2018 YAMAHA YZ85 Owners Manual

Location of important labels
1-8
1
For Oceania an
d South Africa
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Location of important labels
1-9
1 For Oceania an
d South Africa
4AA-22259-40
WARNING
BEFORE YOU OPERATE THIS VEHICLE, READ
THE OWNER’S MANUAL AND ALL LABELS.
NEVER CARRY A PASSENGER. You increase
your risk of losing control if you carry a passenger.
NEVER OPERATE THIS VEHICLE ON PUBLIC
ROADS. You can collide with another vehicle if
you operate this vehicle on a public road.
ALWAYS WEAR AN APPROVED MOTORCYCLE
HELMET, eye protection, and protective clothing.
EXPERIENCED RIDER ONLY.
5PA-2118K-00
Cold tire normal pressure should be set as
follows.
FRONT
REAR : 100kPa, {1.00kgf/cm2}, 15psi
: 100kPa, {1.00kgf/cm2}, 15psi3RV-21668-A0
TIRE INFORMATION
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3 2
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2-1
2
Safety information
EAU41469
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 5-1 for a list of pre-operation
checks.
 This motorcycle is designed for
off-road use only, therefore, it is il-
legal to operate it on public
streets, roads, or highways, even
a dirt or gravel one. Off-road use
on public lands may be illegal.
Please check local regulations be-
fore riding.
 This motorcycle is designed to
carry the operator only. No pas-
sengers.
 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-
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Safety information
2-2
2sic motorcycle maintenance.
Certain maintenance can only
be carried out by certified staff.
 Many accidents involve inexperi-
enced operators.
• Make sure that you are qualified and that you only lend your mo-
torcycle to other qualified oper-
ators.
• Know your skills and limits. Staying within your limits may
help you to avoid an accident.
• We recommend that you prac- tice riding your motorcycle until
you have become thoroughly
familiar with the motorcycle and
all of its controls.
 Many accidents have been
caused by error of the motorcycle
operator. A typical error made by
the operator is veering wide on a
turn due to excessive speed or un-
dercornering (insufficient lean an-
gle for the speed). Never travel
faster than warranted by condi-
tions.
 Ride cautiously in unfamiliar ar-
eas. You may encounter hidden
obstacles that could cause an ac-
cident.
 The posture of the operator is im-
portant for proper control. The op-
erator should keep both hands on
the handlebar and both feet on the
operator footrests during opera-
tion to maintain control of the mo-
torcycle.
 Never ride under the influence of
alcohol or other drugs.
 Be sure the transmission is in neu-
tral before starting the engine. Protective Apparel
The majority of fatalities from motorcy-
cle accidents are the result of head in-
juries. The use of a safety helmet is the
single most critical factor in the pre-
vention or reduction of head injuries.
 Always wear an approved helmet.
 Wear a face shield or goggles.
Wind in your unprotected eyes
could contribute to an impairment
of vision that could delay seeing a
hazard.
 The use of a jacket, heavy boots,
trousers, gloves, etc., is effective
in preventing or reducing abra-
sions or lacerations.
 Never wear loose-fitting clothes,
otherwise they could catch on the
control levers, footrests, or wheels
and cause injury or an accident.
 Always wear protective clothing
that covers your legs, ankles, and
feet. The engine or exhaust sys-
tem become very hot during or af-
ter operation and can cause
burns.
Avoi d Car bon Monoxi de Poisonin g
All engine exhaust contains carbon
monoxide, a deadly gas. Breathing
carbon monoxide can cause head-
aches, dizziness, drowsiness, nausea,
confusion, and eventually death.
Carbon Monoxide is a colorless, odor-
less, tasteless gas which may be pres-
ent even if you do not see or smell any
engine exhaust. Deadly levels of car-
bon monoxide can collect rapidly and
you can quickly be overcome and un-
able to save yourself. Also, deadly lev-
els of carbon monoxide can linger for
hours or days in enclosed or poorly
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Safety information
2-3
2
ventilated areas. If you experience any
symptoms of carbon monoxide poi-
soning, leave the area immediately, get
fresh air, and SEEK MEDICAL TREAT-
MENT.
 Do not run engine indoors. Even if
you try to ventilate engine exhaust
with fans or open windows and
doors, carbon monoxide can rap-
idly reach dangerous levels.
 Do not run engine in poorly venti-
lated or partially enclosed areas
such as barns, garages, or car-
ports.
 Do not run engine outdoors where
engine exhaust can be drawn into
a building through openings such
as windows and doors.
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 that
would impair the performance 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 suspen-
sion travel, steering travel or con-
trol operation.
• Accessories fitted to the han- dlebar or the front fork area can
create instability due to improp-
er weight distribution. If acces-
sories 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. Wind may at-
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Safety information
2-4
2tempt to lift the motorcycle, or
the motorcycle may become
unstable in cross winds.
• Certain accessories can dis- place the operator from his or
her normal riding position. This
improper position limits the
freedom of movement of the
operator and may limit control
ability, therefore, such accesso-
ries are not recommended.
 Use caution when adding electri-
cal accessories. If electrical ac-
cessories exceed the capacity of
the motorcycle’s electrical sys-
tem, an electric failure could re-
sult, which could cause a
dangerous loss of lights or engine
power.
Aftermarket Tires an d Rims
The tires and rims that came with your
motorcycle were designed to match
the performance capabilities and to
provide the best combination of han-
dling, braking, and comfort. Other
tires, rims, sizes, and combinations
may not be appropriate. Refer to page
7-14 for tire specifications and more in-
formation on replacing your tires.
Transportin g the Motorcycle
Be sure to observe following instruc-
tions before transporting the motorcy-
cle in another vehicle.  Remove all loose items from the
motorcycle.
 Check that the fuel cock (if
equipped) is in the “OFF” position
and that there are no fuel leaks. 
Point the front wheel straight
ahead on the trailer or in the truck
bed, and choke it in a rail to pre-
vent movement.
 Shift the transmission in gear (for
models with a manual transmis-
sion).
 Secure the motorcycle with tie-
downs or suitable straps that are
attached to solid parts of the mo-
torcycle, such as the frame or up-
per front fork triple clamp (and not,
for example, to rubber-mounted
handlebars or turn signals, or
parts that could break). Choose
the location for the straps carefully
so the straps will not rub against
painted surfaces during transport.
 The suspension should be com-
pressed somewhat by the tie-
downs, if possible, so that the mo-
torcycle will not bounce exces-
sively during transport.
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Description
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3
EAU63371
Left view
12789
10 4
356
1. Radiator cap (page 7-8)
2. Fuel tank cap (page 4-3)
3. Rebound damping force adjuster (page 4-8)
4. Fuel cock (page 4-6)
5. Air filter element (page 7-10)
6. Seat (page 4-8)
7. Shift pedal (page 4-2)
8. Throttle stop screw (page 7-13)
9. Starter (choke) knob (page 4-7)
10.Compression damping force adjuster (page 4-8)
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Description
3-2
3
EAU63391
Right view
1
7
6894105
23
1. Compression damping force adjuster (page 4-10)
2. Kickstarter (page 4-7)
3. Bleed screw (page 4-10)
4. Spark plug cap (page 7-6)
5. Transmission oil filler cap (page 7-7)
6. Coolant drain bolt (page 7-9)
7. Brake pedal (page 4-3)
8. Transmission oil drain bolt (page 7-7)
9. Rebound damping force adjuster (page 4-10)
10.Spring preload adjuster (page 4-10)
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