2008 YAMAHA WOLVERINE 450 Owners Manual

7-14
7 Improper riding procedures such as abrupt throttle
changes, excessive braking, incorrect body move-
ments, or too much speed for the sharpness of the
turn may cause the ATV to tip. If the ATV begins to
tip over to the outside while negotiating a turn, lean
more to the inside. It may also be necessary to
gradually let off on the throttle and steer to the out-
side of the turn to avoid tipping over.
Remember: Avoid higher speeds until you are
thoroughly familiar with the operation of your ATV.
CLIMBING UPHILL
Use proper riding techniques to avoid ATV over-
turns on hills. Be sure that you can maneuver your
ATV well on flat ground before attempting any in-
cline and then practice riding first on gentle slopes.
Try more difficult climbs only after you have devel-
oped your skill. In all cases avoid inclines with slip-
pery or loose surfaces, or obstacles that might
cause you to lose control.
WARNING
EWB01580Never operate the ATV on hills too steep for the
ATV or for your abilities. The ATV can overturn
more easily on extremely steep hills than on
level surfaces or small hills. Practice on small-er hills before attempting large hills.
It is important when climbing a hill to make sure
that your weight is transferred forward on the ATV.
This can be accomplished by leaning forward and,
on steeper inclines, standing on the footboards
and leaning forward over the handlebars.
WARNING
EWB01670
Always follow proper procedures for climb-
ing hills as described in this Owner’s Manu-
al.
Always check the terrain carefully before
you start up any hill.
Never climb hills with excessively slippery or
loose surfaces.
Shift your weight forward.
Never open the throttle suddenly. The ATV
could flip over backwards.
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7-15
7

Never go over the top of any hill at high
speed. An obstacle, a sharp drop, or another
vehicle or person could be on the other sideof the hill.
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.
WARNING
EWB01600Never 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:
Always follow proper procedures as de-
scribed in the Owner’s Manual.
Avoid hills with excessively slippery or loose
surfaces.
Shift your weight to the uphill side of theATV.
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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.
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7-17
7RIDING DOWNHILL
When riding your ATV downhill, shift your weight
as far to the rear and uphill side of the ATV as pos-
sible. Move back on the seat and sit with your arms
straight. Engine compression will do most of the
braking for you. For maximum engine compres-
sion braking effect, change to 4WD before begin-
ning to descend the hill. Improper braking may
cause a loss of traction.
Use caution while descending a hill with loose or
slippery surfaces. Braking ability and traction may
be adversely affected by these surfaces. Improper
braking may also cause a loss of traction.When this ATV is in 4WD, all wheels (front and
rear) are interconnected by the drive train. This
means that applying either the front brake or the
rear brake will brake all wheels. When descending
hills, using either brake lever or the brake pedal will
brake the wheels on the downhill side. Avoid sud-
den application of either the front or rear brake be-
cause the wheels on the uphill side could come off
the ground. Apply both the front and rear brakes
gradually.
Whenever possible, ride your ATV straight down-
hill. Avoid sharp angles which could allow the ATV
to tip or roll over. Carefully choose your path and
ride no faster than you will be able to react to ob-
stacles which may appear.
WARNING
EWB01620Always follow proper procedures for going
down hills as described in this Owner’s Manu-
al.
Note: a special technique is required when
braking as you go down a hill.
Always check the terrain carefully before
you start down any hill.
Shift your weight backward.
Never go down a hill at high speed.
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7-18
7

Avoid going down a hill at an angle that
would cause the ATV to lean sharply to one
side. Go straight down the hill where possi-ble.
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 attemptingto cross a sloping surface. Avoid slopes with slip-
pery surfaces or rough terrain that may upset your
balance.
As you travel across a slope, lean your body in the
uphill direction. It may be necessary to correct 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.
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 balance, gradually
steer again in the direction you wish to travel.
WARNING
EWB01631Never 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:
Always follow proper procedures as de-
scribed in the Owner’s Manual.
Avoid hills with excessively slippery or loose
surfaces.
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7-19
7

Shift your weight to the uphill side of theATV.
CROSSING THROUGH SHALLOW WATER
The ATV can be used to cross slow moving, shal-
low water of up to a maximum of 35 cm (14 in) in
depth. Before entering the water, choose your path
carefully. Enter where there is no sharp drop off,
and avoid rocks or other obstacles which may be
slippery or upset the ATV. Drive slowly and care-
fully.
WARNING
EWB01640Never operate this ATV in fast flowing water or
in water deeper than that specified in your
Owner’s Manual. Remember that wet brakes
may have reduced stopping ability. Test your
brakes after leaving water. If necessary, apply
them several times to let friction dry out the lin-
ings. If the ATV is operated through deep or
fast flowing water, the tires may float, causing
loss of traction and loss of control, whichcould lead to an accident.
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7-20
7 Test your brakes after leaving the water. Do not
continue to ride your ATV without verifying that you
have regained proper braking ability.
CAUTION:ECB00730After riding your ATV in water, be sure to drain
the trapped water by removing the check hose
at the bottom of the air filter case, the V-belt
cooling duct check hose, the drive select lever
box check hose and the storage compartment
drain plugs. Also, remove the V-belt case drainplug to drain any water that may have accumu-
lated. Wash the ATV in fresh water if it has been
operated in salt water or muddy conditions.1. Air filter case check hose
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7-21
7
1. V-belt cooling duct check hose (left front side of ATV)
1. Drive select lever box check hose
1. Storage compartment drain plug
1. V-belt case drain plug
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