2014 YAMAHA VIKING Owners Manual

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Hills
Choose carefully which hills you attempt to
climb or descend. Avoid hills with slippery sur-
faces or those where you will not be able to
see far enough ahead of you. Use common
sense and remember that some hills are too
steep for you to climb or descend. Use proper
driving techniques to avoid rearward, forward,
or sideways rollovers on hills and slopes.
Drive straight up and down inclines, not
across them. If crossing a hill is unavoidable,
drive slowly. Turn downhill immediately if you
feel the vehicle may tip.
If you think or feel the vehicle may tip or
roll:●
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.
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Uphill
Do not attempt to climb hills until you have
mastered basic maneuvers on flat ground.
Drive straight up hills, and avoid crossing the
side of a hill, which increases your risk of roll-
over. Practice first on gentle slopes before at-
tempting steeper hills. Always check the
terrain carefully before attempting any hill.
To climb a hill, you need traction, momentum,
and steady throttle. For more traction and
control for climbing steeper and/or rougher
slopes, shift into low gear and select “4WD” or
“DIFF LOCK”. Travel fast enough to maintain
momentum, but not so fast that you cannot re-
act to changes in the terrain as you climb. Slow down when you reach the crest of the hill
if you cannot see clearly what is on the other
side – there could be another person, an ob-
stacle, or a sharp drop-off.
If you start to lose traction or momentum
when climbing, and decide you will be unable
to continue, use the brakes to stop. Do not at-
tempt to turn the vehicle around. With your
foot on the brake pedal, look behind you and
plan your descent. Shift the drive select lever
into reverse so you can use engine braking to
slow your descent. Release the brake and be-
gin to coast down the hill. Use engine braking
as much as possible, gently applying the
brakes when necessary.1XP7B_EE.book Page 22 Tuesday, February 4, 2014 3:40 PM

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Downhill
Check the terrain carefully before going
downhill. When possible, choose a path that
lets you drive your vehicle straight downhill.
Choose your path carefully and drive slowly
enough to be able to react to obstacles that
you encounter.
For more traction and control, before going
down steeper and/or rougher slopes, shift into
low gear and select “4WD” or “DIFF LOCK”.
Engine braking will help you go downhill slow-
ly. Go as slowly as possible. If you begin to go
too fast, apply the brakes gently. Avoid hard
application of the brakes, which could cause
the vehicle to slide.If you are sliding or skidding, try to steer in the
direction the vehicle is sliding, to regain con-
trol. For example, if you feel the back of the
vehicle start to slide to your right, steer to the
right.
If you must turn on the hill to avoid an obsta-
cle, do so slowly and carefully. If the vehicle
starts to tip, immediately steer in the downhill
direction if there are no obstacles in your path.
As you regain proper balance, gradually steer
again in the direction you want to go.1XP7B_EE.book Page 23 Tuesday, February 4, 2014 3:40 PM

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Rough terrain
Operation over rough terrain should be done
with caution.●
Look for and avoid obstacles that could
cause damage to the vehicle or could lead
to a rollover or accident.
●
Do not drive in a way that will get the vehi-
cle airborne, as injury, loss of control, and
damage to the vehicle could occur.
Pavement
This vehicle is designed for off-road use only.
Avoid paved surfaces. Turn gradually and go
slowly if you must drive on pavement. Water
If you must cross shallow, slow-moving water
up to the depth of the vehicle’s floorboards,
choose your path carefully to avoid sharp
drop-offs, large rocks, or slippery surfaces
that could cause the vehicle to overturn. Nev-
er operate through water deeper than 37 cm
(15 in) or fast-flowing water. Choose a path
where both your entrance into and exit point
from the water is a gradual incline. Determine
the water depth and currents before crossing.
Operating this vehicle through deep or fast-
flowing water can lead to loss of control or
overturn. To reduce your risk of drowning or
other injuries, use care when crossing
through water.
Wet brakes may have reduced effectiveness.
After leaving the water, test your brakes. If
necessary, apply the brakes several times to
let friction dry out the linings.
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NOTICEAfter driving your vehicle in water, be sure
to drain the trapped water by removing the
check hoses at the bottom of the air filter
case and air duct and the V-belt case drain
plug. Wash the vehicle in fresh water if it
has been operated in salt water or muddy
conditions.
Loose terrain/slippery terrain
When driving on slippery terrain, including
wet, muddy, or icy conditions, as well as loose
gravel, be aware that you could begin skid-
ding or sliding. To avoid loss of control, slow
down and put the vehicle in four-wheel drive
before driving on a slippery surface and plan
your path to avoid making abrupt maneuvers.
If you feel the vehicle begin to slide sideways
or the back wheels slide during a turn, steer
into the direction of the slide if possible, to re-
gain directional control. For example, if you
feel the back of the vehicle start to slide to
your right, steer to the right.
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Brush or wooded areas
When operating in areas with brush or trees,
watch carefully on both sides and above the
vehicle for obstacles such as branches that
the vehicle might hit, causing an accident.
Watch for brush that might enter the vehicle
as you pass and strike you or the passengers.
Never hold onto the cage/frame. The passen-
gers should always hold onto the passenger
handhold with both hands.
The muffler and other engine parts become
extremely hot during operation and remain
hot after the engine has stopped. To reduce
the risk of fire during operation or after leaving
the vehicle, do not let brush, grass and other
materials collect under the vehicle, near the
muffler or exhaust pipe, or next to other hot
parts. Check under the vehicle after operating
in areas where combustible materials may
have collected. Do not idle or park the vehicle
in long dry grass or other dry ground cover. Encountering obstacles
If you cannot go around an obstacle, such as
a fallen tree or a ditch, stop the vehicle where
it is safe to do so. Set the parking brake and
get out to inspect the area thoroughly. Look
from both your approach side and exit side. If
you believe you can continue safely, choose
the path that will allow you to get over the ob-
stacle and at as close to a right angle as pos-
sible to minimize vehicle tipping. Go only fast
enough to maintain your momentum but still
give yourself plenty of time to react to chang-
es in conditions.
If there is any question about your ability to
maneuver safely over the obstacle, you
should turn around if the ground is flat and you
have the room or back up until you find a less
difficult path.1XP7B_EE.book Page 26 Tuesday, February 4, 2014 3:40 PM

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EVU006501-PERIODIC MAINTENANCE AND ADJUSTMENTPeriodic inspection, adjustment, and lubrica-
tion will keep your vehicle in the safest and
most efficient condition possible.
Safety is an obligation of the vehicle owner/
operator. The most important points of vehicle
inspection, adjustment, and lubrication are ex-
plained on the following pages.
WARNING
Failure to properly maintain the vehicle or
performing maintenance activities incor-
rectly may increase your risk of injury or
death during service or while using the ve-
hicle. If you are not familiar with vehicle
service, have a Yamaha dealer perform
service.
WARNING
Turn off the engine when performing main-
tenance unless otherwise specified.●
A running engine has moving parts
that can catch on body parts or cloth-
ing and electrical parts that can cause
shocks or fires.
●
Running the engine while servicing
can lead to eye injury, burns, fire, or
carbon monoxide poisoning – possi-
bly leading to death. See page 2-7 for
more information about carbon mon-
oxide.WARNING
Brake discs, calipers, drums, and linings
can become very hot during use. To avoid
possible burns, let brake components cool
before touching them.
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EVU00660Owner’s manual and tool kitYou are recommended to put this owner’s
manual in the vinyl bag and always carry it in
the glove compartment as shown. Put the
owner’s tool kit and tire pressure gauges un-
der the right passenger seat.1. Owner’s manual 1. Owner’s tool kit 2. Tire pressure gauge (
× 2)
The service information included in this man-
ual is intended to provide you, the owner, with
the necessary information for completing your
own preventive maintenance and minor re-
pairs.
The tools provided in the owner’s tool kit are
sufficient for this purpose, except that a torque
wrench is also necessary to properly tighten
nuts and bolts.
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