2016 YAMAHA VIKING warning

4-23
4
To lowerWith hands and fingers clear of pinch points,
lower the cargo bed slowly to its original po-
sition and be sure it is locked into place.
WARNING! Keep hands, body, and other
people away from pinch points when low-
ering bed. Do not hold onto the
cage/frame while closing the bed.
[EWB03260]
EBU31540
The front and rear shock absorber as-
semblies
WARNING
EWB00411These shock absorber assemblies contain
highly pressurized ni trogen gas. Read and
understand the following information be-
fore handling the shock absorber assem-
blies.
 Do not tamper with or attempt to open
the cylinder assemblies. 
Do not subject the shock absorber as-
semblies to an open flame or other high
heat source. This may cause the unit to
explode due to excessive gas pressure.
 Do not deform or damage the cylinders
in any way. Cylinder damage will result in
poor damping performance.
 Do not dispose of a damaged or worn
out shock absorber assembly yourself.
Take the shock absorber assembly to a
Yamaha dealer for any service.
EBU31550Trailer hitch bracket and receiverThis vehicle is equipped with a trailer hitch
bracket and a 5 cm (2 in) receiver for a stan-
dard trailer hitch. Tr ailer towing equipment
can be obtained at a Yamaha dealer. (See
page 6-7 for precaution information.)
UB427AE0.book Page 23 Monday, May 18, 2015 9:17 AM

5-1
5
EBU31570
FOR YOUR SAFETY – PRE-OPERATION CHECKS
EBU31580Inspect 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 Own-
er’s Manual.
WARNING
EWB00482Failure 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 can-
not 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:
ITEM ROUTINE PAGE
Brakes • Check operation, free play, fluid level, and fluid leakage.
• Fill with DOT 4 brake fluid if necessary. 5-3, 8-32, 8-37
Parking brake • Check for proper operation, condition, and free play. 8-35
Fuel • Check fuel level.
• Fill with the recommended fuel if necessary. 5-3
Engine oil • Check oil level.
• Fill with oil to proper level if necessary. 5-5, 8-11
UB427AE0.book Page 1 Monday, May 18, 2015 9:17 AM

5-4
5
WARNING
EWB02522Gasoline and gasoline vapors are ex-
tremely flammable. To avoid fires and ex-
plosions and to reduce the risk of injury
when refueling, follow these instructions. 1. Before refueling, turn off the engine andbe sure that no one is sitting in the vehi-
cle.
Never refuel while smoking, or while in
the vicinity of sparks, open flames, or
other sources of ignition such as the pilot
lights of water heaters and clothes dry-
ers.
2. Do not overfill the fuel tank. 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 immediately.
4. Be sure the fuel tank cap is closed se-
curely.
WARNING
EWB02532Gasoline is poisonous and can cause inju-
ry or death. Handle gasoline with care.
Never siphon gasoline by mouth. If you
should swallow some gasoline or inhale a
lot of gasoline vapor, or get some gasoline
in your eyes, see your doctor immediately.
If gasoline spills on your skin, wash with
soap and water. If gasoline spills on your
clothing, change your clothes. Your Yamaha engine has been designed to
use regular unleaded gasoline with a research
octane number of 91 or higher (95 or higher
for Europe). If knocking or pinging occurs,
use a different brand of gasoline or premium
unleaded gasoline. Unleaded fuel will give
you longer spark plug life and reduced main-
tenance cost.
UB427AE0.book Page 4 Monday, May 18, 2015 9:17 AM

5-5
5
Portable fuel containers
If you carry a portable fuel container in the
bed of your Yamaha Viking, be sure to secure
it with the cap tightened before driving the ve-
hicle.
Always place a portable fuel container on the
ground before filling it. Before removing the
container cap, touch the container with the
fuel dispenser nozzle. Keep fuel dispenser
nozzle in contact with container inlet when fill-
ing. WARNING! Never refill a fuel container
in the bed of any vehicle. Fire may result
from a build-up of static electricity. The discharge of this build-up while refueling
can cause a spark and ignite the gasoline.
[EWB03270]
EBU31750Engine oilMake sure the engine oil is at the specified
level. Add oil as necessary. (See page 8-11.)NOTICEECB00301
In order to prevent clutch slippage (since
the engine oil also lubricates the clutch),
do not mix any chemical additives. Do
not use oils with a diesel specification of
“CD” or oils of a higher quality than
specified. In addition, do not use oils la-
beled “ENERGY CONSERVING II” or
higher.
 Make sure that no foreign material en-
ters the crankcase.
Recommended fuel:
Regular unleaded gasoline only
For Europe: Regular unleaded gasoline only
with a research octane number of 95 or
higher
Fuel tank capacity: 36.7 L (9.69 US gal, 8.07 Imp.gal)
Recommended engine oil type and quantity:See page 10-1.
UB427AE0.book Page 5 Monday, May 18, 2015 9:17 AM

5-8
5
EBU31830Fittings and fastenersAlways check the tightness of chassis fittings
and fasteners before a ride. Take the vehicle
to a Yamaha dealer or refer to the Service
Manual for correct tightening torque.EBU31840Instruments, lights and switchesCheck that all instruments, lights and switch-
es are working properly. Correct if necessary.EBU31850Control cablesWhen riding in cold weather, always make
sure all control cables work smoothly before
you begin riding. WARNING! Control cables
can freeze in cold weather and you could
be unable to control the vehicle.
[EWB03280]
EBU33050
TiresCheck tire pressure regularly to make sure it
is at the recommended specifications. Also
check for wear and damage. Tire pressure
Use the tire pressure gauge to check and ad-
just tire pressures when the tires are cold. Tire
pressures must be equal on both sides.
WARNING! Operation of this vehicle with
improper tire pressure may cause severe
injury or death from loss of control or roll-
over. Tire pressure below the minimum
specified could also cause the tire to dis-
lodge from the rim under severe riding
conditions.
[EWB02542]
Set tire pressures to the following specifica-
tions:
UB427AE0.book Page 8 Monday, May 18, 2015 9:17 AM

6-1
6
EBU31870
OPERATION
EBU31880Read the Owner’s Manual carefully to be-
come familiar with all controls. If there is a
control or function you do not understand,
ask your Yamaha dealer.
WARNING
EWB03290Failure to familiarize yourself with the con-
trols can lead to loss of control, which
could cause an accident or injury. EBU31890Engine break-inThere is never a more important period in the
life of your vehicle than the period between 0
and 20 hours.
For this reason, we ask that you read the fol-
lowing material carefully. Because the engine
is brand new, you must not put an excessive
load on it for the first several hours of opera-
tion. During the first 20 hours, the variousparts in the engine wear and polish them-
selves to achieve the correct operating clear-
ances.
During this period, prolonged full-throttle op-
eration or any condition that might result in
excessive engine heating must be avoided.
However, momentary (2–3 seconds maxi-
mum) full-throttle operation under load does
not harm the engine.
Each full-throttle acceleration sequence
should be followed with a substantial rest pe-
riod for the engine, by cruising at lower r/min
so the engine can rid itself of the temporary
build-up of heat. If any abnormality is noticed
during this period, consult a Yamaha dealer.
0–10 hours:
Avoid continuous operation above 1/2-throt-
tle. Allow a cooling-off period of 5 to 10 min-
utes after every hour of operation. Vary the
speed of the vehicle from time to time. Do not
operate it at one set throttle position.UB427AE0.book Page 1 Monday, May 18, 2015 9:17 AM

6-2
6
10–20 hours:
Avoid prolonged operation above three-quar-
ter throttle.
After break-in:
The vehicle may now be operated normally.EBU33080Starting the engine1. Turn the key to “ ” (on).NOTICEECB02290The coolant temperature warning light and
engine trouble warning light should come
on, then go off.
The EPS warning light should come on,
then go off when the engine is started.
If a warning light does not go off, see page
4-2 for the corresponding warning light
circuit check. 2. Apply the brake pedal.
3. Shift the drive select lever into the neutral position. 
When the drive select lever is in the
neutral position, the neutral indicator
light should come on. If the neutral indi-
cator light does not come on, ask a
Yamaha dealer to inspect the electric
circuit.
 The engine can be started in any gear if
the brake pedal is applied. However, it
is recommended to shift into neutral
before starting the engine.
4. With your foot off the accelerator pedal,
start the engine by turning the key to “ ”
(start).
If the engine fails to start, release the key, and
then try starting it again. Wait a few seconds
before the next attempt. Each attempt should
be as short as possible, to preserve battery
energy. NOTICE: Do not crank the engine
more than 5 seconds on each attempt, or
starter damage could occur. Wait at least
5 seconds between each operation of the
electric starter to let it cool.
[ECB02140]
UB427AE0.book Page 2 Monday, May 18, 2015 9:17 AM

6-4
6
Shifting: neutral to reverse
WARNING
EWB03300Before you shift into reverse, make sure
there are no obstacles or people behind
you. When it is safe to proceed, go slowly.
Hitting an obstacle or person could result
in serious injury or death. 1. Stop the vehicle, take your foot off the ac- celerator pedal, and check behind you.
2. Apply the brake pedal.
3. Shift from neutral to reverse or vice versa by moving the drive select lever along the
shift guide.
When in reverse, the reverse indicator
light should be on. If the light does not
come on, ask a Yamaha dealer to in-
spect the reverse indicator light electri-
cal circuit.
 Due to the synchronizing mechanism in
the engine, the light may not come on
until the vehicle starts moving. 4. Release the parking brake, if applied.
5. Check behind the vehicle for people or
obstacles, and then release the brake
pedal.
6. Press the accelerator pedal gradually and
continue to watch to the rear while back-
ing.
1. Drive select lever
2. L (Low-range)
3. H (High-range)
4. N (Neutral)
5. R (Reverse)
1
2
5 4
3
UB427AE0.book Page 4 Monday, May 18, 2015 9:17 AM