dues increase?????? You may get what you ask for! How many times will each of us actually use the service???Sounds to me like a few here know more than anyone else and wont have to use it at all!(I do believe some just like to bitch all the time!) I see now what Rocky and a few others were saying awhile back, to much crying going on here!Spend more time on an MC you all may chill a little! Nuff said have a good day !

[Chris Haynes]

Inline4nut,
If the complete club library was online for members to use I am sure it would be a busy place. Many times you can buy an original or reprinted piece on eBay or a swap meet for less than 40 bucks. I have bought many hundreds of pieces. I have often scanned and sent copies to people for free. There are many high quality reproduction pieces on the market for less than what the club wants to charge.
As members of the club we should have the advantage of viewing the library without charge. After all, who's money is being used to operate the library? And don't forget, the library is asking us to lend them our stuff so they can copy it, then sell it to us. With an online library to download there is no paper, printing, or mailing cost involved by the club. Additionally the member won't have to wait for the mail to bring information that he needs now.
What you may consider bitching or crying is a logical discussion of how some members feel that the officers of our club should operate the library. After all, the club and its officers are here for our benefit. That is what we pay our dues for.
Perhaps if the President of our club would spend time on this site he would learn a few things. It is a great source of information. Questions are asked and answers given. Help is freely given to get a project moving. Sure there is always the guy who doesn't believe facts and photos that are posted but what can you say about them? Facts are facts. Information is the library contains these facts.
If you can remember when gas was 12 gallons for a dollar, $.083 a gallon, you must be ancient. ;-)
My motorcycle is my daily transportation. I am a member of the Iron Butt Association. I do lots of riding.

[Steve Slocombe]

Dear All, I'm glad you're visiting the Virtual Library and have comments. I downloaded the 1942 WLA operations manual when we were testing the site, and in 15 minutes had an 83 page shop manual in high definition, with all the pencil marks, erratum slips, taped repairs etc visible from the original document. I did this from 3000 miles away and thought that was worth $50 of anyone's money, and a bargain at $25 for Club members. We've no idea of the demand for documents, and have tried to set the retail price near market where competition is present. There are about 600 documents still to upload, giving lots of info on American bikes of 15 different makes built 1900-53. If you have comments on prices, please let myself or Larry Barnes know. I'm sure you won't tell us of underpriced items, but there are some bargains in there. I have other points to make, but will try to get them in further replies. Best regards.

[Hrdly-Dangrs]

Well I got two words for some in our club and its NOT 'Thank You' . (Of course I say it as one would between friends with some humour, but still a point to make)

I'm seriously thinking of NOT re-newing my membership this year. Won't cause the Club to miss a beat, but seems to me that this Club is becoming more about the Have's and screw the Have-Nots. Its truly seems to be all about money now and an attitude by some that if us so called 'whiney' types don't like it we can leave....which would seem to suit them anyway. So I'm thinking I don't really care to support a Club that no longer seems to serve me.

Questionable money movement, National Museum costs, rediculous gate fee's and now the Club puts together an on-line library for its membership with member's funds and want's to charge us for the privalege of using our own computers, paper, ink, electricity and time to down-load a copy of a manual that was given or loaned to the 'Club's library for 'Free'. Really, give us a friggin break.

There's a lot of guys working on a shoe string to put bikes back together...and with the cost of parts and basket case bikes going thru the roof its damned near impossible. To compare restoring a bike today with those of yesterday is rediculous. To now charge a fellow member for information that he's basically already paid for is BS. If I had a manual that one of my club members needed a copy of to help him achieve his goal, I'd gladly e'mail him the info he needs...NO CHARGE. That's what Club's are about...or should be.

I could be wrong, but well, anyway...Hrdly

[Steve Slocombe]

Dear Hrdly, I hope the points about the museum etc will be answered shortly, and that you will see the Club is trying to increase the benefits to the members in the best way we can.

On the Library, we are trying to steer a course between putting other members out of the literature business by giving away all this good stuff for free, and being way too expensive for the market. The Virtual Library project has cost about $50,000, which is about one-tenth of annual Club income or say $5 per head. It is not for everyone, and no doubt some members would rather have their $5 back, while I hope a large number will think this is the best work the Club has ever done. We just don't know. I think it's right to get back a contribution to the cost of the digitising equipment, software development and labor, to see if we're on the right track. Otherwise it's just a vanity project, and there is no point in adding info for other makes of bike.

Keep those views coming, and let's see if people are prepared to pay a fair price for some mouthwateringly good stuff. Best regards.

[AFJ]

On Line Library

Although not involved with American motorcycle restoration, the member's price for copies of some of the larger items like service and shop manuals seem quite reasonable to me.

I hope it turns out to be a successful initiative for the AMCA and its members.

AFJ

[Chris Haynes]

[QUOTE=Steve Slocombe;69526]Dear All, I'm glad you're visiting the Virtual Library and have comments. I downloaded the 1942 WLA operations manual when we were testing the site, and in 15 minutes had an 83 page shop manual in high definition, with all the pencil marks, erratum slips, taped repairs etc visible from the original document. I did this from 3000 miles away and thought that was worth $50 of anyone's money, and a bargain at $25 for Club members.

Here you can buy a new reprint of the WLA manual for 10 bucks. A far better deal than paying the club 50 bucks.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1940-...spagenameZWDVW

There is a lot of H-D stuff available in reprints at a far better price than the club wants to charge us. Reprints work just fine as reference material the same as the club scans will. Harley-Davidson sells reprints of many of thier manuals for less.
If it cost 50 G's to operate the library pass the measly 5 bucks on to the members(as if we haven't paid for it already). Then let us have free access to the library.
The BS about not taking the business away from the damn profiteers who gouge people for motorcycle literature is a bunch of crap. The cost of owning and restoring an antique motorcycle is already out of the reach of the average guy. Personally I have not much use for the profiteers who make a living by buying motorcycles and parts and raising the price to the clouds. Let them get a job a work for their monies like the rest of us.