2008 YAMAHA WR 250R transmission

INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
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9fore turning the key to “OFF” or

“LOCK”.
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Indicator and warning lights
EAU11020
Turn signal indicator light “”
This indicator light flashes when the
turn signal switch is pushed to the left or
right.
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Neutral indicator light “”
This indicator light comes on when thetransmission is in the neutral position.
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High beam indicator light “”
This indicator light comes on when the
high beam of the headlight is switched
on.
EAU11350
Fuel level warning light “”
This warning light comes on when the
fuel level drops below approximately
2.1 L (0.55 US gal) (0.46 Imp.gal).
When this occurs, refuel as soon as
possible.
The electrical circuit of the warning light
can be checked by turning the key to
“ON”.
If the warning light does not come on
for a few seconds, then go off, have a
Yamaha dealer check the electrical cir-
cuit.
EAU11440
Coolant temperature warning light
“”
This warning light comes on when the
engine overheats. When this occurs,
stop the engine immediately and allow
1. Coolant temperature warning light “ ”
2. Fuel level warning light “ ”
3. Neutral indicator light “ ”
4. Turn signal indicator light “ ”
5. High beam indicator light “ ”
6. Engine trouble warning light “ ”
1234
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INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
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EAU12870
Shift pedal
The shift pedal is located on the left
side of the engine and is used in com-
bination with the clutch lever when
shifting the gears of the 6-speed con-
stant-mesh transmission equipped on
this motorcycle.
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Brake lever
The brake lever is located at the right
handlebar grip. To apply the front
brake, pull the lever toward the handle-
bar grip.
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Brake pedal
The brake pedal is on the right side of
the motorcycle. To apply the rear
brake, press down on the brake pedal.
1. Shift pedal
1

1. Brake lever
1

1. Brake pedal
1

INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
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Sidestand
The sidestand is located on the left side
of the frame. Raise the sidestand or
lower it with your foot while holding the
vehicle upright.
NOTE:

The built-in sidestand switch is part of
the ignition circuit cut-off system, which
cuts the ignition in certain situations.
(See further down for an explanation of
the ignition circuit cut-off system.)
WARNING

EWA10240
The vehicle must not be ridden with
the sidestand down, or if the side-
stand cannot be properly moved up
(or does not stay up), otherwise the
sidestand could contact the ground
and distract the operator, resulting
in a possible loss of control.
Yamaha’s ignition circuit cut-off
system has been designed to assist
the operator in fulfilling the respon-
sibility of raising the sidestand be-
fore starting off. Therefore, check
this system regularly as described
below and have a Yamaha dealer re-pair it if it does not function proper-
ly.
EAU44890
Ignition circuit cut-off system
The ignition circuit cut-off system (com-
prising the sidestand switch, clutch
switch and neutral switch) has the fol-
lowing functions.

It prevents starting when the trans-
mission is in gear and the side-
stand is up, but the clutch lever is
not pulled.

It prevents starting when the trans-
mission is in gear and the clutch le-
ver is pulled, but the sidestand is
still down.

It cuts the running engine when the
transmission is in gear and the sid-
estand is moved down.
Periodically check the operation of the
ignition circuit cut-off system according
to the following procedure.
WARNING

EWA10250
If a malfunction is noted, have a
Yamaha dealer check the system be-
fore riding.

INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
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With the engine turned off:
1. Move the sidestand down.
2. Make sure that the engine stop switch is turned on.
3. Turn the key on.
4. Shift the transmission into the neutral position.
5. Push the start switch.
Does the engine start?
With the engine still running:
6. Move the sidestand up.
7. Keep the clutch lever pulled.
8. Shift the transmission into gear.
9. Move the sidestand down.
Does the engine stall?
After the engine has stalled:
10. Move the sidestand up.
11. Keep the clutch lever pulled.
12. Push the start switch.
Does the engine start?
The system is OK. The motorcycle can be ridden.The neutral switch may be defective.
The motorcycle should not be ridden until
checked by a Yamaha dealer.
The sidestand switch may be defective.
The motorcycle should not be ridden until
checked by a Yamaha dealer.
The clutch switch may be defective.
The motorcycle should not be ridden until
checked by a Yamaha dealer.
YES NO YES NO YES NO

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OPERATION AND IMPORTANT RIDING POINTS
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WARNING

EWA10270

Become thoroughly familiar
with all operating controls and
their functions before riding.
Consult a Yamaha dealer re-
garding any control or function
that you do not thoroughly un-
derstand.

Never start the engine or oper-
ate it in a closed area for any
length of time. Exhaust fumes
are poisonous, and inhaling
them can cause loss of con-
sciousness and death within a
short time. Always make sure
that there is adequate ventila-
tion.

Before starting out, make sure
that the sidestand is up. If the
sidestand is not raised com-
pletely, it could contact the
ground and distract the opera-
tor, resulting in a possible loss
of control.
EAU45310
NOTE:

This model is equipped with a lean an-
gle sensor to stop the engine in case of
a turnover. To start the engine after a
turnover, be sure to turn the main
switch to “OFF” and then to “ON”. Fail-
ing to do so will prevent the engine from
starting even though the engine will
crank when pushing the start switch.
EAU45120
Starting the engine
In order for the ignition circuit cut-off
system to enable starting, one of the
following conditions must be met:

The transmission is in the neutral
position.

The transmission is in gear with
the clutch lever pulled and the sid-
estand up.
WARNING

EWA10290

Before starting the engine,
check the function of the igni-
tion circuit cut-off system ac-
cording to the procedure
described on page 3-18.

Never ride with the sidestand
down.
1. Turn the key to “ON” and make
sure that the engine stop switch is
set to “ ”.
CAUTION:

ECA16130
The following warning lights should
come on for a few seconds, then go
off.

Fuel level warning light

OPERATION AND IMPORTANT RIDING POINTS
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Coolant temperature warning
light

Engine trouble warning light
If a warning light does not go off, see
page 3-2 for the corresponding
warning light circuit check.
2. Shift the transmission into the neu-
tral position.
NOTE:

When the transmission is in the neutral
position, the neutral indicator light
should be on, otherwise have a
Yamaha dealer check the electrical cir-
cuit.
3. Start the engine by pushing the
start switch.
NOTE:

If the engine fails to start, release the
start switch, wait a few seconds, and
then try again. Each starting attempt
should be as short as possible to pre-
serve the battery. Do not crank the en-
gine more than 10 seconds on any one
attempt.
CAUTION:

ECA11130
For maximum engine life, always
warm the engine up before starting
off. Never accelerate hard when the
engine is cold!
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Shifting
Shifting gears lets you control the
amount of engine power available for
starting off, accelerating, climbing hills,
etc.
The gear positions are shown in the il-
lustration.
NOTE:

To shift the transmission into the neu-
tral position, press the shift pedal down
repeatedly until it reaches the end of its
travel, and then slightly raise it.
CAUTION:

ECA10260

Even with the transmission in
1. Shift pedal
2. Neutral position
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OPERATION AND IMPORTANT RIDING POINTS
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9 the neutral position, do not
coast for long periods of time
with the engine off, and do not
tow the motorcycle for long dis-
tances. The transmission is
properly lubricated only when
the engine is running. Inade-
quate lubrication may damage
the transmission.


Always use the clutch while
changing gears to avoid damag-
ing the engine, transmission,
and drive train, which are not
designed to withstand the
shock of forced shifting.
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Tips for reducing fuel
consumption
Fuel consumption depends largely on
your riding style. Consider the following
tips to reduce fuel consumption:

Shift up swiftly, and avoid high en-
gine speeds during acceleration.

Do not rev the engine while shifting
down, and avoid high engine
speeds with no load on the engine.

Turn the engine off instead of let-
ting it idle for an extended length of
time (e.g., in traffic jams, at traffic
lights or at railroad crossings).
EAU16841
Engine break-in
There is never a more important period
in the life of your engine than the period
between 0 and 1600 km (1000 mi). For
this reason, you should read the follow-
ing material carefully.
Since the engine is brand new, do not
put an excessive load on it for the first
1600 km (1000 mi). The various parts in
the engine wear and polish themselves
to the correct operating clearances.
During this period, prolonged full-throt-
tle operation or any condition that might
result in engine overheating must be
avoided.
EAU17021
0–1000 km (0–600 mi)
Avoid prolonged operation above 1/3
throttle.
1000–1600 km (600–1000 mi)
Avoid prolonged operation above 1/2
throttle.
CAUTION:

ECA11281
After 1000 km (600 mi) of operation,

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE AND MINOR REPAIR
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Drive chain slack
The drive chain slack should be
checked before each ride and adjusted
if necessary.
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To check the drive chain slack
1. Place the motorcycle on the side-
stand.
NOTE:

When checking and adjusting the drive
chain slack, there should be no weight
on the motorcycle.
2. Shift the transmission into the neu-
tral position.
3. Move the rear wheel by pushing
the motorcycle to locate the tight-
est portion of the drive chain, and
then measure the drive chain slack
as shown.4. If the drive chain slack is incorrect,
adjust it as follows.
EAU22942
To adjust the drive chain slack
1. Loosen the axle nut and the lock-
nut on each side of the swingarm.
2. To tighten the drive chain, turn the
adjusting bolt on each side of the
swingarm in direction (a). To loos-
en the drive chain, turn the adjust-
ing bolt on each side of the
swingarm in direction (b), and then
push the rear wheel forward.
NOTE:

Using the alignment marks on each
side of the swingarm, make sure thatboth chain pullers are in the same posi-
tion for proper wheel alignment.
CAUTION:

ECA10570
Improper drive chain slack will over-
load the engine as well as other vital
parts of the motorcycle and can lead
to chain slippage or breakage. To
prevent this from occurring, keep
the drive chain slack within the
specified limits.
3. Tighten the locknuts, and then
tighten the axle nut to the specified
torque.
Drive chain slack:
38.0–48.0 mm (1.50–1.89 in)
1. Drive chain slack
1

1. Axle nut
2. Drive chain slack adjusting bolt
3. Locknut
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(b)
(a)