2009 YAMAHA YFZ450 warning

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INTRODUCTION
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Congratulations on your purchase of the Yamaha YFZ450Y. This ATV represents the result of many years
of Yamaha experience in the production of fine sporting, touring, and pacesetting racing machines. With the
purchase of this Yamaha, you can now appreciate the high degree of craftsmanship and reliability that have
made Yamaha a leader in these fields.
This manual will provide you with a good basic understanding of the features and operation of this ATV.
This manual includes important safety information. It provides information about special tech-
niques and skills necessary to ride the ATV.
It also includes basic maintenance and inspection proce-
dures. If you have any questions regarding the operation or maintenance of your ATV, please consult a
Yamaha dealer.
AN IMPORTANT SAFETY MESSAGE:


READ THIS MANUAL COMPLETELY BEFORE OPERATING YOUR ATV. MAKE SURE YOU UNDER-
STAND ALL INSTRUCTIONS.

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE WARNING AND NOTICE LABELS ON THE ATV.

THIS ATV, AND ANY OTHER ATV OVER 90 cc, SHOULD NOT BE RIDDEN BY ANYONE UNDER 16
YEARS OF AGE.

THIS ATV IS A HIGH-PERFORMANCE ATV FOR OFF-ROAD USE ONLY, FOR SPORT-TYPE REC-
REATIONAL AND COMPETITIVE USE BY EXPERIENCED OPERATORS.

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IMPORTANT MANUAL INFORMATION
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FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE WARNINGS CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS IN-
JURY OR DEATH.
Particularly important information is distinguished in this manual by the following notations:
* Product and specifications are subject to change without notice.
This is the safety alert symbol. It is used to alert you to potential per-
sonal injury hazards. Obey all safety messages that follow this sym-
bol to avoid possible injury or death.
A WARNING indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided,
could result in death or serious injury.
A NOTICE indicates special precautions that must be taken to avoid
damage to the vehicle or other property.
A TIP provides key information to make procedures easier or clearer.
WARNING
NOTICETIP

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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 light and warning light ................. 4-1
Handlebar switches ................................... 4-2
Throttle lever ............................................. 4-3
Speed limiter ............................................. 4-4
Clutch lever ............................................... 4-5
Brake lever ................................................ 4-5
Brake pedal ............................................... 4-6
Parking brake lever ................................... 4-6
Shift pedal ................................................. 4-7
Fuel tank cap ............................................. 4-7
Fuel ........................................................... 4-8
Fuel cock ................................................... 4-9Starter (choke) “ ” ................................. 4-10
Seat ......................................................... 4-11
Adjusting the front shock absorber
assemblies ............................................. 4-12
Adjusting the rear shock absorber
assembly ................................................ 4-17
PRE-OPERATION CHECKS ..........................5-1
Pre-operation check list ............................. 5-1
Fuel ............................................................ 5-3
Engine oil ................................................... 5-3
Coolant ...................................................... 5-3
Front and rear brakes ................................ 5-3
Throttle lever .............................................. 5-4
Drive chain ................................................. 5-4
Tires ........................................................... 5-4
Measuring the tire pressure ....................... 5-5
Tire wear limit ............................................ 5-6
Chassis fasteners ...................................... 5-7
Instruments, lights and switches ................ 5-7
OPERATION...................................................6-1
Starting a cold engine ................................ 6-1
Starting a warm engine .............................. 6-3
Shifting ....................................................... 6-3
Engine break-in .......................................... 6-5

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backwards when climbing a hill. To avoid stall-
ing, use the proper gear and maintain a steady
speed when climbing a hill. If you stall or 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 severaltimes to let friction dry out the linings.

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

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Always 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-
nition such as the pilot lights of water heat-
ers and clothes dryers. Gasoline can catch
fire and you could be burned.

When transporting the ATV in another vehi-

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cle, be sure it is kept upright and that the fuel
cock is in the “OFF” position. Otherwise, fuel
may leak out of the carburetor or fuel tank.

Gasoline is poisonous. If you should swal-
low some gasoline or inhale a lot of gasoline
vapor, or get some gasoline in your eyes,
seek medical help immediately. If gasoline
spills on your skin, wash with soap and wa-
ter. If gasoline spills on your clothing,
change your clothes.
WARNING

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Always operate your ATV in an area with ade-
quate ventilation. Never start or run the enginein a closed area. Exhaust fumes are poisonous
and may cause loss of consciousness and
death within a short time.

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LOCATION OF THE WARNING AND SPECIFICATION LABELS
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INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
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Main switch
The positions of the main switch are as follows:
ON
All electrical systems are supplied with power, and
the engine can be started. The key cannot be re-
moved.
OFF
All electrical systems are off. The key can be re-
moved.

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Indicator light and warning light
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Neutral indicator light “”
This indicator light comes on when the transmis-
sion is in the neutral position.
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Coolant temperature warning light “”
This warning light comes on when the engine over-
1. Main switch
OFF ON
1

1. Neutral indicator light “N”
2. Coolant temperature warning light “”
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heats. When this occurs during operation, stop the
engine as soon as it is safe to do so and allow it to
cool down for about 10 minutes.
The electrical circuit of the warning light can be
checked according to the following procedure.
1. Set the engine stop switch to “” and turn the
key to “ON”.
2. Shift the transmission into the neutral position
or pull the clutch lever.
3. Push the start switch. If the warning light does
not come on while the start switch is pushed,
have a Yamaha dealer check the electrical cir-
cuit.
NOTICE

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The engine may overheat if the ATV is over-
loaded. In this case, reduce the load to spec-
ification.

Start the engine after making sure that the
warning light is out. Continuous use while
the warning light is on may cause damage to
the engine.
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Handlebar switches
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Engine stop switch “/”
Set this switch to “” before starting the engine.
The engine stop switch controls the ignition and
stops the engine when it is running. Use this switch
to stop the engine in an emergency situation. The
engine will not start or run when this switch is set
to “”.
1. Light switch “/ /OFF”
2. Engine stop switch “/”
3. Start switch “”
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