2016 YAMAHA VMAX ABS

Table of contentsSafety information ............................ 1-1
Description ....................................... 2-1
Left view ......................................... 2-1
Right view ....................................... 2-2
Controls and instruments ............... 2-3
Instrument an d control functions ... 3-1
Immobilizer system......................... 3-1
Main switch/steering lock............... 3-2
Indicator lights and warning lights............................................ 3-4
Speedometer unit ........................... 3-7
Multi-function display ..................... 3-8
Handlebar switches ...................... 3-17
Clutch lever .................................. 3-18
Shift pedal .................................... 3-19
Brake lever.................................... 3-19
Brake pedal .................................. 3-20
ABS .............................................. 3-20
Fuel tank cap ................................ 3-21
Fuel ............................................... 3-22
Fuel tank breather hose and overflow hose ............................ 3-24
Catalytic converters ..................... 3-24
Seats ............................................ 3-25
Adjusting the front fork ................. 3-26
Adjusting the shock absorber assembly ................................... 3-28
Luggage strap holders ................. 3-30
EXUP system ................................ 3-31 Sidestand ...................................... 3-31
Ignition circuit cut-off system ....... 3-32
For your safety – pre-operation
checks ............................................... 4-1
Operation an d important ri din g
points ................................................. 5-1
Starting the engine .......................... 5-1
Shifting ............................................ 5-2
Tips for reducing fuel consumption ................................ 5-3
Engine break-in ............................... 5-3
Parking ............................................ 5-4
Perio dic maintenance an d
a d justment ........................................ 6-1
Owner’s tool kits ............................. 6-2
Periodic maintenance chart for the emission control system .............. 6-3
General maintenance and lubrication chart ........................... 6-4
Removing and installing the
cowling and panels ...................... 6-8
Checking the spark plugs ............. 6-10
Engine oil and oil filter cartridge.... 6-11
Final gear oil .................................. 6-14
Coolant.......................................... 6-16
Air filter element ............................ 6-19
Checking the engine idling speed ......................................... 6-20 Checking the throttle grip free
play ............................................ 6-20
Valve clearance............................. 6-20
Tires .............................................. 6-21
Cast wheels .................................. 6-23
Clutch lever................................... 6-23
Checking the brake lever free play ............................................ 6-24
Brake light switches ..................... 6-24
Checking the front and rear brake pads ................................ 6-25
Checking the brake fluid level ...... 6-25
Changing the brake and clutch fluids .......................................... 6-27
Checking and lubricating the cables ........................................ 6-27
Checking and lubricating the
throttle grip and cable ............... 6-27
Checking and lubricating the brake and shift pedals............... 6-28
Checking and lubricating the brake and clutch levers ............. 6-28
Checking and lubricating the
sidestand................................... 6-29
Lubricating the swingarm pivots......................................... 6-29
Checking the front fork ................. 6-30
Checking the steering................... 6-30
Checking the wheel bearings ....... 6-31
Battery .......................................... 6-31
Replacing the fuses ...................... 6-34U2CEE1E0.book Page 1 Thursday, November 19, 2015 10:32 AM

Description
2-1
2
EAU10411
Left view
1
4
56
7
8
11
9
10
12
13
14
15
2316
1. Headlight (page 6-35)
2. Front fork spring preload adjusting bolt (page 3-26)
3. Front fork rebound damping force adjusting knob (page 3-26)
4. Battery (page 6-31)
5. Owner’s tool kit (page 6-2)
6. Fuel tank cap (page 3-21)
7. Shock absorber assembly spring preload adjusting knob (page 3-28)
8. Luggage strap holder (page 3-30) 9. Final gear oil check bolt (page 6-14)
10.Final gear oil drain bolt (page 6-14)
11.Shock absorber assembly rebound damping force adjusting knob
(page 3-28)
12.Sidestand (page 3-31)
13.Shift pedal (page 3-19)
14.Engine oil drain bolt (page 6-11)
15.Engine oil filter cartridge (page 6-11)
16.Front fork compression damping force adjusting screw (page 3-26)
U2CEE1E0.book Page 1 Thursday, November 19, 2015 10:32 AM

Description
2-2
2
EAU10421
Right view
12 4 6
7
5
3
9
11
8
10
1. Passenger seat (page 3-25)
2. Rear brake fluid reservoir (page 6-25)
3. Luggage strap holder (page 3-30)
4. Rider seat (page 3-25)
5. Fuse box 1 (page 6-34)
6. Radiator cap (page 6-16)
7. Coolant reservoir (page 6-16)
8. Engine oil level check window (page 6-11) 9. Brake pedal (page 3-20)
10.Fuse box 2 (page 6-34)
11.Shock absorber assembly compression damping force adjusting
knob (page 3-28)U2CEE1E0.book Page 2 Thursday, November 19, 2015 10:32 AM

Instrument and control functions
3-4
3
EAU49398
In dicator lig hts and warning
lig hts
EAU11032
Turn si gnal in dicator li ghts “ ”
an d“”
Each indicator light will flash when its
corresponding turn signal lights are
flashing.
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.
EAU46567
Oil level warnin g lig ht “ ”
This warning light comes on if the en-
gine oil level is low.
To check the electrical circuit of the
warning light, place the vehicle on a
level surface, set the engine stop
switch to “ ” and turn the key from
“OFF” to “ON”.
If the warning light does not come on
for a few seconds and then go off, have
a Yamaha dealer check the vehicle. If the warning light stays on, proceed
as follows.
1. Set the engine stop switch to “ ”.
2. Turn the key to “OFF”, wait two minutes, and then turn the key to
“ON”.
3. If the warning light comes on and does not go off, check the engine
oil level. (See page 6-11.) If the
warning light still stays on after
confirming the oil level is correct,
have a Yamaha dealer check the
vehicle.
TIPThis warning light will not come
on:
• when the engine is idling
• when riding
• if the engine has stalled and the key has not been turned from
“ON” to “OFF” and then back to
“ON”
However, if the warning light is on
when the engine is started, it will
stay on until the key is turned to
“OFF”.
1. Shift timing indicator light
2. Fuel level warning light “ ”
3. Right turn signal indicator light “ ”
4. Coolant temperature warning light “ ”
5. Neutral indicator light “ ”
6. High beam indicator light “ ”
7. Engine trouble warning light “ ”
8. Left turn signal indicator light “ ”
9. Immobilizer system indicator light
10.Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) warning light “ ”
11.Oil level warning light “ ”11
10 2
1
9
3
4
5
8
7
6
ABS
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Instrument and control functions
3-6
3
TIPThis warning light will come on when
the key is turned to “ON” and the start
switch is pushed, but this does not in-
dicate a malfunction.
EAU51662
ABS warnin g lig ht “ ”
In normal operation, the ABS warning
light comes on when the key is turned
to “ON”, and goes off after traveling at
a speed of 10 km/h (6 mi/h) or higher.
If the ABS warning light:  does not come on when the key is
turned to “ON”
 comes on or flashes while riding
 does not go off after traveling at a
speed of 10 km/h (6 mi/h) or high-
er
The ABS may not work correctly. If any
of the above occurs, have a Yamaha
dealer check the system as soon as
possible. (See page 3-20 for an expla-
nation of the ABS.)
WARNING
EWA16041
If the ABS warnin g li ght does not go
off after travelin g at a speed of 10
km/h (6 mi/h) or hi gher, or if the warnin
g lig ht comes on or flashes
while ri din g, the b rake system re-
verts to conventional b raking. If ei-
ther of the a bove occurs, or if the
warnin g lig ht does not come on at
all, use extra caution to avoi d possi-
b le wheel lock d uring emer gency
b rakin g. Have a Yamaha d ealer
check the brake system an d electri-
cal circuits as soon as possi ble.
TIPIf the start switch is pushed while the
engine is running, the ABS warning
light will come on, but this is not a mal-
function.
EAU48522
Shift timin g in dicator li ght
This indicator light can be set to come
on and go off at the desired engine
speeds and is used to inform the rider
when it is time to shift to the next high-
er gear. (See “Select mode” on page
3-10 for an explanation on how to set
this indicator light.) The electrical circuit of the indicator
light can be checked by turning the key
to “ON”. The indicator light should
come on for a few seconds, and then
go off.
If the indicator light does not come on
initially when the key is turned to “ON”,
or if the indicator light remains on, have
a Yamaha dealer check the electrical
circuit.
EAU38626
Immo
bilizer system in dicator li ght
When the key is turned to “OFF” and
30 seconds have passed, the indicator
light will start flashing indicating the im-
mobilizer system is enabled. After 24
hours have passed, the indicator light
will stop flashing, however the immobi-
lizer system is still enabled.
The electrical circuit of the indicator
light can be checked by turning the key
to “ON”. The indicator light should
come on for a few seconds, and then
go off.
ABS
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Instrument and control functions
3-18
3
EAU12461
Turn si gnal switch “ / ”
To signal a right-hand turn, push this
switch to “ ”. To signal a left-hand
turn, push this switch to “ ”. When
released, the switch returns to the cen-
ter position. To cancel the turn signal
lights, push the switch in after it has re-
turned to the center position.
EAU12501
Horn switch “ ”
Press this switch to sound the horn.
EAU12661
En gine stop switch “ / ”
Set this switch to “ ” before starting
the engine. Set this switch to “ ” to
stop the engine in case of an emergen-
cy, such as when the vehicle overturns
or when the throttle cable is stuck.
EAU12713
Start switch “ ”
Push this switch to crank the engine
with the starter. See page 5-1 for start-
ing instructions prior to starting the en-
gine.
EAU42342
The engine trouble warning light and
ABS warning light may come on when
the key is turned to “ON” and the start
switch is pushed, but this does not in-
dicate a malfunction.
EAU12735
Hazar d switch “ ”
With the key in the “ON” or “ ” posi-
tion, use this switch to turn on the haz-
ard lights (simultaneous flashing of all
turn signal lights).
The hazard lights are used in case of an
emergency or to warn other drivers
when your vehicle is stopped where it
might be a traffic hazard.NOTICE
ECA10062
Do not use the hazar d lig hts for an
exten ded len gth of time with the en-
g ine not runnin g, otherwise the bat-
tery may d ischarge.
EAU12832
Clutch leverThe clutch lever is located on the left
side of the handlebar. To disengage
the clutch, pull the lever toward the
handlebar grip. To engage the clutch,
release the lever. The lever should be
pulled rapidly and released slowly for
smooth clutch operation.
The clutch lever is equipped with a
clutch lever position adjusting dial. To
adjust the distance between the clutch
lever and the handlebar grip, turn the
adjusting dial while holding the lever
pushed away from the handlebar grip.1. Clutch lever
2. Clutch lever position adjusting dial
3. Arrow mark
4. Distance between clutch lever and handle-
bar grip
4
1
2
3
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Instrument and control functions
3-20
3
be sure to set it by aligning a groove on
the adjusting knob with the “ ” mark
on the brake lever.
EAU12944
Brake ped
alThe brake pedal is located on the right
side of the motorcycle. To apply the
rear brake, press down on the brake
pedal.
EAU51672
ABSThe Yamaha ABS (Anti-lock Brake
System) features a dual electronic con-
trol system, which acts on the front and
rear brakes independently.
Operate the brakes with ABS as you
would conventional brakes. If the ABS
is activated, a pulsating sensation may
be felt at the brake lever or brake ped-
al. In this situation, continue to apply
the brakes and let the ABS work; do
not “pump” the brakes as this will re-
duce braking effectiveness.
WARNING
EWA16051
Always keep a sufficient d istance
from the vehicle ahead to match the
ri din g speed even with ABS.
 The ABS performs b est with
lon g b rakin g d istances.
 On certain surfaces, such as
roug h or g ravel roa ds, the b rak-
in g d istance may be lon ger with
the ABS than without.The ABS is monitored by an ECU,
which will revert the system to conven-
tional braking if a malfunction occurs.
1. Brake pedal
1
U2CEE1E0.book Page 20 Thursday, November 19, 2015 10:32 AM

Instrument and control functions
3-21
3
TIP The ABS performs a self-diagno-
sis test each time the vehicle first
starts off after the key is turned to
“ON” and the vehicle has traveled
at a speed of 10 km/h (6 mi/h) or
higher. During this test, a “click-
ing” noise can be heard from un-
der the seat, and if the brake lever
or brake pedal is even slightly ap-
plied, a vibration can be felt at the
lever and pedal, but these do not
indicate a malfunction.
 This ABS has a test mode which
allows the owner to experience
the pulsation at the brake lever or
brake pedal when the ABS is op-
erating. However, special tools are
required, so please consult your
Yamaha dealer.NOTICE
ECA16121
Keep any type of mag nets (includin g
ma gnetic pick-up tools, ma gnetic
screwd rivers, etc.) away from the
front an d rear wheel hu bs, otherwise
the ma gnetic rotors equippe d in the wheel hu
bs may b e damag ed , re-
sultin g in improper performance of
the ABS system.
EAU46851
Fuel tank capTo remove the fuel tank cap 1. Pull the rider seat backrest release lever on the left side of the vehicle
as shown. The backrest will slide
forward.
1. Front wheel hub
1. Rear wheel hub
11
1. Rider seat backrest release lever
1. Rider seat backrest
1
1
U2CEE1E0.book Page 21 Thursday, November 19, 2015 10:32 AM