2014 YAMAHA VIKING Owners Manual

7-13
1
2
3
4
5
67
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Steering wheel
Keep both hands on the steering wheel. Do
not hold the steering wheel with your thumbs
inside the rim. Keep your palms on the out-
side of the steering wheel. Similar to other off-
road vehicles, if the Viking hits a deep rut or
large obstacle, the steering wheel could brief-
ly jerk in one direction or back and forth as the
tires and vehicle respond to the obstacle. This
quick motion could injure your thumbs or wrist
if your thumbs or hand(s) are inside the steer-
ing wheel. Grip the steering wheel so that
your thumbs will not be hit by the spokes. As
an example, see the illustration.
CORRECT GRIP EXAMPLE
INCORRECT GRIP EXAMPLE
1XP7B_EE.book Page 13 Tuesday, February 4, 2014 3:40 PM

7-14
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
LEARNING TO OPERATE YOUR
VEHICLEPersonal protective equipment1. Approved motorcycle helmet
2. Eye protection 3. Long-sleeved shirt or jacket
4. Gloves 5. Long pants
6. Over-the-ankle boots
The driver and passengers should wear the
following to reduce risk of injury in an acci-
dent:●
Approved motorcycle helmet that fits prop-
erly
●
Eye protection (goggles, helmet face
shield, or protective eyewear)
●
Over-the-ankle boots, gloves, long-sleeved
shirt or jacket, and long pants
An approved helmet and other personal pro-
tective equipment can help in a variety of
ways, including:
●
Reduce the severity of injuries if any part of
you is outside the vehicle cage/frame pro-
tective structure during a rollover.
●
Help protect you if outside objects intrude
inside the vehicle during operation.
●
Help protect you in the event of vehicle im-
pact with an obstacle.
1 2
3
4
5
6
1XP7B_EE.book Page 14 Tuesday, February 4, 2014 3:40 PM

7-15
1
2
3
4
5
67
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Wear eye protection when operating or riding
the vehicle to reduce the risk of a serious ac-
cident or injury. Eye protection, such as a face
shield or goggles, may reduce the risk of for-
eign material getting in your eyes and help
prevent loss of vision.
Practice for new Yamaha Viking users
You should become familiar with the perfor-
mance characteristics of the vehicle in a large,
flat area that is free of obstacles and other ve-
hicles. Practice controlling the accelerator
pedal, brakes, steering, and drive select lever.
Drive at slow speeds with gradual accelera-
tion and turning. Practice smooth throttle ap-
plication. Practice slowing down before
turning. Practice maintaining a steady throttle
through the turn. Avoid higher speeds until
you are thoroughly familiar with the operation
of your vehicle. Remember, driving aggres-
sively or making abrupt maneuvers even on
flat, open areas can cause side rollovers.Become familiar with the way the vehicle feels
in low and high ranges, first in two-wheel drive
“2WD” and then in four-wheel drive “4WD”
and four-wheel drive with the differential
locked “DIFF LOCK”. Steering may take more
effort in four-wheel drive with the differential
locked “DIFF LOCK”. Also practice driving in
reverse.
Take the time to learn basic operation of the
vehicle before attempting more difficult ma-
neuvers.1XP7B_EE.book Page 15 Tuesday, February 4, 2014 3:40 PM

7-16
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Getting ready to ride
Perform the Pre-Operation Checks on page
5-1. Follow the instructions starting on page
6-2 to start the engine. Turning
Use care in turns – turning the steering wheel
too far or too fast can result in loss of control
or a rollover. Slow down before entering turns.
When making tight turns from a standstill or at
slow speeds, avoid sudden or hard accelera-
tion. Driving aggressively or making abrupt
maneuvers even on flat, open areas can
cause side rollovers. Avoid sideways sliding,
skidding, or back-wheel sliding, and never do
donuts. If you feel the Viking begin to slide
sideways or the back wheels slide during a
turn, steer into the direction of the slide, if pos-
sible, and gradually let off the accelerator ped-
al to regain directional control and avoid
rollover. For example, if you feel the back of
the vehicle start to slide to your right, steer to
the right.1XP7B_EE.book Page 16 Tuesday, February 4, 2014 3:40 PM

7-17
1
2
3
4
5
67
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
If you think or feel that the vehicle may tip or
roll, keep your body completely inside the pro-
tective structure of the vehicle:●
Brace yourself by pressing your feet firmly
on the floorboards and keep a firm grip on
the steering wheel or passenger handhold.
●
Do not put your hands or feet outside of the
vehicle for any reason. Do not try to stop a
tipover using your arm or leg.Accelerating
With the engine idling in neutral and your foot
on the brake, shift the drive select lever into
low or high.
NOTICE: Do not shift from low
to high or vice versa without coming to a
complete stop and waiting for the engine
to return to normal idle speed – damage to
the engine or drive train may occur. Then
release the parking brake. Press the accel-
erator pedal slowly and smoothly. The centrif-
ugal clutch will engage and the vehicle will
begin to accelerate.
Avoid higher speeds and sudden or hard ac-
celeration until you are thoroughly familiar
with the operation of your vehicle. Avoid sud-
den or hard acceleration in any turn.
1XP7B_EE.book Page 17 Tuesday, February 4, 2014 3:40 PM

7-18
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Braking
When slowing down or stopping, take your
foot off the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal smoothly. Improper use of the
brakes can cause the tires to lose traction, re-
ducing control of the vehicle and increasing
the possibility of an accident.
Braking ability is affected by type of terrain. In
most cases, gradual application of the brakes
is more effective than abrupt braking, particu-
larly on loose surfaces, such as gravel. Al-
ways allow for greater braking distance on
rough, loose, or slippery surfaces. Engine braking
Engine compression braking is designed to
assist you when operating your Viking off-
road. With this feature, the engine helps slow
the vehicle down after you take your foot off
the accelerator. Engine braking is more no-
ticeable in four-wheel drive. Application of ve-
hicle brakes provides additional stopping
power.1XP7B_EE.book Page 18 Tuesday, February 4, 2014 3:40 PM

7-19
1
2
3
4
5
67
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Leaving the vehicle
Do not get out of the vehicle while the engine
is running and the drive select lever is in any
gear. There is a risk of injury because:●
Children or others may accidentally press
the accelerator pedal.
●
Objects tossed into the vehicle may strike
the accelerator pedal.
●
The parking brake may not keep the vehi-
cle from accelerating.
Unwanted vehicle movement can cause seri-
ous injury or death, and it may be dangerous
to try to stop the vehicle. Parking on a flat area
When parking on a flat area, stop the engine
and shift the drive select lever into the neutral
position. Apply the parking brake to help pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling.
Parking on a slope
The parking brake acts only on the rear
wheels when in “2WD”. For the parking brake
to take effect on all four wheels, shift to
“DIFF LOCK” before stopping the engine.
If you park on a hill that is too steep the vehi-
cle may roll out of control. Never park on hills
that are so steep you cannot walk up them
easily. If you must park on an incline follow
these instructions:
1. Bring the vehicle to a stop by applying the
brake pedal.
2. Put the vehicle in “DIFF LOCK”.
3. Turn the key to “ ” (off).
1XP7B_EE.book Page 19 Tuesday, February 4, 2014 3:40 PM

7-20
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
4. With the brake pedal applied, set the parking brake.
5. Block the front and rear wheels with
rocks or other objects.
Loading
The total weight of operator, passengers, ac-
cessories, cargo, trailer tongue weight, and
the vehicle itself must not exceed 1080 kg
(2381 lb). Vehicle loading can affect handling.
See “Loading” on page 6-8.
Operation on differe nt surfaces and
terrainsGo slowly and proceed with caution when op-
erating on an unfamiliar surface or terrain.
This vehicle may handle differently in certain
types of terrains or on certain surfaces. You
may come upon hidden rocks, bumps, or
holes without enough time to react. To avoid
loss of control or rollover, always be alert to
changing surfaces or terrain when operating
the vehicle.
Your Yamaha Viking has higher ground clear-
ance and other features to handle rugged ter-
rain, and as a result, can overturn in situations
where some vehicles may not. Abrupt maneu-
vers or aggressive driving can cause loss of
control, including rollovers – even on flat,
open areas. These rollovers can result in
crushed limbs and other serious injuries or
death to drivers or passengers.
1XP7B_EE.book Page 20 Tuesday, February 4, 2014 3:40 PM