2018 YAMAHA NIKEN Owners Manual

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
6-23
6
EAU22734
Chan gin g the brake flui dHave a Yamaha dealer change the
brake fluid every 2 years. In addition,
have the seals of the master cylinders
and brake calipers, as well as the brake
hoses replaced at the intervals listed
below or sooner if they are damaged or
leaking.
 Brake seals: every 2 years
 Brake hoses: every 4 years
EAU22762
Drive chain slackThe drive chain slack should be
checked before each ride and adjusted
if necessary.
EAU2277G
To check the drive chain slack
1. Place the motorcycle on the side- stand.TIPWhen checking and adjusting the drive
chain slack, there should be no weight
on the motorcycle.2. Shift the transmission into the neutral position.
3. Measure the drive chain slack as shown. 4. If the drive chain slack is incorrect,
adjust it as follows. NOTICE: Im-
proper drive chain slack will
overloa d the en gine as well as
other vital parts of the motorcy-
cle an d can lead to chain slip-
pa ge or b reakag e. If the d rive
chain slack is more than 50.0
mm (1.97 in), the chain can d am-
a g e the frame, swin garm, an d
other parts. To prevent this from
occurrin g, keep the d rive chain
slack within the specified limits.
[ECA17791]
EAU74260
To adjust the drive chain slack
Consult a Yamaha dealer before ad-
justing the drive chain slack. 1. Loosen the axle nut and the lock- nut on each side of the swingarm.
1. Drive chain slack
1
Drive chain slack:5.0–15.0 mm (0.20–0.59 in)
UBD5E0E0.book Page 23 Wednesday, April 25, 2018 2:23 PM

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
6-24
6 2. To tighten the drive chain, turn the
drive chain slack adjusting bolt on
each side of the swingarm in di-
rection (a). To loosen the drive
chain, turn the adjusting bolt on
each side of the swingarm in di-
rection (b), and then push the rear
wheel forward.
TIPUsing the alignment marks on each
side of the swingarm, make sure that
both drive chain pullers are in the same
position for proper wheel alignment.
3. Tighten the axle nut, then the lock-nuts to their specified torques.
4. Make sure that the drive chain pullers are in the same position,
the drive chain slack is correct,
and the drive chain moves
smoothly.
EAU23026
Cleanin g 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 be lu bricated
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-ring s, 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
1. Axle nut
2. Locknut
2
1
1. Drive chain slack adjusting bolt
2. Drive chain puller
3. Alignment markTi ghtenin g torques:
Axle nut:
150 N·m (15 kgf·m, 111 lb·ft)
Locknut: 16 N·m (1.6 kgf·m, 12 lb·ft)
(a)(b)
1
2
3
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
6-25
6
may contain su
bstances that
coul d damag e the O-rin gs.
[ECA11112] EAU23098
Checkin
g an d lu bricatin g the
ca blesThe 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 ca bles may result
in internal rustin g an d cause inter-
ference with ca ble movement. Re-
place damag ed cab les as soon as
possi ble to prevent unsafe con di-
tions.
[EWA10712] EAU23115
Checkin
g an d lu bricatin g the
throttle grip an d ca bleThe operation of the throttle grip
should be checked before each ride. In
addition, the cable should be lubricat-
ed by a Yamaha dealer at the intervals
specified in the periodic maintenance
chart.
The throttle cable is equipped with a
rubber cover. Make sure that the cover
is securely installed. Even though the
cover is installed correctly, it does not
completely protect the cable from wa-
ter entry. Therefore, use care not to
pour water directly onto the cover or
cable when washing the vehicle. If the
cable or cover becomes dirty, wipe
clean with a moist cloth.
Recommen ded lu bricant:
Yamaha cable lubricant or other
suitable cable lubricant
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
6-26
6
EAU44276
Checkin g an d lu bricatin g the
b rake an d shift pe dalsThe operation of the brake and shift
pedals should be checked before each
ride, and the pedal pivots should be lu-
bricated if necessary.
Brake pe dal
Shift pe dal
EAU23144
Checkin g an d lu bricatin g the
b rake an d clutch leversThe operation of the brake and clutch
levers should be checked before each
ride, and the lever pivots should be lu-
bricated if necessary.
Brake lever
Clutch lever
Recommen ded lu bricant:
Lithium-soap-based grease
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
6-27
6
EAU23203
Checkin g an d lu bricatin g the
si destan dThe operation of the sidestand should
be checked before each ride, and the
sidestand pivot and metal-to-metal
contact surfaces should be lubricated
if necessary.
WARNING
EWA10732
If the sid estand d oes not move up
an d d own smoothly, have a Yamaha
d ealer check or repair it. Otherwise,
the si destan d coul d contact the
g roun d an d d istract the operator, re-
sultin g in a possi ble loss of control.
EAUM1653
Lu bricatin g the swin garm piv-
otsThe swingarm pivots must be lubricat-
ed by a Yamaha dealer at the intervals
specified in the periodic maintenance
and lubrication chart.
Recommen ded lu bricants:
Brake lever:
Silicone grease
Clutch lever:
Lithium-soap-based grease
Recommen ded lu bricant:
Lithium-soap-based grease
Recommen ded lu bricant:
Lithium-soap-based grease
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
6-28
6
EAU23273
Checkin g the front forkThe condition and operation of the
front fork must be checked as follows
at the intervals specified in the periodic
maintenance and lubrication chart.
To check the con dition
Check the inner tubes for scratches,
damage and excessive oil leakage.
To check the operation 1. Place the vehicle on a level sur- face and hold it in an upright posi-
tion. WARNING! To avoi d injury,
securely support the vehicle so
there is no dan ger of it fallin g
over.
[EWA10752]
2. While applying the front brake, push down hard on the handle-
bars several times to check if the
front fork compresses and re-
bounds smoothly.
NOTICE
ECA10591
If any d amage is foun d or the front
fork does not operate smoothly,
have a Yamaha dealer check or re-
pair it.
EAU84950
Checkin g the steerin gWorn or loose steering bearings may
cause danger. Therefore, the operation
of the steering must be checked by a
Yamaha dealer at the intervals speci- fied in the periodic maintenance chart.
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
6-29
6
EAU84960
Lu bricatin g the steerin g b ear-
in gsThe steering bearings must be lubricat-
ed by a Yamaha dealer at the intervals
specified in the periodic maintenance
chart.
EAU84970
Checkin g the wheel bearin gsThe front and rear wheel bearings must
be checked by a Yamaha dealer at the
intervals specified in the periodic main-
tenance chart.
EAU50212
BatteryThe battery is located under the rider
seat. (See page 3-27.)
This model is equipped with a VRLA
(Valve Regulated Lead Acid) battery.
There is no need to check the electro-
lyte or to add distilled water. However,
the battery lead connections need to
be checked and, if necessary, tight-
ened.
WARNING
EWA10761
 Electrolyte is poisonous an d
d an gerous since it contains sul-
furic aci d, which causes severe
Recommen ded lu bricant:
Urea grease
1. Battery
2. Positive battery lead (red)
3. Negative battery lead (black)2 1
3
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
6-30
6 b
urns. Avoi d any contact with
skin, eyes or clothin g an d al-
ways shiel d your eyes when
workin g near b atteries. In case
of contact, ad minister the fol-
lowin g FIRST AID.
EXTERNAL: Flush with plenty of water.
INTERNAL: Drink lar ge quan-
tities of water or milk an d im-
me diately call a physician.
EYES: Flush with water for 15 minutes an d seek prompt
me dical attention.
 Batteries pro duce explosive hy-
d ro gen gas. Therefore, keep
sparks, flames, ci garettes, etc.,
away from the battery an d pro-
vi de sufficient ventilation when
char gin g it in an enclose d
space.
 KEEP THIS AND ALL BATTER-
IES OUT OF THE REACH OF
CHILDREN.
To char ge the battery
Have a Yamaha dealer charge the bat-
tery as soon as possible if it seems to
have discharged. Keep in mind that the battery tends to discharge more quick-
ly if the vehicle is equipped with op-
tional electrical accessories.
NOTICE
ECA16522
To char
ge a VRLA (Valve Re gulate d
Lea d Aci d) battery, a special (con-
stant-volta ge) battery char ger is re-
quire d. Usin g a conventional battery
char ger will damag e the b attery.To store the battery
1. If the vehicle will not be used for more than one month, remove the
battery, fully charge it, and then
place it in a cool, dry place.
NOTICE: When removin g the
b attery, be sure to turn the main
switch off, then disconnect the
ne gative lea d before discon-
nectin g the positive lea d.
[ECA16304]
2. If the battery will be stored for
more than two months, check it at
least once a month and fully
charge it if necessary.
3. Fully charge the battery before in- stallation. NOTICE: When install-
in g the b attery, be sure to turn
the main switch off, then con- nect the positive lea
d before
connectin g the ne gative lea d.
[ECA16842]
4. After installation, make sure that
the battery leads are properly con-
nected to the battery terminals.NOTICE
ECA16531
Always keep the b attery charged .
Storin g a d ischar ged battery can
cause permanent battery damag e.
UBD5E0E0.book Page 30 Wednesday, April 25, 2018 2:23 PM