2008 YAMAHA WOLVERINE 450 Owners Manual

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
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6-7
6could make steering difficult, an accessory that
limits your ability to move around on the seat, or
one that limits your view.

Use extra caution when riding an ATV with ac-
cessories. The ATV may handle differently than
it does without accessories.EBU26390Loading
As originally equipped, this ATV is not designed to
carry cargo or tow a trailer. If you choose to add ac-
cessories so that you can carry cargo or tow a trail-
er, you must use common sense and good
judgment as the stability and handling of an ATV
can be changed. When adding accessories, keep
the following points in mind:
Never exceed the weight limits shown. An over-
loaded ATV can be unstable.

If you are carrying cargo and towing a trailer, in-
clude the tongue weight in the maximum ATV
load limit.
Load cargo on the carriers as close to the center
of the ATV as possible. Put cargo at the rear of
the front carrier, at the front of the rear carrier,
and center it.
Tie down cargo securely to the carriers. Make
sure cargo in the trailer cannot move around. A
shifting load can cause an accident.
Make sure the load does not interfere with con-
trols or your ability to see where you are going.
Ride more slowly than you would without a load.
The more weight you carry, the slower you
should go.
Allow more braking distance. A heavier ATV
takes longer to stop.
Avoid making sharp turns unless at very slow
speeds.
Avoid hills and rough terrain. Choose terrain
carefully. Added weight affects the stability and
handling of the ATV. MAXIMUM LOADING LIMIT
ATV loading limit (total weight of rider, cargo,
accessories, and tongue):
100.0 kg (220 lb)
Storage compartment:
2.0 kg (4 lb)
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6
WARNING
EWB00820Never exceed the stated load capacity for this
ATV. Overloading this ATV or carrying or tow-
ing cargo improperly could cause changes in
ATV handling which could lead to an accident.
Cargo should be properly distributed and se-
curely attached. Reduce speed when carrying
cargo or pulling a trailer. Allow greater dis-tance for braking.U3C262E0.book Page 8 Tuesday, June 26, 2007 3:36 PM

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7
EBU21141
RIDING YOUR ATV
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7
EBU26574GETTING TO KNOW YOUR ATV
This ATV is intended for recreational use by expe-
rienced operators only. Even if you are an experi-
enced operator of all other all terrain ATVs or
motorcycles, riding the ATV requires special skills
acquired through practice. Take your time to fully
learn techniques before attempting more difficult
maneuvers.
Riding your new ATV can be a very enjoyable ac-
tivity, providing you with hours of pleasure. But it is
essential to familiarize yourself with the operation
of the ATV to achieve the skill necessary to enjoy
riding safely. Before you begin to ride, be sure you
have read this Owner’s Manual completely and un-
derstand the operation of the controls. Pay partic-
ular attention to the safety information on pages
1-1–1-4. Please also read all caution and warning
labels on your ATV.
RIDE WITH CARE AND GOOD JUDGEMENT
Get training if you are inexperienced.
Beginners should get training from a certified in-
structor.Become familiar with this ATV at slow speeds first,
even if you are an experienced operator. Do not at-
tempt to operate at maximum performance until
you are totally familiar with the ATV’s handling and
performance characteristics.
WARNING
EWB01380Never operate this ATV without proper instruc-
tion. Beginning and inexperienced operators
should regularly practice the skills and the op-
erating techniques described in this Owner’s
Manual. The risk of an accident is greatly in-
creased if the operator does not know how to
operate the ATV properly in different situationsand on different types of terrain.
Riding your ATV requires skills acquired
through practice over a period of time.
Take the time to learn the basic techniques well
before attempting more difficult maneuvers.
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7-3
7Not recommended for children under 16 years
of age.
WARNING
EWB01390A child under 16 should never operate an ATV
with engine size greater than 90 cc. Use by chil-
dren of ATVs that are not recommended for
their age can lead to severe injury or death ofthe child.This ATV is designed to carry operator and car-
go only – passengers prohibited.
WARNING
EWB01400Never carry a passenger. The long seat is to al-
low the operator to shift position as needed
during operation. It is not for carrying passen-
gers. Carrying a passenger on this ATV greatly
reduces your ability to balance and control this
ATV. It could cause an accident, resulting inharm to you and/or your passenger.
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7 Apparel
Always wear an approved motorcycle helmet that
fits properly.
You should also wear:

eye protection (goggles or face shield)
gloves
boots
long-sleeved shirt or jacket
long pants1. Protective clothing
2. Goggles
3. Gloves
4. Boots
5. Helmet
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7
WARNING
EWB01410Never operate this ATV without wearing an ap-
proved motorcycle helmet, eye protection and
protective clothing. Operating without an ap-
proved motorcycle helmet increases your
chances of a severe head injury or death in the
event of an accident. Operating without eye
protection can result in an accident and in-
creases your chances of a severe injury in the
event of an accident. Operating without protec-
tive clothing increases your chances of severeinjury in the event of an accident.
Do not operate after consuming alcohol or
drugs.
The operator’s performance capability is reduced
by the influence of alcohol or drugs.
WARNING
EWB01420Never consume alcohol or drugs before orwhile driving this ATV.
Pre-operation checks
Always perform the pre-operation checks listed on
page 5-1 before riding for proper care of the ATV
and to ensure safety.
WARNING
EWB01430Always inspect your ATV each time you use it
to make sure the ATV is in safe operating con-
dition. Always follow the inspection and main-
tenance procedures and schedules described
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