2006 YAMAHA YFZ450 ground

2-9
8Always follow proper procedures for going
down hills and for braking on hills as
described in this manual. Check the terrain
carefully before you start down any hill. Shift
your weight backward. Never go down a hill at
high speed. Avoid going down a hill at an
angle that would cause the vehicle to lean
sharply to one side. Go straight down the hill
where possible.
8Always follow proper procedures for crossing
the side of a hill as described in this manual.
Avoid hills with excessively slippery or loose
surfaces. Shift your weight to the uphill side of
the ATV. Never attempt to turn the ATV
around on any hill until you have mastered
the turning technique described in this manual
on level ground. Avoid crossing the side of a
steep hill if possible.
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7-25
Exhaust system
The exhaust system on the ATV is very hot dur-
ing and following operation. To prevent burns,
avoid touching the exhaust system. Park the
ATV in a place where pedestrians or children
are not likely to touch it. Dry grass or brush or
other combustible material accumulated around
the engine area could catch fire.
w
Do not touch the hot exhaust system. Do not
park the ATV during or after operation in a
place where others might be likely to touch
it. Keep the engine area free of dry grass,
brush, or other combustible material. Do not
operate, idle, or park the ATV in dry grass or
other dry ground cover.
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With the engine idling, pull the clutch lever to
disengage the clutch and shift into 1st gear, and
then release the parking brake. Open the throttle
gradually, and at the same time, release the
clutch lever slowly. Once the ATV has attained
adequate speed, release the throttle lever and at
the same time, quickly pull in the clutch lever
and shift into 2nd gear. Open the throttle part
way and gradually release the clutch. Use this
same procedure as you move into the higher
gears. Be sure to coordinate the use of the throt-
tle and shift pedal properly. If the throttle is
applied too abruptly or if the throttle is not
released during shifting, or if the shift pedal is
not released before applying the throttle, the
front wheels may lift off the ground resulting in a
loss of directional control. Avoid higher speeds
until you are thoroughly familiar with the opera-
tion of your ATV.
w
Always open the throttle gradually and
release the clutch lever slowly. Otherwise,
the ATV could wheelie which would increase
the chance of an accident.
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CLIMBING UPHILL
Use proper riding techniques to avoid vehicle
overturns on hills. Be sure that you can maneu-
ver your ATV well on flat ground before attempt-
ing any incline and then practice riding first on
gentle slopes. Try more difficult climbs only after
you have developed your skill. In all cases avoid
inclines with slippery or loose surfaces, or obsta-
cles that might cause you to lose control.
w
Never operate the ATV on hills too steep for
the ATV or for your abilities. The vehicle can
overturn more easily on extremely steep hills
than on level surfaces or small hills. Practice
on smaller hills before attempting large hills.
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If you are climbing a hill and you find that you
have not properly judged your ability to make it
to the top, you should turn the ATV around while
you still have forward motion (provided you have
the room to do so) and go down the hill.
w
Never attempt to turn the ATV around on any
hill until you have mastered the turning tech-
nique as described in the Owner’s Manual on
level ground. Be very careful when turning
on any hill.
Avoid crossing the side of a steep hill if pos-
sible.
When crossing the side of a hill:
8Always follow proper procedures as
described in the Owner’s Manual.
8Avoid hills with excessively slippery or
loose surfaces.
8Shift your weight to the uphill side of the
ATV.
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7-61
CROSSING A SLOPE
Traversing a sloping surface on your ATV
requires you to properly position your weight to
maintain proper balance. Be sure that you have
learned the basic riding skills on flat ground
before attempting to cross a sloping surface.
Avoid slopes with slippery surfaces or rough ter-
rain that may upset your balance.
As you travel across a slope, lean your body in
the uphill direction. It may be necessary to cor-
rect the steering when riding on loose surfaces
by pointing the front wheels slightly uphill. When
riding on slopes be sure not to make sharp turns
either up or down hill.
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7-63
If your ATV does begin to tip over, gradually
steer in the downhill direction if there are no
obstacles in your path. As you regain proper bal-
ance, gradually steer again in the direction you
wish to travel.
w
Never attempt to turn the ATV around on any
hill until you have mastered the turning tech-
nique as described in the Owner’s Manual on
level ground. Be very careful when turning
on any hill. Avoid crossing the side of a
steep hill if possible.
When crossing the side of a hill:
8Always follow proper procedures as
described in the Owner’s Manual.
8Avoid hills with excessively slippery or
loose surfaces.
8Shift your weight to the uphill side of the
ATV.
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8-99
5. Screw in the adjusting bolt at the rear
brake caliper by hand until it feels tight,
then screw it out 1/8 turn. Tighten the lock-
nut to the specified torque.
cC
When tightening the locknut, hold the adjust-
ing bolt with a wrench so that the adjusting
bolt does not turn together with the locknut.
w
Operating with improperly adjusted brakes
could cause the brakes to malfunction, result-
ing in reduced braking performance. This
could increase the chance of a collision or
accident. After adjusting the parking brake,
block the rear of the machine off the ground
and spin the rear wheels. Check to make sure
there is no brake drag. If brake drag is noticed,
perform the adjustment again.
Tightening torque:
Locknut:
16 Nm (1.6 m0kgf)
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