Hi Jerry,
From personal experience, NOT gospel...
H-D procuded the 59 XL service manual, folder type with big clip.
The idea was every year they would send an update to dealers who already have the 59.
So they send a 60 supplement: all the added pages to be inserted PLUS a new cover sheet that says 1959/1960 with photos of new bikes for that year
1961, the same, etc...
Obviously, if you're a new dealer, H-D also assembled a few complete 1960, 1961 and so on.
This is the enveloppe and front page of the 1962 supplement which is 15 sheets recto/verso, 30 pages:
- 1962 suppement (1).JPG (135.87 KiB) Viewed 5158 times
- 1962 suppement (2).JPG (329.98 KiB) Viewed 5157 times
That was the purpose of the folder type, put inserts in as the years went by.
The proof of that is the revision dates which are kept and noted at the bottom of each page in every manual published, they were never "fully" updated, just new pages added and some obsolete ones deleted as the years went by. And which is why, by 1970, some of the pictures inside are really outdated!!!
The 1st fully binded manual is the 1969 one, it also came as a folder type.
The last folder type I've seen is the 1970 one, with a new binder cover with the stylized spanner and 1st ever AMF mention.
I believe it is just 1970 and just 900cc cause H-D was planning the 1000cc for 1971, but it had to wait another year...
Patrick