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EBU17170
INTRODUCTION
EBU17321
Congratulations on your purchase of the Yamaha YFZ450RY. 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.
Page 6 of 150
EBU17330
IMPORTANT MANUAL INFORMATION
EBU17342
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
Page 8 of 150

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 light and warning lights ............... 4-2
Handlebar switches ................................... 4-3
Throttle lever ............................................. 4-4
Speed limiter ............................................. 4-5
Clutch lever ............................................... 4-6
Brake lever ................................................ 4-6
Brake pedal ............................................... 4-7
Parking brake lever ................................... 4-7
Shift pedal ................................................. 4-8
Fuel tank cap ............................................. 4-8
Fuel ........................................................... 4-9
Seat ......................................................... 4-10Adjusting the front shock absorber
assemblies ............................................. 4-11
Adjusting the rear shock absorber
assembly ................................................4-16
Handlebar position ................................... 4-24
PRE-OPERATION CHECKS ..........................5-1
Pre-operation check list ............................. 5-1
Fuel ............................................................ 5-4
Engine oil ................................................... 5-4
Coolant ...................................................... 5-4
Front and rear brakes ................................ 5-4
Throttle lever .............................................. 5-5
Drive chain ................................................. 5-5
Tires ........................................................... 5-5
Measuring the tire pressure ....................... 5-6
Tire wear limit ............................................ 5-7
Chassis fasteners ...................................... 5-8
Instruments, lights and switches ................ 5-8
OPERATION...................................................6-1
Starting the engine ..................................... 6-1
Shifting ....................................................... 6-2
Engine break-in .......................................... 6-4
Parking ....................................................... 6-4
Parking on a slope ..................................... 6-5
Page 13 of 150

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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
EWB02330
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-
Page 14 of 150
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cle, be sure it is kept upright. Otherwise, fuel
may leak out of the 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
EWB00070
Always operate your ATV in an area with ade-
quate ventilation. Never start or run the engine
in a closed area. Exhaust fumes are poisonous
and may cause loss of consciousness and
death within a short time.
Page 15 of 150
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EBU17660
LOCATION OF THE WARNING AND SPECIFICATION LABELS
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1
GB
D
E
F
I
NL
P
S
Before you operate this vehicle,
read the owner’s manual.Lesen Sie die Bedienungsanleitung
bevor Sie dieses Fahrzeug fahren.Antes de conducir este vehículo,
lea el Manual del Propietario.
Lire le manuel du propriétaire avantd’utiliser ce véhicule.Prima di usare il veicolo,
leggete il manuale di istruzioni.
Voor het gebruik van dit voertuigde handleiding met aandacht lezen.Antes de utilizar este veículo,
leia o manual do proprietário.
Innan du kör detta fordon,läs handboken.
5FK-21568-00
1
WARNING
Improper ATV use can result in SEVERE
INJURY or DEATH.ALWAYS USE
NEVER USE
NEVER CARRY NEVER USE
AN APPROV ED ON PUBLIC PASSENGERSWITH DRUGS
HELMET AND ROADS
OR ALCOHOL
PROTECTIVE
GEAR
NEVER
operate :
9 without proper training or instruction.9 at speeds too fast for your skills or
the conditions.9 on public roads-a collision can occur
with another vehicle.9 with a passenger-passengers affect balance
and steering and increase risk
of losing control.ALWAYS :9 use proper riding techniques to avoid
vehicle overturns on hills and rough terrainand it turns.9 avoid paved surfaces-pavement mayseriously affect handling and control.LOCATE AND READ OWNER'S MANUAL.
FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS.
5FE-21568-11
For Europe For Oceania
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<
16
5FK-21697-00
2
For Oceania For Europe
WARNINGUNDER16
Operating this ATV if you are under
the age of 16 increases your
chance of severe injury or death.
NEVER operate this ATV if you are
under age 16.
4D3-2816L-00
YAMAHA MOTOR CO., LTD.
SHIZUOKA JAPANp
4GB-2155A-00
3
For Europe
Use
97 octane
5TG-2415E-10
PREMIUM unleaded gasoline with min.
(RON).
5TG-2415E-00
Use
PREMIUM unleaded gasoline with min. 97 octane (RON).
Nur Super Bleifrei mit Mindestoktanzahl 97 (ROZ) tanken.
Utilice gasolina sin plomo que tenga como mínimo 97 octanos
(RON).
Utiliserune essence SUPER sans plomb d'un indice
d'octane (RON) de min. 97.Utilizzare benzina PREMIUM super senza piombo con almeno 97
ottani(RON).
Gebruik loodvrije
SUPERBENZINE met een octaangetal (RON) van
minstens 97.
Utilize gasolina sem chumbo com índice de octano mínimo de 97 (RON).
Använd blyfri PREMIUMBENSIN av 97 oktan (RON) eller mer.
4
For Europe
4
For Oceania