2012 YAMAHA YZ125LC open gas tank

FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on your purchase of
a Yamaha YZ series. This model is
the culmination of Yamaha's vast ex-
perience in the production of paceset-
ting racing machines. It represents
the highest grade of craftsmanship
and reliability that have made Yama-
ha a leader.
This manual explains operation, in-
spection, basic maintenance and tun-
ing of your machine. If you have any
questions about this manual or your
machine, please contact your Yama-
ha dealer.
Yamaha continually seeks advance-
ments in product design and quality.
Therefore, while this manual contains
the most current product information
available at the time of printing, there
may be minor discrepancies between
your machine and this manual. If you
have any questions concerning this
manual, please consult your Yamaha
dealer.
PLEASE READ THIS MANUAL
CAREFULLY AND COMPLETELY
BEFORE OPERATING THIS MA-
CHINE. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO OP-
ERATE THIS MACHINE UNTIL YOU
HAVE ATTAINED A SATISFACTO-
RY KNOWLEDGE OF ITS CON-
TROLS AND OPERATING
FEATURES AND UNTIL YOU HAVE
BEEN TRAINED IN SAFE AND
PROPER RIDING TECHNIQUES.
REGULAR INSPECTIONS AND
CAREFUL MAINTENANCE,
ALONG WITH GOOD RIDING
SKILLS, WILL ENSURE THAT YOU
SAFETY ENJOY THE CAPABILI-
TIES AND THE RELIABILITY OF
THIS MACHINE.
IMPORTANT MANUAL
INFORMATION
Particularly important information is
distinguished in this manual by the
following notations.
This is the safety alert symbol. It is
used to alert you to potential per-
sonal injury hazards. Obey all safe-
ty messages that follow this
symbol to avoid possible injury or
death.
A WARNING indicates a hazardous
situation which, if not avoided,
could result in death or serious in-
jury.
A NOTICE indicates special pre-
cautions that must be taken to
avoid damage to the vehicle or oth-
er property.
A TIP provides key information to
make procedures easier or clearer.
SAFETY INFORMATION
THIS MACHINE IS DESIGNED
STRICTLY FOR COMPETITION
USE, ONLY ON A CLOSED
COURSE. It is illegal for this machine
to be operated on any public street,
road, or highway. Off-road use on
public lands may also be illegal.
Please check local regulations before
riding.
• THIS MACHINE IS TO BE OPER-
ATED BY AN EXPERIENCED RID-
ER ONLY.
Do not attempt to operate this ma-
chine at maximum power until you
are totally familiar with its character-
istics.
• THIS MACHINE IS DESIGNED TO
BE RIDDEN BY THE OPERATOR
ONLY.
Do not carry passengers on this
machine.
• ALWAYS WEAR PROTECTIVE
APPAREL.
When operating this machine, al-
ways wear an approved helmet with
goggles or a face shield. Also wear
heavy boots, gloves, and protective
clothing. Always wear proper fitting
clothing that will not be caught in
any of the moving parts or controls
of the machine.• ALWAYS MAINTAIN YOUR MA-
CHINE IN PROPER WORKING
ORDER.
For safety and reliability, the ma-
chine must be properly maintained.
Always perform the pre-operation
checks indicated in this manual.
Correcting a mechanical problem
before you ride may prevent an ac-
cident.
• GASOLINE IS HIGHLY FLAMMA-
BLE.
Always turn off the engine while re-
fueling. Take care to not spill any
gasoline on the engine or exhaust
system. Never refuel in the vicinity
of an open flame, or while smoking.
• GASOLINE CAN CAUSE INJURY.
If you should swallow some gaso-
line, inhale excess gasoline vapors,
or allow any gasoline to get into
your eyes, contact a doctor immedi-
ately. If any gasoline spills onto
your skin or clothing, immediately
wash skin areas with soap and wa-
ter, and change your clothes.
• ONLY OPERATE THE MACHINE
IN AN AREA WITH ADEQUATE
VENTILATION.
Never start the engine or let it run
for any length of time in an enclosed
area. Exhaust fumes are poison-
ous. These fumes contain carbon
monoxide, which by itself is odor-
less and colorless. Carbon monox-
ide is a dangerous gas which can
cause unconsciousness or can be
lethal.
• PARK THE MACHINE CAREFUL-
LY; TURN OFF THE ENGINE.
Always turn off the engine if you are
going to leave the machine. Do not
park the machine on a slope or soft
ground as it may fall over.
• THE ENGINE, EXHAUST PIPE,
MUFFLER, AND OIL TANK WILL
BE VERY HOT AFTER THE EN-
GINE HAS BEEN RUN.
Be careful not to touch them or to
allow any clothing item to contact
them during inspection or repair.
• PROPERLY SECURE THE MA-
CHINE BEFORE TRANSPORTING
IT.
When transporting the machine in
another vehicle, always be sure it is
properly secured and in an upright
position and that the fuel cock is in
the "OFF" position. Otherwise, fuel
may leak out of the carburetor or
fuel tank.

1-12
STARTING AND BREAK-IN
STARTING AND BREAK-IN
FUEL
Mix oil with the gas at the ratio speci-
fied below. Always use fresh, name-
brand gasoline, and mix the oil and gas
the day of the race. Do not use premix
that is more than a few hours old.
If knocking or pinging occurs, use a
different brand of gasoline or higher
octane grade.
Never mix two types of oil in the
same batch; clotting of the oil
could result. If you wish to change
oil types, be sure to drain the fuel
tank and the carburetor float bowl
of old premix prior to filling with
the new type.
HANDLING NOTE
Before starting the machine, per-
form the checks in the pre-opera-
tion check list.
Never start or run the engine in a
closed area. The exhaust fumes are
poisonous; they can cause loss of
consciousness and death in a very
short time. Always operate the ma-
chine in a well-ventilated area.
AIR FILTER MAINTENANCE
According to "CLEANING THE AIR
FILTER ELEMENT" section in the
CHAPTER 3, apply the foam-air-filter
oil or its equivalent to the element.
(Excess oil in the element may ad-
versely affect engine starting.)
STARTING A COLD ENGINE
1. Shift the transmission into neutral.
2. Turn the fuel cock to "ON" and full
open the starter knob (CHOKE).
3. With the throttle completely
closed start the engine by kicking
the kick starter forcefully with firm
stroke.
4. Run the engine at idle or slightly
higher until it warms up: this usu-
ally takes about one or two min-
utes.
5. The engine is warmed up when it
responds normally to the throttle
with the starter knob (CHOKE)
turned off.
Do not warm up the engine for ex-
tended periods of time.
STARTING A WARM ENGINE
Do not operate the starter knob
(CHOKE). Open the throttle slightly
and start the engine by kicking the
kick starter forcefully with firm stroke.
Observe the following break-in
procedures during initial operation
to ensure optimum performance
and avoid engine damage.
BREAK-IN PROCEDURES
1. Before starting the engine, fill the
fuel tank with a break-in oil-fuel
mixture as follows.
2. Perform the pre-operation checks
on the machine.
3. Start and warm up the engine.
Check the idle speed, and check
the operation of the controls and
the "ENGINE STOP" button.
4. Operate the machine in the lower
gears at moderate throttle open-
ings for five to eight minutes. Stop
and check the spark plug condi-
tion; it will show a rich condition
during break-in.5. Allow the engine to cool. Restart
the engine and operate the ma-
chine as in the step above for five
minutes. Then, very briefly shift to
the higher gears and check full-
throttle response. Stop and check
the spark plug.
6. After again allowing the engine to
cool, restart and run the machine
for five more minutes. Full throttle
and the higher gears may be
used, but sustained full-throttle
operation should be avoided.
Check the spark plug condition.
7. Allow the engine to cool, remove
the top end, and inspect the pis-
ton and cylinder. Remove any
high spots on the piston with #600
grit wet sandpaper. Clean all
components and carefully reas-
semble the top end.
8. Drain the break-in oil-fuel mixture
from the fuel tank and refill with
the specified mix.
9. Restart the engine and check the
operation of the machine through-
out its entire operating range.
Stop and check the spark plug
condition. Restart the machine
and operate it for about 10 to 15
more minutes. The machine will
now be ready to race.
• After the break-in or before each
race, you must check the entire
machine for loose fittings and
fasteners as per "TORQUE-
CHECK POINTS". Tighten all
such fasteners as required.
• When any of the following parts
have been replaced, they must
be broken in.
CYLINDER AND CRANKSHAFT:
About one hour of break-in oper-
ation is necessary.
PISTON, RING AND GEARS:
These parts require about 30
minutes of break-in operation at
half-throttle or less. Observe the
condition of the engine carefully
during operation.
Recommended fuel:
Premium unleaded
gasoline only with a re-
search octane number
of 95 or higher.
Fuel tank capacity:
8.0 L (1.76 Imp gal, 2.11
US gal)
Mixing oil:
Recommended oil:
Yamalube "2-R"
(Yamalube racing 2-
cycle oil)
Mixing ratio: 30:1
If unavailable, use an
equivalent type of oil.
Mixing oil:
Yamalube "2-R"
Mixing ratio:
15:1

5-40
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.