2018 YAMAHA YZF-R3 brake

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
6-22
6
EAU40262
Checkin g the brake flui d level
Before riding, check that the brake fluid
is above the minimum level mark.
Check the brake fluid level with the top
of the reservoir level. Replenish the
brake fluid if necessary.
Front brake
Rear brake
WARNING
EWA16011
Improper maintenance can result in
loss of brakin g a bility. O bserve
these precautions:  Insufficient brake flui d may al-
low air to enter the brake sys-
tem, re ducing brakin g
performance. 
Clean the filler cap before re-
moving . Use only DOT 4 b rake
flui d from a seale d container.
 Use only the specifie d b rake flu-
i d ; otherwise, the ru bber seals
may deteriorate, causin g leak-
a g e.
 Refill with the same type of
brake flui d. A ddin g a brake flui d
other than DOT 4 may result in a
harmful chemical reaction.
 Be careful that water or dust
d oes not enter the brake flui d
reservoir when refilling . Water
will si gnificantly lower the boil-
in g point of the flui d an d may re-
sult in vapor lock, an d d ir
t may
clo g the ABS hy draulic unit
valves.
NOTICE
ECA17641
Brake flui d may d amage painte d
surfaces or plastic parts. Always
clean up spille d flui d imme diately.
As the brake pads wear, it is normal for
the brake fluid level to gradually go
down. A low brake fluid level may indi-
cate worn brake pads and/or brake
system leakage; therefore, be sure to
check the brake pads for wear and the
brake system for leakage. If the brake
fluid level goes down suddenly, have a
Yamaha dealer check the cause before further riding.
1. Minimum level mark
1. Minimum level mark
Specified b rake flui d:
DOT 4
1
1
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
6-23
6
EAU22734
Chan gin g the brake flui d
Have 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 slack
The drive chain slack should be
checked before each ride and adjusted
if necessary.
EAU2277GTo check the drive chain slack
1. Place the motorcycle on the side- stand.
TIP
When checking and adjusting the drive
chain slack, there should be no weight
on the motorcycle.
2. Shift the transmission into theneutral 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 breakag e. If the d rive
chain slack is more than , the
chain can d amage the frame,
swin garm, an d other parts. To
1. Drive chain slack
Drive chain slack:
35.0–45.0 mm (1.38–1.77 in)
1
UBR5E0E0.book Page 23 Wednesday, July 5, 2017 11:10 AM

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
6-26
6
EAU49921
Checkin g an d lu bricatin g the
throttle grip an d cab le
The 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.
EAU44276
Checkin g an d lu bricatin g the
b rake an d shift pe dals
The 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
Recommen ded lu bricant:
Lithium-soap-based grease
UBR5E0E0.book Page 26 Wednesday, July 5, 2017 11:10 AM

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
6-27
6
EAU23144
Checkin g an d lu bricatin g the
b rake an d clutch levers
The 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
EAU23203
Checkin g an d lu bricatin g the
si destan d
The 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 si destan d 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.
Recommen ded lu bricants:
Brake lever: Silicone grease
Clutch lever: 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
EAUM1653
Lub ricatin g the swin garm piv-
ots
The swingarm pivots must be lubricat-
ed by a Yamaha dealer at the intervals
specified in the periodic maintenance
and lubrication chart.
EAU23273
Checkin g the front fork
The 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 surfa- ce 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 damag e is foun d or the front
fork does not operate smoothly,
have a Yamaha d ealer check or re-
pair it.
Recommen ded lu bricant:
Lithium-soap-based grease
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
6-35
6
EAU39021
Auxiliary li ght bul b
If the auxiliary light does not come on,
have a Yamaha dealer check the elec-
trical circuit or replace the bulb.
EAU24182
Tail/ brake li ght
This model is equipped with an LED-
type tail/brake light.
If the tail/brake light does not come on,
have a Yamaha dealer check it.
1. Auxiliary light
1
UBR5E0E0.book Page 35 Wednesday, July 5, 2017 11:10 AM

Motorcycle care and stora ge
7-2
7
fected
area any lon ger than in-
structed . Also, thorou ghly rinse
the area off with water, immed i-
ately dry it, an d then apply a cor-
rosion protection spray.
 Improper cleanin g can damag e
plastic parts (such as cowlin gs,
panels, win dshield s, 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 be thor-
ou ghly cleaned with water, di-
lute d mil d d eter gent with water
may be used . Be sure to rinse
off any d etergent resi due usin g
plenty of water, as it is harmful
to plastic parts.
 Do not use any harsh chemical
prod ucts on plastic parts. Be
sure to avoi d usin g cloths or
spon ges which have b een in
contact with stron g or a brasive
cleanin g pro du
cts, solvent or
thinner, fuel ( gasoline), rust re-
movers or inhi bitors, brake flui d,
antifreeze or electrolyte.
 Do not use hi gh-pressure wash-
ers or steam-jet cleaners since
they cause water seepag e and
d eterioration in the followin g ar-
eas: seals (of wheel an d swin g-
arm bearin gs, fork an d b rakes),
electric components (couplers,
connectors, instruments,
switches an d li ghts), breather
hoses an d vents.
 For motorcycles equippe d with
a win dshiel d: Do not use stron g
cleaners or har d spon ges as
they will cause dullin g or scratchin
g. Some cleanin g
compoun ds for plastic may
leave scratches on the win d-
shiel d. Test the pro duct on a
small hidden part of the win d-
shiel d to make sure that it does
not leave any marks. If the win d-
shiel d is scratche d, use a quality
plast

ic polishin g compoun d af-
ter washin g.
After normal use
Remove dirt with warm water, a mild
detergent, and a soft, clean sponge,
and then rinse thoroughly with clean
water. Use a toothbrush or bottlebrush
for hard-to-reach areas. Stubborn dirt
and insects will come off more easily if
the area is covered with a wet cloth for
a few minutes before cleaning.
After riding in the rain, near the sea or
on salt-sprayed roads
Since sea salt or salt sprayed on roads
during winter are extremely corrosive
in combination with water, carry out
the following steps after each ride in
the rain, near the sea or on salt-
sprayed roads.
TIP
Salt sprayed on roads in the winter
may remain well into spring.
1. Clean the motorcycle with cold
water and a mild detergent, after
the engine has cooled down.
NOTICE: Do not use warm wa-
ter since it increases the corro-
sive action of the salt.
[ECA10792]
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Motorcycle care and stora ge
7-3
7 2. Apply a corrosion protection spray
on all metal, including chrome-
and nickel-plated, surfaces to pre-
vent corrosion.
Cleaning the windshield
Avoid using any alkaline or strong acid
cleaner, gasoline, brake fluid, or any
other solvent. Clean the windshield
with a cloth or sponge dampened with
a mild detergent, and then wash it off
thoroughly with water. For additional
cleaning, use Yamaha Windshield
Cleaner or another high-quality wind-
shield cleaner. Some cleaning com-
pounds for plastics may leave
scratches on the windshield. Before
using such cleaners, test an area of the
windshield which does not affect your
visibility and which cannot be easily
recognized.
After cleanin g
1. Dry the motorcycle with a chamois or an absorbing cloth.
2. Immediately dry the drive chain and lubricate it to prevent it from
rusting.
3. Use a chrome polish to shine chrome, aluminum and stainless-
steel parts, including the exhaust
system. (Even the thermally in-
duced discoloring of stainless-
steel exhaust systems can be re-
moved through polishing.)
4. To prevent corrosion, it is recom- mended to apply a corrosion pro-
tection spray on all metal,
including chrome- and nickel-plat-
ed, surfaces.
5. Use spray oil as a universal clean- er to remove any remaining dirt. 6. Touch up minor paint damage
caused by stones, etc.
7. Wax all painted surfaces.
8. Let the motorcycle dry completely before storing or covering it.WARNING
EWA11132
Contaminants on the brakes or tires
can cause loss of control.  Make sure that there is no oil or
wax on the brakes or tires.
 If necessary, clean the brake
d iscs an d b rake linin gs with a
re gular brake disc cleaner or
acetone, an d wash the tires with
warm water an d a mil d d eter-
g ent. Before ri din g at hi gher
speed s, test the motorcycle’s
b rakin g performance an d cor-
nering b ehavior.
NOTICE
ECA10801
 Apply spray oil an d wax spar-
in gly an d make sure to wipe off
any excess.
 Never apply oil or wax to any
rubber an d plastic parts, but
treat them with a suitab le care
prod uct.
 Avoi d using abrasive polishin g
compoun ds as they will wear
away the paint.
TIP
 Consult a Yamaha dealer for ad-
vice on what products to use.
 Washing, rainy weather or humid
climates can cause the headlight
lens to fog. Turning the headlight
UBR5E0E0.book Page 3 Wednesday, July 5, 2017 11:10 AM