2008 YAMAHA WOLVERINE 450 brake

5-4
5
EBU19731Front and rear brakes Brake levers and brake pedal
Check that there is no free play in the front brake
lever. If there is free play, have a Yamaha dealer
check the brake system.
Check for correct free play in the rear brake le-
ver. If the free play is incorrect, adjust it. (See
page 8-42.)
Check for correct brake pedal height. If the pedal
height is incorrect, have a Yamaha dealer adjust
it.
Check the operation of the brake levers and
pedal. They should move smoothly and there
should be a firm feeling when the brakes are ap-
plied. If not, have a Yamaha dealer check the
brake system.
Brake fluid level
Check the brake fluid level. Add fluid if necessary.
(See page 8-39.)Brake fluid leakage
Check to see if any brake fluid is leaking out of the
pipe joints or brake fluid reservoirs. Apply the
brakes firmly for one minute. If a lever moves slow-
ly inward, there may be a leak in the brake system.
If there is any leakage, the brake system should be
checked by a Yamaha dealer.
Brake operation
Test the brakes at slow speed after starting out to
make sure they are working properly. If the brakes
do not provide proper braking performance, check
the brake pads for wear. (See page 8-38.)
WARNING
EWB00580Always check the brakes at the start of every
ride. Do not ride the ATV if you find any prob-
lem with the brakes or you could lose braking
ability, which could lead to an accident. If a
problem cannot be corrected by the adjust-
ment procedures provided in this manual, havea Yamaha dealer check for the cause.
Recommended brake fluid:
DOT 4
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6-1
6
EBU19880
OPERATION
EBU19900Read the Owner’s Manual carefully before riding
the ATV.
WARNING
EWB00630Read the Owner’s Manual carefully to become
familiar with all controls in order to help pre-
vent any loss of control, which could cause an
accident or injury. If there is a control or func-
tion you do not understand, ask your Yamahadealer.EBU26542Starting a cold engine
WARNING
EWB00640Always make sure all control cables work
smoothly before you begin riding in cold
weather. If the control cables are frozen or do
not work smoothly, you could be unable to
control the ATV, which could lead to an acci-dent or collision.
CAUTION:ECB00150See the “Engine break-in” section on page 6-5prior to operating the engine for the first time.
1. Turn the fuel cock to “ON”.
2. Turn the main switch to “ON” and the engine
stop switch to“”.
3. Shift the drive select lever into the neutral or
park position. The corresponding indicator
light should come on, if it does not come on,
have a Yamaha dealer check the electrical cir-
cuit.NOTE:The engine can be started under the following con-
ditions:
The drive select lever is in the neutral or park po-
sition.
The rear brake lever is applied with the drive se-
lect lever in any position. However, it is recom-
mended to shift into the neutral or park positionbefore starting the engine.
U3C262E0.book Page 1 Tuesday, June 26, 2007 3:36 PM

6-2
6 4. Use the starter (choke) in reference to the fig-
ure:
Position (1):
Cold engine start with ambient temperature
below 5 °C (40 °F).
Position (2):
Cold engine start with ambient temperature
between 0 °C (30 °F) and 30 °C (90 °F).
Position (3):
Cold engine start with ambient temperature
above 25 °C (80 °F).
Ambient temp./starter (choke) position5. Apply the rear brake lever.
6. Completely close the throttle lever and start
the engine by pushing the start switch.
NOTE:If the engine fails to start, release the start switch,
then push it again. Pause a few seconds before
the next attempt. Each cranking should be as short
as possible to preserve battery energy. Do not
crank the engine more than 10 seconds on eachattempt.
7. If the engine is started with the starter (choke)
in position (1), the starter (choke) should be
returned to position (2) to warm up the engine.
If the engine is started with the starter (choke)
in position (2), keep the starter (choke) in this
position to warm up the engine.CAUTION:ECB00160For maximum engine life, always warm the en-
gine up before starting off. Never acceleratehard when the engine is cold!
8. Continue warming up the engine until it idles
smoothly, then return the starter (choke) to
position (3) before riding.
1. Fully open
2. Half open
3. Closed
4. Starter (choke)U3C262E0.book Page 2 Tuesday, June 26, 2007 3:36 PM

6-3
6
NOTE:The engine is warm when it responds normally tothe throttle with the starter (choke) turned off.EBU20291Starting a warm engine Follow the same procedure as for starting a cold
engine, with the exception that the starter (choke)
is not required when the engine is warm. Instead,
start the engine with the throttle slightly open.EBU20460Operating the drive select lever and
driving in reverse CAUTION:ECB00170Before shifting, stop the ATV, otherwise thetransmission may be damaged.
Shifting: Neutral to Forward
1. Bring the ATV to a complete stop.
2. Apply the brake pedal, and then shift by mov-
ing the drive select lever along the shift guide.
NOTE:Make sure that the drive select lever is completelyshifted into position.
3. Release the brake pedal, and then open the
throttle lever gradually.1. Drive select lever
2. F (Forward)
3. N (Neutral)
4. R (Reverse)
5. P (Park)
U3C262E0.book Page 3 Tuesday, June 26, 2007 3:36 PM

6-4
6 Shifting: Neutral to Reverse and Reverse to
Park
NOTE:The drive select lever cannot be shifted into or fromreverse or park without applying the brake pedal.
1. Bring the ATV to a complete stop.
2. Apply the brake pedal.
3. Shift from neutral to reverse or from reverse to
park and vice versa by moving the drive select
lever along the shift guide.
NOTE:
When in reverse, the reverse indicator light
should come on. If the indicator light does not
come on, have a Yamaha dealer check the elec-
trical circuit.
Due to the synchronizing mechanism in the en-
gine, the indicator light may not come on until theATV starts moving.
4. Check behind for people or obstacles, and
then release the brake pedal.
5. Open the throttle lever gradually and continue
to watch to the rear while backing.
WARNING
EWB00720Improper operation in reverse could make you
hit an obstacle or even a person behind you,
resulting in serious injury. When you shift into
reverse, make sure there are no people or ob-
stacles behind you. When it is safe to proceed,go slowly.
1. Drive select lever
2. F (Forward)
3. N (Neutral)
4. R (Reverse)
5. P (Park)U3C262E0.book Page 4 Tuesday, June 26, 2007 3:36 PM

6-6
6 incline, place the ATV transversely across the
incline, stop the engine, shift the drive select
lever to the park position, and then block the
front and rear wheels with rocks or other ob-
jects.
Do not park the ATV at all on hills that are so
steep you could not walk up them easily.
1. Bring the ATV to a stop by applying the
brakes.
2. Stop the engine.
3. With the brake pedal applied, shift the drive
select lever to the park position.
EBU20910Accessories and loading EBU20920Accessories
Accessories can affect the handling and control of
your ATV. Keep the following in mind when consid-
ering an accessory or operating an ATV which has
accessories.
Choose only accessories designed for your
ATV. Your Yamaha dealer has a variety of gen-
uine Yamaha accessories. Other accessories
may also be available on the market. However,
it is not possible for Yamaha to test all non-
Yamaha accessories, nor control over their qual-
ity or suitability. Choose a genuine Yamaha ac-
cessory, or one that is equivalent in design and
quality.
Accessories should be rigidly and securely
mounted. An accessory which can shift position
or come off while you are riding could affect your
ability to control the ATV.
Do not mount an accessory where it could inter-
fere with your ability to control the ATV. Exam-
ples include (but are not limited to) a heavy or
bulky object attached to the handlebars which
U3C262E0.book Page 6 Tuesday, June 26, 2007 3:36 PM

7-12
7 Select a large, flat, unpaved area to become famil-
iar with your ATV. Make sure that this area is free
of obstacles and other riders. You should practice
control of the throttle, brakes, and turning tech-
niques in this area before trying more difficult ter-
rain. Always avoid riding on paved surfaces: the
ATV is designed for use on unpaved surfaces only,
and handling maneuvers are more difficult to per-
form on pavement.
Shift to the park position and follow the instruction
on page 6-1 to start the engine. Once it has
warmed up you are ready to begin riding your ATV.
Remember that the engine and exhaust pipe will
be hot when riding and afterwards; do not allow
skin or clothing to come in contact with these com-
ponents.With the engine idling, return the starter (choke) to
the closed position, and shift the drive select lever
into the forward position. Apply the throttle slowly
and smoothly. The centrifugal clutch will engage
and you will start to accelerate. If the throttle is ap-
plied too abruptly, the front wheels may lift off the
ground, resulting in a loss of directional control.
Avoid higher speeds until you are thoroughly famil-
iar with the operation of your ATV.
When slowing down or stopping, release the throt-
tle and apply the brakes smoothly and evenly. Im-
proper use of the brakes can cause the tires to lose
traction, reducing control and increasing the possi-
bility of an accident.
TURNING YOUR ATV
To achieve maximum traction on unpaved surfac-
es, the two rear wheels are mounted solidly on one
axle and turn together at the same speed. There-
fore, unless the wheel on the inside of the turn is al-
lowed to slip or lose some traction, the ATV will
resist turning. A special turning technique must be
used to allow the ATV to make turns quickly and
easily. It is essential that this skill be learned first at
low speed.
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7-16
7 If your ATV has stalled or stopped and you believe
you can continue up the hill, restart carefully to
make sure you do not lift the front wheels which
could cause you to lose control. If you are unable
to continue up the hill, dismount the ATV on the up-
hill side. Physically turn the ATV around and then
descend the hill.
If you start to roll backwards, DO NOT apply either
brake abruptly. If you are in 2WD, apply only the
front brake. If you are in 4WD, because all wheels
are interconnected by the drive train, applying ei-
ther brake will brake all wheels, therefore, avoid
sudden application of either the front or rear brake
as the wheels on the uphill side could come off theground. The ATV could easily tip over backwards.
Apply both the front and rear brakes gradually, or
dismount the ATV immediately on the uphill side.
WARNING
EWB01811Maintain a steady speed when climbing a hill.
If you lose all forward speed:
Keep weight uphill.
Apply the brakes.
Shift to the park position after you are
stopped.
If you begin rolling backwards:
Keep weight uphill.
2WD: Never apply the rear brake while rolling
backwards. Apply the front brake. When fully
stopped, shift to the park position.
4WD: Apply both front and rear brakes grad-
ually. When fully stopped, shift to the park
position.
Dismount on uphill side or to a side if pointed
straight uphill. Turn the ATV around and re-
mount, following the procedure described inthe Owner’s Manual.
U3C262E0.book Page 16 Tuesday, June 26, 2007 3:36 PM