2009 YAMAHA WOLVERINE 350 Owners Manual

7-10
7 While riding on unpaved public streets or roads
may be legal in your area, such operation can in-
crease the risk of collision with other vehicles.
Watch carefully for other vehicles. Make sure you
know your country’s laws and regulations before
you ride on unpaved public streets or roads. Do not
ride on any paved public street, road or motorway.
WARNING
EWB01520Never operate this ATV on any paved street,
paved road or motorway. You can collide with
another vehicle. In many areas, it is illegal to
operate ATVs on public streets, roads andhighways.Know the terrain where you ride. Ride cautiously in
unfamiliar areas. Stay alert for holes, rocks, or
roots in the terrain, and other hidden hazards
which may cause the ATV to upset.
WARNING
EWB01530Go slowly and be extra careful when operating
on unfamiliar terrain. Always be alert to chang-ing terrain conditions when operating the ATV.
U3D563E0.book Page 10 Monday, May 12, 2008 11:12 AM

7-11
7
WARNING
EWB01540Do not operate on excessively rough, slippery
or loose terrain until you have learned and
practiced the skills necessary to control the
ATV on such terrain. Failure to use extra care
when operating on excessively rough, slippery
or loose terrain could cause loss of traction or
ATV control, which could result in an accident,including an overturn.When riding in an area where you might not easily
be seen, such as desert terrain, mount a caution
flag on the ATV. DO NOT use the flag pole bracket
as a trailer hitch.
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.
U3D563E0.book Page 11 Monday, May 12, 2008 11:12 AM

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.
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.With the engine idling, return the starter (choke) to
the closed position and shift the drive select lever
into the forward position, 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, 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.
U3D563E0.book Page 12 Monday, May 12, 2008 11:12 AM

7-13
7
WARNING
EWB01570Always 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 fastfor your skills or the conditions.
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.This procedure should be practiced at slow speed
many times in a large unpaved area with no obsta-
cles. If an incorrect technique is used, your ATV
may continue to go straight. If the ATV doesn’t
turn, come to a stop and then practice the proce-
dure again. If the riding surface is slippery or loose,
it may help to position more of your weight over the
front wheels by moving forward on the seat.
Once you have learned this technique, you should
be able to perform it at higher speeds or in tighter
curves.
1. Lean towards inside of turn.
2. Support your weight on the outer footboard.
U3D563E0.book Page 13 Monday, May 12, 2008 11:12 AM

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.
U3D563E0.book Page 14 Monday, May 12, 2008 11:12 AM

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.
U3D563E0.book Page 15 Monday, May 12, 2008 11:12 AM

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 the
rear brake to stop or try to put the ATV in gear. The
ATV could easily tip over backwards. Instead, ap-
ply the front brake gradually, or dismount the ATV
immediately on the uphill side.
WARNING
EWB01741Maintain a steady speed when climbing a hill.
If you lose all forward speed:
Keep weight uphill.
Apply the brakes.
Apply the parking brake after you are
stopped.
If you begin rolling backwards:
Keep weight uphill.
Never apply the rear brake while rolling
backwards. Apply the front brake.
When fully stopped, apply the rear brake as
well, and then lock the parking brake.
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.
U3D563E0.book Page 16 Monday, May 12, 2008 11:12 AM

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. 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.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.
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.
U3D563E0.book Page 17 Monday, May 12, 2008 11:12 AM