2009 YAMAHA YZ450F oil

5-37
REAR SHOCK ABSORBER
HANDLING NOTE
• Support the machine securely so
there is no danger of it falling
over.
• This rear shock absorber is pro-
vided with a separate type tank
filled with high-pressure nitro-
gen gas. To prevent the danger
of explosion, read and under-
stand the following information
before handling the shock ab-
sorber. The manufacturer can
not be held responsible for prop-
erty damage or personal injury
that may result from improper
handling.
• Never tamper or attempt to dis-
assemble the cylinder or the
tank.
• Never throw the rear shock ab-
sorber into an open flame or
other high heat. The rear shock
absorber may explode as a re-
sult of nitrogen gas expansion
and/ or damage to the hose.
• Be careful not to damage any
part of the gas tank. A damaged
gas tank will impair the damp-
ing performance or cause a
malfunction.
• Take care not to scratch the
contact surface of the piston
rod with the cylinder; or oil
could leak out.
• Never attempt to remove the
plug at the bottom of the nitro-
gen gas tank. It is very danger-
ous to remove the plug.
• When scrapping the rear shock
absorber, follow the instruc-
tions on disposal.
NOTES ON DISPOSAL (YAMAHA
DEALERS ONLY)
Before disposing the rear shock ab-
sorber, be sure to extract the nitrogen
gas from valve "1". Wear eye protec-
tion to prevent eye damage from es-
caping gas and/or metal chips.
To dispose of a damaged or worn-
out rear shock absorber, take the
unit to your Yamaha dealer for this
disposal procedure.
REMOVING THE BEARING
1. Remove:
• Stopper ring (upper bearing) "1"
Press in the bearing while pressing its
outer race and remove the stopper
ring.
2. Remove:
• Upper bearing "1"
Remove the bearing by pressing its
outer race.
3. Remove:
• Lower bearing "1"
Remove the bearing by pressing its
outer race.
CHECKING THE REAR SHOCK
ABSORBER
1. Inspect:
• Damper rod "1"
Bends/damage→Replace rear
shock absorber assembly.
• Shock absorber "2"
Oil leaks→Replace rear shock
absorber assembly.
Gas leaks→Replace rear shock
absorber assembly.• Spring "3"
Damage→Replace spring.
Fatigue→Replace spring.
Move spring up and down.
• Spring guide "4"
Wear/damage→Replace spring
guide.
• Spring seat "5"
Cracks/damage →Replace.
• Bearing "6"
Free play exists/unsmooth revolu-
tion/rust →Replace.
INSTALLING THE BEARING
1. Install:
• Upper bearing "1"
Install the bearing parallel until the
stopper ring groove appears by
pressing its outer race.
Do not apply the grease on the
bearing outer race because it will
wear the rear shock absorber sur-
face on which the bearing is press
fitted.
2. Install:
• Stopper ring (upper bearing) "1"
After installing the stopper ring, push
back the bearing until it contacts the
stopper ring.

6-2
ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS AND WIRING DIAGRAM
ELECTRICAL
COMPONENTS AND
WIRING DIAGRAM
ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
1. Engine stop switch
2. Throttle position sensor
3. Neutral switch4. CDI magneto
5. Ignition coil
6. Spark plug7. CDI unit
WIRING DIAGRAM
1. Engine stop switch
2. Throttle position sensor
3. Neutral switch
4. CDI magneto
5. Ignition coil
6. Spark plug
7. CDI unitCOLOR CODE
BBlack
Br Brown
GGreen
LBlue
OOrange
PPink
RRed
Sb Sky blue
WWhite
Y YellowB/L Black/Blue
B/W Black/White
B/Y Black/Yellow
G/B Green/Black
L/W Blue/White
R/W Red/White
B/WB/W
B/L
B/Y
SbSb
G/B
LYLY
P
B
B
B
B
G
O
WR
P
GW
R P
B Br W
W
B/Y GBr
G RR
OB Sb Sb Y
Y
WY
W
GG
B
PP
Br BrR R
OL
B SbY LL
B/L B/W B/WG/B
B B
B/L L Sb
B/L
G/B
G/BB/Y
B/Y
B/W
O B/W
BrBrP

6-3
IGNITION SYSTEM
IGNITION SYSTEM
INSPECTION STEPS
Use the following steps for checking the possibility of the malfunctioning engine being attributable to ignition system failure
and for checking the spark plug which will not spark.
*marked: Only when the ignition checker is used.
• Remove the following parts before inspection.
1. Seat
2. Fuel tank
• Use the following special tools in this inspection.
Spark gap test Spark→*Clean or replace spark plug.
No spark↓
Check entire ignition system for connection.
(couplers, leads and ignition coil)No good→
Repair or replace.
OK↓
Check engine stop switch. No good→Replace.
OK↓
Check ignition coil. (primary coil and secondary
coil)No good→
Replace.
OK↓
Check CDI magneto. (pickup coil and charging
coil)No good→
Replace.
OK↓
Check neutral switch. No good→Repair or replace.
OK↓
Replace CDI unit.
Dynamic spark tester:
YM-34487
Ignition checker:
90890-06754
Pocket tester:
YU-3112-C/90890-03112

6-4
IGNITION SYSTEM
SPARK GAP TEST
1. Disconnect the ignition coil from
spark plug.
2. Remove the ignition coil cap.
3. Connect the dynamic spark tester
"1" (ignition checker "2") as
shown.
• Ignition coil "3"
• Spark plug "4"
A. For USA and CDN
B. Except for USA and CDN
4. Kick the kickstarter crank.
5. Check the ignition spark gap.
6. Start engine, and increase spark
gap until misfire occurs. (for USA
and CDN only)
CHECKING THE COUPLERS,
LEADS AND IGNITION COIL
CONNECTION
1. Check:
• Couplers and leads connection
Rust/dust/looseness/short-circuit
→Repair or replace.
• Ignition coil and spark plug as
they are fitted
Push in the ignition coil until it
closely contacts the spark plug
hole in the cylinder head cover.
CHECKING THE ENGINE STOP
SWITCH
1. Inspect:
• Engine stop switch conductionNot conductive while it is pushed→
Replace.
Conductive while it is freed→Re-
place.
Set the tester selection position to "Ω
× 1".
CHECKING THE IGNITION COIL
1. Remove the ignition coil cap.
2. Inspect:
• Primary coil resistance
Out of specification→Replace.
3. Inspect:
• Secondary coil resistance
Out of specification→Replace.4. Inspect:
• Sealed portion of ignition coil "a"
• Spark plug terminal pin "b"
• Threaded portion of spark plug "c"
Wear →Replace.
CHECKING THE CDI MAGNETO
1. Inspect:
• Pickup coil resistance
Out of specification→Replace.
2. Inspect:
• Charging coil 1 resistance
Out of specification→Replace. Minimum spark gap:
6.0 mm (0.24 in)
Tester (+) lead→Black/White lead
"1"
Tester (-) lead→Black lead "2"
Result
Conductive (while the
engine stop switch is
pushed)
Tester (+) lead→Orange lead "1"
Tester (-) lead→Black lead "2"
Primary
coil resis-
tanceTester se-
lector posi-
tion
0.08–0.10
Ω at 20 °C
(68 °F) Ω × 1
Tester (+) lead→Orange lead "1"
Tester (-) lead→Spark plug termi-
nal "2"
Secondary
coil resis-
tanceTester se-
lector posi-
tion
4.6–6.8
kΩat 20 °C
(68 °F) kΩ × 1
Tester (+) lead→Red lead "1"
Tester (-) lead→White lead "2"
Pickup coil
resistanceTester se-
lector posi-
tion
248-372 Ω
at 20 °C (68
°F)Ω ×100
Tester (+) lead→Brown lead "1"
Tester (-) lead→Green lead "2"
Charging
coil 1 resis-
tanceTester se-
lector posi-
tion
720-1,080
Ω at 20 °C
(68 °F)Ω ×100

6-5
IGNITION SYSTEM
3. Inspect:
• Charging coil 2 resistance
Out of specification→Replace.
CHECKING THE NEUTRAL
SWITCH
1. Inspect:
• Neutral switch conduction
Not conductive while it is in neutral→
Replace.
Conductive while it is engaged→Re-
place.
Set the tester selection position to "Ω
× 1".
CHECKING THE CDI UNIT
Check all electrical components. If no
fault is found, replace the CDI unit.
Then check the electrical compo-
nents again.Tester (+) lead→Pink lead "1"
Tester (-) lead→Black lead "2"
Charging
coil 2 resis-
tanceTester se-
lector posi-
tion
44-66 Ω at
20 °C (68
°F)Ω ×10
Tester (+) lead→Sky blue lead "1"
Tester (-) lead→Ground "2"
Result
Conductive (while gear
is in neutral)

6-6
THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR SYSTEM
THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR SYSTEM
INSPECTION STEPS
If the throttle position sensor will not operate, use the following inspection steps.
*marked: Refer to "IGNITION SYSTEM" section.
Use the following special tools in this inspection.
Check entire ignition system for connection. No good→Repair or replace.
OK↓
Check throttle position sensor. (Throttle position
sensor coil)No good→
Replace.
OK↓
*Check CDI magneto. (Charging coil) No good→Replace.
OK↓
Check CDI unit. (Throttle position sensor input
voltage)No good→
Replace.
Pocket tester:
YU-3112-C/90890-03112

6-7
THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR SYSTEM
HANDLING NOTE
Do not loosen the screw (throttle
position sensor) "1" except when
changing the throttle position sen-
sor due to failure because it will
cause a drop in engine perfor-
mance.
CHECKING THE COUPLERS AND
LEADS CONNECTION
1. Check:
• Couplers and leads connection
Rust/dust/looseness/short-circuit
→Repair or replace.
CHECKING THE THROTTLE
POSITION SENSOR COIL
1. Inspect:
• Throttle position sensor coil resis-
tance
Out of specification→Replace.
2. Loosen:
• Throttle stop screw "1"
Turn out the throttle stop screw until
the throttle shaft is in the full close po-
sition.
3. Inspect:
• Throttle position sensor coil vari-
able resistance
Check that the resistance in in-
creased as the throttle grip is
moved from the full close position
to the full open position.
Out of specification→Replace.
CHANGING AND ADJUSTING THE
THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR
1. Remove:
• Throttle position sensor coupler
•Carburetor
2. Remove:
• Screw (throttle position sensor)
"1"
• Throttle position sensor "2"
Loosen the screw (throttle position
sensor) using the T25 bit.
3. Replace:
• Throttle position sensor
4. Install:
• Throttle position sensor "1"
• Screw (throttle position sensor)
"2"
• Align the slot "a" in the throttle posi-
tion sensor with the projection "b"
on the carburetor.
• Temporarily tighten the screw
(throttle position sensor).
5. Install:
•Carburetor
• Throttle position sensor coupler
6. Adjust:
• Engine idling speed
Refer to "ADJUSTING THE EN-
GINE IDLING SPEED" section in
the CHAPTER 3.
7. Insert the thin electric conductors
"2" (lead) into the throttle position
sensor coupler "1", as shown, and
connect the tester to them.
• Do not insert the electric conduc-
tors more than required because
it may reduce the waterproof
function of the coupler.
• Make sure that a short-circuit
does not develop between the
terminals because it may cause
damage to electrical compo-
nents.
8. Start the engine.
9. Adjust:
• Throttle position sensor output
voltage
Adjustment steps:
a. Adjust the installation angle of the
throttle position sensor "1" to ob-
tain the specified output voltage.
Measure the output voltage accurate-
ly with a digital electronic voltmeter
that gives an easy reading of a small
voltage.
Tester (+) lead→Blue lead "1"
Tester (-) lead→Black lead "2"
Throttle po-
sition sen-
sor coil
resistanceTester se-
lector posi-
tion
4–6 kΩ at
20°C (68 °F) kΩ×1
Tester (+) lead→Yellow lead "1"
Tester (-) lead→Black lead "2"
Throttle position
sensor coil vari-
able resistanceTester
selec-
tor po-
sition
Full
closedFull
opened
kΩ×1 Zero –2
kΩat
20°C
(68 °F)4–6
kΩat
20 °C
(68 °F)
Tester (+) lead→Yellow lead "3"
Tester (-) lead→Black lead "4"

7-6
CHASSIS
CHASSIS
SELECTION OF THE SECONDARY
REDUCTION RATIO (SPROCKET)
ondary gear reduction ratio>
• It is generally said that the second-
ary gear ratio should be reduced for
a longer straight portion of a speed
course and should be increased for
a course with many corners. Actual-
ly, however, as the speed depends
on the ground condition of the day
of the race, be sure to run through
the circuit to set the machine suit-
able for the entire course.
• In actuality, it is very difficult to
achieve settings suitable for the en-
tire course and some settings may
be sacrificed. Thus, the settings
should be matched to the portion of
the course that has the greatest ef-
fect on the race result. In such a
case, run through the entire course
while making notes of lap times to
find the best balance; then, deter-
mine the secondary reduction ratio.
• If a course has a long straight por-
tion where a machine can run at
maximum speed, the machine is
generally set such that it can devel-
op its maximum revolutions toward
the end of the straight line, with care
taken to avoid the engine over-rev-
ving.
Riding technique varies from rider to
rider and the performance of a ma-
chine also vary from machine to ma-
chine. Therefore, do not imitate other
rider's settings from the beginning but
choose your own setting according to
the level of your riding technique.
DRIVE AND REAR WHEEL
SPROCKETS SETTING PARTS
TIRE PRESSURE
Tire pressure should be adjust to suit
the road surface condition of the cir-
cuit.
• Under a rainy, muddy, sandy, or
slippery condition, the tire pressure
should be lower for a larger area of
contact with the road surface.
• Under a stony or hard road condi-
tion, the tire pressure should be
higher to prevent a flat tire.
FRONT FORK SETTING
The front fork setting should be made
depending on the rider's feeling of an
actual run and the circuit conditions.The front fork setting includes the fol-
lowing three factors:
1. Setting of air spring characteris-
tics
• Change the fork oil amount.
2. Setting of spring preload
• Change the spring.
3. Setting of damping force
• Change the compression damp-
ing.
• Change the rebound damping.
The spring acts on the load and
the damping force acts on the
cushion travel speed.
CHANGE IN AMOUNT AND
CHARACTERISTICS OF FORK OIL
Damping characteristic near the final
stroke can be changed by changing
the fork oil amount.
Adjust the oil amount in 5 cm3 (0.2
Imp oz, 0.2 US oz) increments or
decrements. Too small oil amount
causes the front fork to produce a
noise at full rebound or the rider to
feel some pressure on his hands
or body. Alternatively, too large oil
amount will cause the air spring
characteristics to have a tendency
to be stiffer with the consequent
deteriorated performance and
characteristics. Therefore, adjust
the front fork within the specified
range.
Secondary reduction ratio =
Number of rear wheel sprocket
teeth/Number of drive sprocket
teeth
Standard secondary
reduction ratio49/13
(3.769)
Part name Size Part number
Drive
sprocket "1"
(STD) 13T 9383B-13233
Rear wheel
sprocket "2"
47T 1C3-25447-00
48T 1C3-25448-00
(STD) 49T 1C3-25449-00
50T 1C3-25450-00
51T 1C3-25451-00
52T 1C3-25452-00
Standard tire pressure:
100 kPa (1.0 kgf/cm
2,
15 psi)
Extent of adjustment:
60–80 kPa (0.6–0.8 kgf/
cm
2, 9.0–12 psi)
Extent of adjustment:
100–120 kPa (1.0–1.2
kgf/cm
2, 15–18 psi)
Standard oil amount:
350 cm3 (12.3 Imp oz,
11.8 US oz)
* 340 cm
3 (12.0 Imp oz,
11.5 US oz)
Extent of adjustment:
300–375 cm
3(10.6–13.2
Imp oz, 10.1–12.7 US
oz)
* Except for USA and CDN