2011 YAMAHA YFM250R-W warning

4-9
4
WARNING
EWB00220
Always set the parking brake before starting
the engine. The ATV could start moving un-
expectedly if the parking brake is not ap-
plied. This could cause loss of control or a
collision.
Always be sure you have released the park-
ing brake before you begin to ride. The brake
could overheat if you ride the ATV without re-
leasing the parking brake. You could lose
braking performance which could cause an
accident. You could also wear out the brakesprematurely.EBU18530Shift pedal This ATV is equipped with a constant-mesh 5-
speed transmission. The shift pedal is located on
the left side of the engine and is used in combina-
tion with the clutch when shifting.
EBU18720Fuel tank cap Remove the fuel tank cap by turning it counter-
clockwise.1. Shift pedal
1
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4-11
4
NOTICEECB00070Use only unleaded gasoline. The use of leaded
gasoline will cause severe damage to internal
engine parts, such as the valves and pistonrings, as well as to the exhaust system.
WARNING
EWB00310
Do not overfill the fuel tank. Fuel expands
when it heats up. If the fuel tank is overfilled,
fuel could spill out due to heat from the en-
gine or the sun.
Be careful not to spill fuel, especially on the
engine or exhaust pipe which can cause a
fire and severe injury. Wipe up any spilled
fuel immediately.
Do not refuel right after the engine has been
running and is still very hot.
Be sure the fuel tank cap is closed securely.EBU18820Fuel cock The fuel cock supplies fuel from the tank to the car-
buretor while also filtering it.
The fuel cock lever positions are explained as fol-
lows and shown in the illustrations.OFF
With the fuel cock lever in this position, fuel will not
flow. Always turn the fuel cock lever to this position
when the engine is not running.
1. Arrow mark positioned over “OFF”
OFF1
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4-15
4 Turn the adjusting ring in direction (a) to increase
the spring preload and thereby harden the suspen-
sion, and in direction (b) to decrease the spring
preload and thereby soften the suspension.
TIPA special wrench can be obtained at a Yamahadealer to make this adjustment.
WARNING
EWB00400Always adjust the shock absorber assemblies
on the left and right side to the same setting.
Uneven adjustment can cause poor handling
and loss of stability, which could lead to an ac-cident.EBU29300Adjusting the front shock absorber as-
semblies (YFM250RSE-W)These shock absorber assemblies are equipped
with a spring preload adjusting nut, a rebound
damping force adjusting screw, with a compres-
sion damping force adjusting bolt (for fast com-
pression damping), and a compression damping
force adjusting screw (for slow compression damp-
ing).
1. Spring preload adjusting ring
2. Special wrench
3. Position indicator
(a)
(b)1
2
3
A
B
C
D
E
3
Spring preload setting:
Minimum (soft):
A
Standard:
B
Maximum (hard):
E
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4-16
4
WARNING
EWB00410These shock absorber assemblies contain
highly pressurized nitrogen gas. Read and un-
derstand the following information before han-
dling the shock absorber assemblies.
Do not tamper with or attempt to open the
cylinder assemblies.
Do not subject the shock absorber assem-
blies to an open flame or other high heat
source. This may cause the unit to explode
due to excessive gas pressure.
Do not deform or damage the cylinders in
any way. Cylinder damage will result in poor
damping performance.
Do not dispose of a damaged or worn out
shock absorber assembly yourself. Take the
shock absorber assembly to a Yamaha deal-er for any service.
Spring preload
1. Loosen the locknut.2. Turn the adjusting nut in direction (a) to in-
crease the spring preload and thereby harden
the suspension, and in direction (b) to de-
crease the spring preload and thereby soften
the suspension.
TIP
A special wrench can be obtained at a Yamaha
dealer to make this adjustment.
The spring preload setting is determined by
measuring distance A, shown in the illustration.
The shorter distance A is, the higher the spring
preload; the longer distance A is, the lower the1. Spring preload adjusting nut
2. Locknut
3. Special wrench
(a)
(b)1 2
3
U33B70E0.book Page 16 Wednesday, June 11, 2008 1:38 PM

4-20
4
NOTICEECB00090Never turn an adjusting mechanism beyondthe minimum and maximum settings.TIPAlthough the total number of clicks of a damping
force adjusting mechanism may not exactly match
the above specifications due to small differences in
production, the actual number of clicks always rep-
resents the entire adjusting range. To obtain a pre-
cise adjustment, it would be advisable to check the
number of clicks of each damping force adjusting
mechanism and to modify the specifications asnecessary.
WARNING
EWB02490
Suspension components become hot during
operation. Never touch the compression
damping force adjusting bolt and screw, the
rebound damping force adjusting screw or
the oil reservoir with your bare hand or skin
until suspension components have cooled.
Always adjust the shock absorber assem-
blies on the left and right side to the same
setting.

Uneven adjustment can cause poor handling
and loss of stability, which could lead to anaccident.EBU28240Adjusting the rear shock absorber as-
sembly (YFM250R-W)The spring preload can be adjusted to suit the rid-
er’s weight and the riding conditions.
Adjust the spring preload as follows.
1. Loosen the locknut.
2. Turn the adjusting nut in direction (a) to in-
crease the spring preload and thereby harden
the suspension, and in direction (b) to de-
crease the spring preload and thereby soften
the suspension.
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4
WARNING
EWB00450This shock absorber assembly contains highly
pressurized nitrogen gas. If the shock absorb-
er assembly is damaged, it could explode
causing injury or property damage. Shock ab-
sorber cylinder damage could also result in
poor handling which could cause an accident.
Do not tamper with or attempt to open the
cylinder assembly.
Do not subject the shock absorber assembly
to an open flame or other high heat.
Do not deform or damage the cylinder in any
way.
Do not dispose of a damaged or worn out
shock absorber assembly yourself. Take the
shock absorber assembly to a Yamaha deal-er for any service.EBU29310Adjusting the rear shock absorber as-
sembly (YFM250RSE-W)The spring preload, rebound damping and com-
pression damping forces of the rear shock absorb-
er assembly can be adjusted to suit the rider’s
weight and the riding conditions.
WARNING
EWB00430This shock absorber assembly contains highly
pressurized nitrogen gas. Read and under-
stand the following information before han-
dling the shock absorber assembly.
Do not tamper with or attempt to open the
cylinder assembly.
Do not subject the shock absorber assembly
to an open flame or other high heat source.
This may cause the unit to explode due to ex-
cessive gas pressure.
Do not deform or damage the cylinder in any
way. Cylinder damage will result in poor
damping performance.
Do not dispose of a damaged or worn out
shock absorber assembly yourself. Take the
shock absorber assembly to a Yamaha deal-er for any service.
Spring preload
1. Loosen the locknut.
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4
WARNING
EWB02500Suspension components become hot during
operation. Never touch the compression
damping force adjusting screw, the rebound
damping force adjusting dial or the oil reser-
voir with your bare hand or skin until suspen-sion components have cooled.U33B70E0.book Page 26 Wednesday, June 11, 2008 1:38 PM

5-1
5
EBU19200
PRE-OPERATION CHECKS
EBU19223Pre-operation check list Before operating this ATV, be sure to check the items listed in the following table.
WARNING
EWB00480Always inspect your ATV each time you use it to make sure it is in safe operating condition.
Always follow the inspection and maintenance procedures and schedules described in the Owner’sManual. Failure to inspect increases the possibility of an accident or equipment damage.TIPThe maintenance of some items in the table has to be performed by a Yamaha dealer. Refer to the periodicmaintenance charts on page 8-3 to determine which service should be performed by a Yamaha dealer.
ITEM ROUTINE PAGE
FuelCheck fuel level in fuel tank, and add recommended fuel if neces-
sary.
Check fuel line for leakage. Correct if necessary.4-10, 5-3
Engine oilCheck oil level in engine, and add recommended oil to specified lev-
el if necessary.
Check ATV for oil leakage. Correct if necessary.5-3, 8-9
Front brakeCheck operation. If soft or spongy, have Yamaha dealer bleed hy-
draulic system.
Check brake pads for wear, and replace if necessary.
Check brake fluid level in reservoir, and add recommended brake
fluid to specified level if necessary.
Check hydraulic system for leakage. Correct if necessary.5-3, 8-21, 8-22, 8-24
U33B70E0.book Page 1 Wednesday, June 11, 2008 1:38 PM