2012 YAMAHA VMAX warning

INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-23
32. Turn the key counterclockwise tothe original position, and then re-
move it.
3. Return the backrest to the original position.
TIPThe fuel tank cap cannot be installed
unless the key is in the lock. In addition,
the key cannot be removed if the cap is
not properly installed and locked.
WARNING
EWA10131
Make sure that the fuel tank cap is
properly installed before riding.
Leaking fuel is a fire hazard.
EAU13212
Fuel Make sure there is sufficient gasoline in
the tank.
WARNING
EWA10881
Gasoline and gasoline vapors are
extremely flammable. To avoid fires
and explosions and to reduce the
risk of injury when refueling, follow
these instructions.1. Before refueling, turn off the en-gine and be sure that no one is sit-
ting on the vehicle. Never refuel
while smoking, or while in the vi-
cinity of sparks, open flames, or
other sources of ignition such as
the pilot lights of water heaters and
clothes dryers.
2. Do not overfill the fuel tank. Stop filling when the fuel reaches the
bottom of the filler tube. Because
fuel expands when it heats up,
heat from the engine or the sun
can cause fuel to spill out of the
fuel tank. 3. Wipe up any spilled fuel immedi-
ately. NOTICE: Immediately wipe
off spilled fuel with a clean, dry,
soft cloth, since fuel may deteri-
orate painted surfaces or plastic
parts.
[ECA10071]
4. Be sure to securely close the fuel tank cap.
WARNING
EWA15151
Gasoline is poisonous and can
cause injury or death. Handle gaso-
line with care. Never siphon gaso-
line by mouth. If you should swallow
some gasoline or inhale a lot of gas-
oline vapor, or get some gasoline in
your eyes, see your doctor immedi-
1. Match marks
1
1. Fuel tank filler tube
2. Maximum fuel level
12
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INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-24
3
ately. If gasoline spills on your skin,
wash with soap and water. If gaso-
line spills on your clothing, change
your clothes.
EAU13391
NOTICE
ECA11400
Use only unleaded gasoline. The use
of leaded gasoline will cause severe
damage to internal engine parts,
such as the valves and piston rings,
as well as to the exhaust system.Your Yamaha engine has been de-
signed to use premium unleaded gaso-
line with a research octane number of
95 or higher. If knocking (or pinging) oc-
curs, use a gasoline of a different brand. Use of unleaded fuel will extend
spark plug life and reduce maintenance
costs.
EAU51170
Fuel tank breather hose and
overflow hose Before operating the motorcycle:●
Check each hose connection.
●
Check each hose for cracks or
damage, and replace if damaged.
●
Make sure that the end of each
hose is not blocked, and clean if
necessary.
Recommended fuel:
Premium unleaded gasoline only
Fuel tank capacity: 15.0 L (3.96 US gal, 3.30 Imp.gal)
Fuel reserve amount (when the fuel
level warning light comes on): 3.9 L (1.03 US gal, 0.86 Imp.gal)
1. Fuel tank breather hose
2. Fuel tank overflow hose
12
U2S3E3E0.book Page 24 Monday, September 19, 2011 8:42 AM

INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-25
3
EAU13445
Catalytic converters This vehicle is equipped with catalytic
converters in the exhaust system.
WARNING
EWA10862
The exhaust system is hot after op-
eration. To prevent a fire hazard or
burns:●
Do not park the vehicle near
possible fire hazards such as
grass or other materials that
easily burn.
●
Park the vehicle in a place
where pedestrians or children
are not likely to touch the hot
exhaust system.
●
Make sure that the exhaust sys-
tem has cooled down before do-
ing any maintenance work.
●
Do not allow the engine to idle
more than a few minutes. Long
idling can cause a build-up of
heat.
NOTICE
ECA10701
Use only unleaded gasoline. The use
of leaded gasoline will cause unre-
pairable damage to the catalytic
converter.
EAU46842
Seats Rider seat
To remove the rider seat1. Pull the rider seat backrest releaselever on the left side of the vehicle
as shown. The backrest will slide
forward.1. Rider seat backrest release lever
1
U2S3E3E0.book Page 25 Monday, September 19, 2011 8:42 AM

INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-27
32. Place the passenger seat in theoriginal position, and then install
the bolts.
3. Return the backrest to the original position.
TIPMake sure that the passenger seat is
properly secured before riding.
EAU14733
Adjusting the front fork
WARNING
EWA10180
Always adjust both fork legs equal-
ly, otherwise poor handling and loss
of stability may result.This front fork is equipped with spring
preload adjusting bolts, rebound damp-
ing force adjusting knobs and compres-
sion damping force adjusting screws.NOTICE
ECA10101
To avoid damaging the mechanism,
do not attempt to turn beyond the
maximum or minimum settings.Spring preload
To increase the spring preload and
thereby harden the suspension, turn
the adjusting bolt on each fork leg in di-
rection (a). To decrease the spring pre-
load and thereby soften the
suspension, turn the adjusting bolt on
each fork leg in direction (b). Align the appropriate groove on the ad-
justing mechanism with the top of the
front fork cap bolt.
1. Projection
2. Seat holder
1
2
1. Spring preload adjusting bolt
1. Current setting
2. Front fork cap bolt
(a)
(b)
1543
21
2
1
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INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-30
3
Compression damping force
To increase the compression damping
force and thereby harden the compres-
sion damping, turn the adjusting knob
in direction (a). To decrease the com-
pression damping force and thereby
soften the compression damping, turn
the adjusting knob in direction (b).
TIPTo obtain a precise adjustment, it is ad-
visable to check the actual total number
of clicks or turns of each damping force
adjusting mechanism. This adjustment
range may not exactly match the spec-
ifications listed due to small differences
in production.
WARNING
EWA10221
This shock absorber assembly con-
tains highly pressurized nitrogen
gas. Read and understand the fol-
lowing information before handling
the shock absorber assembly.●
Do not tamper with or attempt to
open the cylinder assembly.
●
Do not subject the shock ab-
sorber assembly to an open
flame or other high heat source.
This may cause the unit to ex-
plode due to excessive 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 as-
sembly yourself. Take the shock
absorber assembly to a Yamaha
dealer for any service.
1. Compression damping force adjusting knobCompression damping setting:
Minimum (soft):12 clicks in direction (b)*
Standard: 10 clicks in direction (b)*
Maximum (hard):
1 clicks in direction (b)*
* With the adjusting knob fully turned in direction (a)
(b)
(a)
1
U2S3E3E0.book Page 30 Monday, September 19, 2011 8:42 AM

INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-31
3
EAU15151
Luggage strap holders There is a luggage strap holder on each
passenger footrest.
EAU41941
EXUP system This model is equipped with Yamaha’s
EXUP (EXhaust Ultimate Power valve)
system. This system boosts engine
power by means of a valve that regu-
lates the inner diameter of the exhaust
pipe. The EXUP system valve is con-
stantly adjusted in accordance with the
engine speed by a computer-controlled
servomotor.NOTICE
ECA15610
The EXUP system has been set and
extensively tested at the Yamaha
factory. Changing these settings
without sufficient technical knowl-
edge may result in poor perfor-
mance of or damage to the engine.
EAU15305
Sidestand The sidestand is located on the left side
of the frame. Raise the sidestand or
lower it with your foot while holding the
vehicle upright.TIPThe built-in sidestand switch is part of
the ignition circuit cut-off system, which
cuts the ignition in certain situations.
(See the following section for an expla-
nation of the ignition circuit cut-off sys-
tem.)
WARNING
EWA10241
The vehicle must not be ridden with
the sidestand down, or if the side-
stand cannot be properly moved up (or does not stay up), otherwise the
sidestand could contact the ground
and distract the operator, resulting
in a possible loss of control.
Yamaha’s ignition circuit cut-off system has been designed to assist
the operator in fulfilling the respon-
sibility of raising the sidestand be-
fore starting off. Therefore, check
1. Luggage strap holder
1
1
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INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-33
3
With the engine turned off:
1. Move the sidestand down.
2. Make sure that the engine stop switch is set to “
3. Turn the key on.
4. Shift the transmission into the neutral position.
5. Push the start switch.
Does the engine start?
With the engine still running:
6. Move the sidestand up.
7. Keep the clutch lever pulled.
8. Shift the transmission into gear.
9. Move the sidestand down.
Does the engine stall?
After the engine has stalled:
10. Move the sidestand up.
11. Keep the clutch lever pulled.
12. Push the start switch.
Does the engine start?
The system is OK. The motorcycle can be ridden. The neutral switch may not be working correctly.
The motorcycle should not be ridden
until
checked by a Yamaha dealer.
The sidestand switch may not be working correctly.
The motorcycle should not be ridden until
checked by a Yamaha dealer.
The clutch switch may not be working correctly.
The motorcycle should not be ridden until
checked by a Yamaha dealer.
YES NO YES NO YES NO
If a malfunction is noted, have a Yamaha
dealer check the system before riding.
WARNING
”.
U2S3E3E0.book Page 33 Monday, September 19, 2011 8:42 AM

FOR YOUR SAFETY – PRE-OPERATION CHECKS
4-1
4
EAU15596
Inspect your vehicle each time you use it to make sure the vehicle is in safe operating condition. Always follow the inspection
and maintenance procedures and schedules described in the Owner’s Manual.
WARNING
EWA11151
Failure to inspect or maintain the vehicle properly increases the possibility of an accident or equipment damage.
Do not operate the vehicle if you find any problem. If a problem cannot be corrected by the procedures provided in
this manual, have the vehicle inspected by a Yamaha dealer.Before using this vehicle, check the following points:
ITEMCHECKS PAGE
Fuel Check fuel level in fuel tank.
Refuel if necessary.
Check fuel line for leakage.
Check fuel tank breather hose and overflow hose for obstructions, cracks or dam-
age, and check hose connections. 3-23, 3-24
Engine oil Check oil level in engine.
If necessary, add recommended oil to specified level.
Check vehicle for oil leakage. 6-11
Final gear oil Check vehicle for oil leakage. 6-14
Coolant Check coolant level in reservoir.
If necessary, add recommended coolant to specified level.
Check cooling system for leakage. 6-16
Front brake Check operation.
If soft or spongy, have Yamaha dealer bleed hydraulic system.
Check brake pads for wear.
Replace if necessary.
Check fluid level in reservoir.
If necessary, add specified brake fluid to specified level.
Check hydraulic system for leakage. 6-24, 6-25
U2S3E3E0.book Page 1 Monday, September 19, 2011 8:42 AM