EBU17420
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SAFETY INFORMATION .............................. 1-1
LOCATION OF THE WARNING AND
SPECIFICATION LABELS ............................ 2-1
DESCRIPTION .............................................. 3-1
Left view ...................................................... 3-1
Right view.................................................... 3-1
Controls and instruments ............................ 3-2
INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL
FUNCTIONS .................................................. 4-1
Main switch ................................................ 4-1
Indicator lights and warning light ................ 4-2
Speedometer .............................................. 4-3
Handlebar switches .................................... 4-4
Throttle lever .............................................. 4-9
Speed limiter ............................................ 4-10
Front brake lever ...................................... 4-11
Brake pedal and rear brake lever ............. 4-11
Parking brake ........................................... 4-12
Drive select lever ...................................... 4-12
Recoil starter ............................................ 4-13
Fuel tank cap ............................................ 4-13Fuel ...........................................................4-14
Fuel cock ..................................................4-15
Starter (choke) ..........................................4-16
Seat ..........................................................4-17
Storage compartment ...............................4-18
Front carrier ..............................................4-19
Rear carrier ...............................................4-19
Adjusting the front and rear shock
absorber assemblies ...............................4-19
PRE-OPERATION CHECKS ..........................5-1
Pre-operation check list ..............................5-1
Fuel .............................................................5-3
Engine oil ....................................................5-3
Final gear oil ...............................................5-3
Differential gear oil ......................................5-3
Front and rear brakes .................................5-3
Throttle lever ...............................................5-4
Tires ............................................................5-4
Measuring the tire pressure ........................5-5
Tire wear limit .............................................5-6
Chassis fasteners .......................................5-6
Instruments, lights and switches .................5-6U4S262E0.book Page 1 Tuesday, June 10, 2008 11:40 AM
1-3
1 roll backwards, follow the special procedure for
braking described in this manual. Dismount on
the uphill side or to a side if pointed straight up-
hill. Turn the ATV around and remount, following
the procedure described in this manual.
Always check for obstacles before operating in a
new area.Never attempt to operate over large obstacles,
such as large rocks or fallen trees. Always follow
proper procedures when operating over obsta-
cles as described in this manual.Always be careful when skidding or sliding.
Learn to safely control skidding or sliding by
practicing at low speeds and on level, smooth
terrain. On extremely slippery surfaces, such as
ice, go slowly and be very cautious in order to re-
duce the chance of skidding or sliding out of con-
trol.Never operate an ATV in fast flowing water or in
water deeper than that recommended in this
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 linings.
Always be sure there are no obstacles or people
behind you when you operate in reverse. When
it is safe to proceed in reverse, go slowly.Always use the size and type of tires specified in
this manual.Always maintain proper tire pressure as de-
scribed in this manual.Never modify an ATV through improper installa-
tion or use of accessories.Never exceed the stated load capacity for an
ATV. Cargo should be properly distributed and
securely attached. Reduce speed and follow in-
structions in this manual for carrying cargo or
pulling a trailer. Allow greater distance for brak-
ing.
WARNING
EWB00061Always turn off the engine when refueling.Do not refuel right after the engine has been
running and is still very hot.Do not spill gasoline on the engine or ex-
haust pipe/muffler when refueling. Never re-
fuel while smoking, or in the vicinity of
sparks, open flames, or other sources of ig-
U4S262E0.book Page 3 Tuesday, June 10, 2008 11:40 AM
4-12
4
EBU18460Parking brake Use the parking brake before starting the engine or
parking the ATV, especially on a slope. Apply the
rear brake lever and push down the lock plate to
apply the parking brake. Squeeze the rear brake
lever to release the parking brake.
WARNING
EWB00220Always set the parking brake before starting
the engine. The ATV could start moving un-
expectedly if the parking brake is not ap-
plied. This could cause loss of control or a
collision.
Always be sure you have released the park-
ing brake before you begin to ride. The brake
could overheat if you ride the ATV without re-
leasing the parking brake. You could lose
braking performance which could cause an
accident. You could also wear out the brakesprematurely.EBU18581Drive select lever The drive select lever is used to shift your ATV into
the forward, neutral and reverse positions. See the
“Operating the drive select lever and driving in re-
verse” section on page 6-3 for the drive select lever
operation.
1. Parking brake lock plateU4S262E0.book Page 12 Tuesday, June 10, 2008 11:40 AM
5-3
5
EBU19540Fuel Make sure that there is sufficient fuel in the tank.
(See page 4-14.)
WARNING
EWB00520Do not overfill the fuel tank. Fuel expands
when it heats up. If the fuel tank is overfilled,
fuel could spill out due to heat from the en-
gine or the sun.Be careful not to spill fuel, especially on the
engine or exhaust pipe which can cause a
fire and severe injury. Wipe up any spilled
fuel immediately.Do not refuel right after the engine has been
running and is still very hot.Be sure the fuel tank cap is closed securely.EBU19560Engine oil Make sure that the engine oil is at the specified lev-
el. Add oil as necessary. (See page 8-11.)EBU19590Final gear oil Make sure that the final gear oil is at the specified
level. Add oil as necessary. (See page 8-15.)
EBU19600Differential gear oil Make sure that the differential gear oil is at the
specified level. Add oil as necessary. (See page
8-19.)EBU28530Front and rear brakes Brake levers and brake pedalCheck 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 lever
and brake pedal. If the free play is incorrect, ad-
just it. (See page 8-32.)Check operation of the levers and pedal. They
should move smoothly and there should be a
firm feeling when the brake is applied. If not,
have a Yamaha dealer check them.
Brake fluid level (front brake)
Check the brake fluid level. Add fluid if necessary.
(See page 8-30.)
Recommended brake fluid:
DOT 4
U4S262E0.book Page 3 Tuesday, June 10, 2008 11:40 AM
5-4
5 Brake fluid leakage (front brake)
Check to see if any brake fluid is leaking out of the
hose, joint or brake fluid reservoir of the front
brake. Apply the brake firmly for one minute. If the
lever moves slowly 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 and friction plates for wear. (See
page 8-29.)
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.
EBU19761Throttle lever Check the operation of the throttle lever. It must
open smoothly and spring back to the idle position
when released. Have a Yamaha dealer correct if
necessary.EBU19812Tires
WARNING
EWB00592Use of improper tires on this ATV, or operation
of this ATV with improper or uneven tire pres-
sure, may cause loss of control, increasing
your risk of accident.
Pay attention to the following.The tires listed below have been approved
by Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corpora-
tion of America for this model. Other tire
combinations are not recommended.
Front:
Manufacturer/model:
MAXXIS/M979
Size:
AT25 x 8-12
Type:
Tubeless
U4S262E0.book Page 4 Tuesday, June 10, 2008 11:40 AM
6-6
6 incline, place the ATV transversely across the
incline, shift the drive select lever to the for-
ward position, stop the engine, apply the park-
ing brake, and then block the front and rear
wheels with rocks or other objects.
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
in the forward position.
2. Stop the engine.
3. With the rear brake lever and pedal applied,
apply the parking brake, and then slowly re-
lease the brake pedal.
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
U4S262E0.book Page 6 Tuesday, June 10, 2008 11:40 AM
7-12
7
WARNING
EWB01550Always mount a caution flag on the ATV to
make you more visible when operating in areas
where you might not be seen by other vehicles.Watch carefully for other vehicles.
Do not ride in areas posted “no trespassing”.
Do not ride on private property without getting per-
mission.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.
Set the parking brake 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. Re-
member 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 compo-
nents.U4S262E0.book Page 12 Tuesday, June 10, 2008 11:40 AM
7-13
7With the engine idling, return the starter (choke) to
the closed position, shift the drive select lever into
the forward position, and then release the parking
brake. Apply the throttle slowly and smoothly. The
centrifugal clutch will engage and you will start to
accelerate. If the throttle is applied too abruptly, the
front wheels may lift off the ground, resulting in a
loss of directional control. Avoid higher speeds un-
til you are thoroughly familiar 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 in 2WD or 4WD, the two rear wheels turn to-
gether at the same speed. Furthermore, when
riding in 4WD-LOCK (“DIFF. LOCK”), the front
wheels also turn together at the same speed.
Therefore, unless the wheel on the inside of the
turn is allowed to slip or lose some traction, the
ATV will resist turning. A special turning techniquemust be used to allow the ATV to make turns
quickly and easily. It is essential that this skill be
learned first at low speed.
WARNING
EWB01770Always follow proper procedures for turning
as described in this Owner’s Manual. Practice
turning at low speeds before attempting to turn
at faster speeds. Do not turn at speeds too fast
for your skills or the conditions. Operate at a
slow speed and allow extra time and distance
for maneuvers when in 4WD-LOCK (“DIFF.LOCK”).
As you approach a curve, slow down and begin to
turn the handlebars in the desired direction. As you
do so, put your weight on the footboard to the out-
side of the turn (opposite your desired direction)
and lean your upper body into the turn. Use the
throttle to maintain an even speed through the turn.
This maneuver will let the wheel on the inside of
the turn slip slightly, allowing the ATV to make the
turn properly.
U4S262E0.book Page 13 Tuesday, June 10, 2008 11:40 AM