2009 YAMAHA YFM90R Owners Manual

7-11
BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU RIDE
This ATV is designed for off-road use only. Riding
on paved surfaces can cause loss of control.
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WARNING
Do not touch the hot exhaust system.Do not park the ATV during or after operation
in a place where others might be likely to
touch it.Do not operate, idle, or park the ATV in dry
grass, dry ground cover, or combustible ma-terials.
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WARNING
Always avoid paved surfaces, including side-
walks, driveways, parking lots and streets.
ATVs are designed for use on unpaved surfac-
es only. Paved surfaces may seriously affect
handling and control of the ATV, and maycause the ATV to go out of control.

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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
Never 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.

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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.
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WARNING
Go slowly and be extra careful when operating
on a paved paved road or motorway. You can
collide with another vehicle. In many areas, it
is illegal to operate ATVs on public streets, roads and highways.
WARNING
Do 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.

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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.
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WARNING
Always 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.

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Do not ride in areas posted “no trespassing”.
Do not ride on private property without getting per-
mission.
Select a large, flat area off-road to become familiar
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 off-road use only, and han-
dling maneuvers are more difficult to perform 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-
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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.
Apply the throttle slowly and smoothly. 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 until 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 while riding off-road,
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 With the engine idling, release the parking brake.

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low speed.
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 off-road 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
1. Lean towards inside of turn.
2. Support your weight on the outer footboard.
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2
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WARNING
Always 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.

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curves.
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.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.
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WARNING
Never 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.
WARNING
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 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.Never open the throttle suddenly. The ATV
could flip over backwards.

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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.
OK
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