2015 YAMAHA YZF-R6 ESP

1-1
1
SAFETY INFORMATION
EAU1028B
Be a Responsible Owner
As the vehicle’s owner, you are re-
sponsible for the safe and proper oper-
ation of your motorcycle.
Motorcycles are single-track vehicles.
Their safe use and operation are de-
pendent upon the use of proper riding
techniques as well as the expertise of
the operator. Every operator should
know the following requirements be-
fore riding this motorcycle.
He or she should:  Obtain thorough instructions from
a competent source on all aspects
of motorcycle operation.
 Observe the warnings and mainte-
nance requirements in this Own-
er’s Manual.
 Obtain qualified training in safe
and proper riding techniques.
 Obtain professional technical ser-
vice as indicated in this Owner’s
Manual and/or when made neces-
sary by mechanical conditions. 
Never operate a motorcycle with-
out proper training or instruction.
Take a training course. Beginners
should receive training from a cer-
tified instructor. Contact an autho-
rized motorcycle dealer to find out
about the training courses nearest
you.
Safe Ri din g
Perform the pre-operation checks
each time you use the vehicle to make
sure it is in safe operating condition.
Failure to inspect or maintain the vehi-
cle properly increases the possibility of
an accident or equipment damage.
See page 4-1 for a list of pre-operation
checks.  This motorcycle is designed to
carry the operator and a passen-
ger.
 The failure of motorists to detect
and recognize motorcycles in traf-
fic is the predominating cause of
automobile/motorcycle accidents.
Many accidents have been
caused by an automobile driver
who did not see the motorcycle.
Making yourself conspicuous ap- pears to be very effective in reduc-
ing the chance of this type of
accident.
Therefore:
• Wear a brightly colored jacket.
• Use extra caution when you are approaching and passing
through intersections, since in-
tersections are the most likely
places for motorcycle accidents
to occur.
• Ride where other motorists can see you. Avoid riding in another
motorist’s blind spot.
• Never maintain a motorcycle without proper knowledge.
Contact an authorized motorcy-
cle dealer to inform you on ba-
sic motorcycle maintenance.
Certain maintenance can only
be carried out by certified staff.U2CXE1E0.book Page 1 Friday, July 25, 2014 11:05 AM

SAFETY INFORMATION
1-4
1
tents, can create unstable han-
dling or a slow steering re-
sponse.
 This vehicle is not desi gne d to
pull a trailer or to be attached to
a si decar.
Genuine Yamaha Accessories
Choosing accessories for your vehicle
is an important decision. Genuine
Yamaha accessories, which are avail- able only from a Yamaha dealer, have
been designed, tested, and approved
by Yamaha for use on your vehicle.
Many companies with no connection
to Yamaha manufacture parts and ac-
cessories or offer other modifications
for Yamaha vehicles. Yamaha is not in
a position to test the products that
these aftermarket companies produce.
Therefore, Yamaha can neither en-
dorse nor recommend the use of ac-
cessories not sold by Yamaha or
modifications not specifically recom-
mended by Yamaha, even if sold and
installed by a Yamaha dealer. Aftermarket Parts, Accessories, an
d
Mo difications
While you may find aftermarket prod-
ucts similar in design and quality to
genuine Yamaha accessories, recog-
nize that some aftermarket accesso-
ries or modifications are not suitable
because of potential safety hazards to
you or others. Installing aftermarket
products or having other modifications
performed to your vehicle that change
any of the vehicle’s design or operation
characteristics can put you and others
at greater risk of serious injury or
death. You are responsible for injuries
related to changes in the vehicle.
Keep the following guidelines in mind,
as well as those provided under “Load-
ing” when mounting accessories.  Never install accessories or carry
cargo that would impair the per-
formance of your motorcycle.
Carefully inspect the accessory
before using it to make sure that it
does not in any way reduce
ground clearance or cornering
clearance, limit suspension travel, steering travel or control opera-
tion, or obscure lights or reflec-
tors.
• Accessories fitted to the han- dlebar or the front fork area can
create instability due to improp-
er weight distribution or aerody-
namic changes. If accessories
are added to the handlebar or
front fork area, they must be as
lightweight as possible and
should be kept to a minimum.
• Bulky or large accessories may seriously affect the stability of
the motorcycle due to aerody-
namic effects. Wind may at-
tempt to lift the motorcycle, or
the motorcycle may become
unstable in cross winds. These
accessories may also cause in-
stability when passing or being
passed by large vehicles.
• Certain accessories can dis- place the operator from his or
her normal riding position. This
improper position limits the
freedom of movement of the
U2CXE1E0.book Page 4 Friday, July 25, 2014 11:05 AM

INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-4
3
EAU49397
Indicator lig hts and warning
lig hts
EAU11031
Turn si gnal in dicator li ghts “ ”
an d“”
The corresponding indicator light
flashes when the turn signal switch is
pushed to the left or right.
EAU11061
Neutral in dicator li ght “ ”
This indicator light comes on when the
transmission is in the neutral position.
EAU11081
Hi gh beam in dicator li ght “ ”
This indicator light comes on when the
high beam of the headlight is switched
on.
EAU11255
Oil level warnin g lig ht “ ”
This warning light comes on if the en-
gine oil level is low.
The electrical circuit of the warning
light can be checked by turning the key
to “ON”. The warning light should
come on for a few seconds, and then
go off.
If the warning light does not come on
initially when the key is turned to “ON”,
or if the warning light remains on, have
a Yamaha dealer check the electrical
circuit.
TIP Even if the oil level is sufficient, the
warning light may flicker when rid-
ing on a slope or during sudden
acceleration or deceleration, but
this is not a malfunction.
 This model is also equipped with a
self-diagnosis device for the oil
level detection circuit. If a problem
is detected in the oil level detec-
tion circuit, the following cycle will
be repeated until the malfunction
is corrected: The oil level warning
light will flash ten times, then go
off for 2.5 seconds. If this occurs,
have a Yamaha dealer check the
vehicle.
EAU11367
Fuel level warnin g li ght “ ”
This warning light comes on when the
fuel level drops below approximately
3.5 L (0.92 US gal, 0.77 Imp.gal). When
this occurs, refuel as soon as possible.
The electrical circuit of the warning
light can be checked by turning the key
to “ON”. The warning light should
come on for a few seconds, and then
go off.
1. Left turn signal indicator light “ ”
2. Neutral indicator light “ ”
3. High beam indicator light “ ”
4. Right turn signal indicator light “ ”
5. Fuel level warning light “ ”
6. Oil level warning light “ ”
7. Coolant temperature warning light “ ”
8. Shift timing indicator light
9. Engine trouble warning light “ ”
10.Immobilizer system indicator light
km/h
TRIP A
˚C
12 34 5
6
7
8
9
10
U2CXE1E0.book Page 4 Friday, July 25, 2014 11:05 AM

INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-28
3
EAU15306
Sidestan dThe 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 situa-
tions. (See the following section for an
explanation of the ignition circuit cut-
off system.)
WARNING
EWA10242
The vehicle must not b e ridden with
the si destan d d own, or if the si de-
stan d cannot b e properly move d up
(or does not stay up), otherwise the
si destan d coul d contact the groun d
an d d istract the operator, resultin g
in a possi ble loss of control.
Yamaha’s i gnition circuit cut-off
system has been desi gne d to assist
the operator in fulfilling the respon-
si bility of raisin g the si destan d b e-
fore startin g off. Therefore, check this system re
gularly an d have a
Yamaha dealer repair it if it does not
function properly.
EAU44893
I g nition circuit cut-off systemThe ignition circuit cut-off system
(comprising the sidestand switch,
clutch switch and neutral switch) has
the following functions.
 It prevents starting when the
transmission is in gear and the
sidestand is up, but the clutch le-
ver is not pulled.
 It prevents starting when the
transmission is in gear and the
clutch lever is pulled, but the side-
stand is still down.
 It cuts the running engine when
the transmission is in gear and the
sidestand is moved down.
Periodically check the operation of the
ignition circuit cut-off system accord-
ing to the following procedure.
U2CXE1E0.book Page 28 Friday, July 25, 2014 11:05 AM

OPERATION AND IMPORTANT RIDING POINTS
5-2
5
NOTICE
ECA11834
If a warning or in dicator li ght does
not come on initially when the key is
turne d to “ON”, or if a warnin g or in-
d icator li ght remains on, see pa ge
3-4 for the correspon din g warnin g
an d in dicator li ght circuit check.2. Shift the transmission into the
neutral position. The neutral indi-
cator light should come on. If not,
ask a Yamaha dealer to check the
electrical circuit.
3. Start the engine by pushing the start switch.
If the engine fails to start, release
the start switch, wait a few sec-
onds, and then try again. Each
starting attempt should be as
short as possible to preserve the
battery. Do not crank the engine
more than 10 seconds on any one
attempt.NOTICE
ECA11043
For maximum en gine life, never ac-
celerate har d when the en gine is
col d!
EAU16673
Shiftin gShifting gears lets you control the
amount of engine power available for
starting off, accelerating, climbing hills,
etc.
The gear positions are shown in the il-
lustration.TIPTo shift the transmission into the neu-
tral position, press the shift pedal down
repeatedly until it reaches the end of its
travel, and then slightly raise it.
NOTICE
ECA10261
Even with the transmission in
the neutral position, d o not
coast for lon g period s of time
with the en gine off, an d d o not
tow the motorcycle for lon g d is-
tances. The transmission is
properly lu bricated only when
the en gine is runnin g. Ina de-
quate lu brication may d amage
the transmission.
 Always use the clutch while
chan gin g g ears to avoi d d am-
a g in g the en gine, transmission,
an d d rive train, which are not
d esi gne d to withstan d the
shock of force d shiftin g.
1. Shift pedal
2. Neutral position
U2CXE1E0.book Page 2 Friday, July 25, 2014 11:05 AM

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE AND ADJUSTMENT
6-29
6
EAU23026
Cleaning an d lu bricatin g the
d rive chainThe drive chain must be cleaned and
lubricated at the intervals specified in
the periodic maintenance and lubrica-
tion chart, otherwise it will quickly wear
out, especially when riding in dusty or
wet areas. Service the drive chain as
follows.NOTICE
ECA10584
The drive chain must b e lubricated
after washin g the motorcycle, ri din g
in the rain or ri din g in wet areas.1. Clean the drive chain with kero-
sene and a small soft brush.
NOTICE: To prevent d amaging
the O-rin gs, do not clean the
d rive chain with steam cleaners,
hi gh-pressure washers or inap-
propriate solvents.
[ECA11122]
2. Wipe the drive chain dry.
3. Thoroughly lubricate the drive chain with a special O-ring chain
lubricant. NOTICE: Do not use
en gine oil or any other lu bri-
cants for the drive chain, as they may contain su
bstances that
coul d damag e the O-rin gs.
[ECA11112] EAU23098
Checkin
g an d lu bricatin g the
cab lesThe operation of all control cables and
the condition of the cables should be
checked before each ride, and the ca-
bles and cable ends should be lubri-
cated if necessary. If a cable is
damaged or does not move smoothly,
have a Yamaha dealer check or re-
place it. WARNING! Dama ge to the
outer housin g of cab les may result
in internal rustin g an d cause inter-
ference with cab le movement. Re-
place damag ed cab les as soon as
possi ble to prevent unsafe con di-
tions.
[EWA10712]
Recommen ded lu bricant:
Yamaha cable lubricant or other
suitable cable lubricant
U2CXE1E0.book Page 29 Friday, July 25, 2014 11:05 AM

MOTORCYCLE CARE AND STORAGE
7-1
7
EAU37834
Matte color cautionNOTICE
ECA15193
Some models are equipped with
matte colore d finishe d parts. Be
sure to consult a Yamaha d ealer for
a d vice on what prod ucts to use be-
fore cleanin g the vehicle. Usin g a
b rush, harsh chemical prod ucts or
cleanin g compoun ds when cleanin g
these parts will scratch or damag e
their surface. Wax also shoul d not
b e applied to any matte colore d fin-
ishe d parts.
EAU54721
CareWhile the open design of a motorcycle
reveals the attractiveness of the tech-
nology, it also makes it more vulnera-
ble. Rust and corrosion can develop
even if high-quality components are
used. A rusty exhaust pipe may go un-
noticed on a car, however, it detracts
from the overall appearance of a mo-
torcycle. Frequent and proper care
does not only comply with the terms of
the warranty, but it will also keep your
motorcycle looking good, extend its
life and optimize its performance.
Before cleanin g
1. Cover the muffler outlet with a plastic bag after the engine has
cooled down.
2. Make sure that all caps and cov- ers as well as all electrical cou-
plers and connectors, including
the spark plug caps, are tightly in-
stalled.
3. Remove extremely stubborn dirt, like oil burnt onto the crankcase,
with a degreasing agent and a
brush, but never apply such prod- ucts onto seals, gaskets, sprock-
ets, the drive chain and wheel
axles. Always rinse the dirt and
degreaser off with water.
Cleanin g
NOTICE
ECA11143
Avoi d usin g stron g aci dic wheel
cleaners, especially on spoke d
wheels. If such pro ducts are
use d on har d-to-remove dirt, do
not leave the cleaner on the af-
fected area any lon ger than in-
structe d. Also, thorou ghly rinse
the area off with water, imme di-
ately dry it, an d then apply a cor-
rosion protection spray.
 Improper cleanin g can d amage
plastic parts (such as cowlin gs,
panels, win dshiel ds, hea dlig ht
lenses, meter lenses, etc.) an d
the mufflers. Use only a soft,
clean cloth or spon ge with wa-
ter to clean plastic. However, if
the plastic parts cannot b e thor-
ou ghly cleaned with water, di-
lute d mil d d eter gent with water
may be used . Be sure to rinse
U2CXE1E0.book Page 1 Friday, July 25, 2014 11:05 AM