2019 YAMAHA YZ85 spark

Introduction
EAU41545
Congratulations on your purchase of the Yamaha YZ85 / YZ85K / YZ85LW /
YZ85LWK. This model is the result of Yamaha’s vast experience in the production
of fine sporting, touring, and pacesetting racing machines. It represents the high
degree of craftsmanship and reliability that have made Yamaha a leader in these
fields.
This manual will give you an understanding of the operation, inspection, and basic
maintenance of this motorcycle. If you have any questions concerning the opera-
tion or maintenance of your motorcycle, please consult a Yamaha dealer.
Yamaha continually seeks advancements in product design and quality. There- fore, while this manual contains the most current product information available at
the time of printing, there may be minor discrepancies between your motorcycle
and this manual. If there is any question concerning this manual, please consult a
Yamaha dealer.
WARNING
EWA10032
Please rea d this manual carefully an d completely before operating this mo-
torcycle.
WARNING
EWA14352
This motorcycle is desi gne d an d manufactured for off-road use only. It is il-
le gal to operate this motorcycle on any pu blic street, road or highway. Such
use is prohi bite d b y law. This motorcycle complies with almost all state off-
hi ghway noise level an d spark arrester laws an d re gulations. Please check
your local ri din g laws an d re gulations before operatin g this motorcycle.
AN IMPORTANT SAFETY MESSAGE:
 Read this manual completely before operating your motorcycle. Make sure
you understand all instructions.
 Pay close attention to the warning and notice labels on the motorcycle.
 Never operate a motorcycle without proper training or instruction.
AN IMPORTANT NOTE TO PARENTS:
This motorcycle is not a toy. Before you let your child ride this motorcycle, you
should understand the instructions and warnings in this Owner’s Manual. Then be
sure your child understands and will follow them. Children differ in skills, physical
abilities, and judgment. Some children may not be able to operate a motorcycle
safely. Parents should supervise their child’s use of the motorcycle at all times.
Parents should permit continued use only if they determine that the child has the
ability to operate the motorcycle safely.
UB4B80E0.book Page 1 Tuesday, March 27, 2018 1:39 PM

Table of contents
Location of important la bels ........... 1-1
Safety information ............................ 2-1
Description ....................................... 3-1
Left view ......................................... 3-1
Right view ....................................... 3-2
Controls and instruments ............... 3-3
Instrument an d control functions ... 4-1
Handlebar switch............................ 4-1
Clutch lever .................................... 4-1
Shift pedal ...................................... 4-2
Brake lever...................................... 4-2
Brake pedal .................................... 4-3
Fuel tank cap .................................. 4-3
Fuel ................................................. 4-4
Fuel tank breather hose.................. 4-6
Fuel cock ........................................ 4-6
Starter (choke) knob ....................... 4-7
Kickstarter ...................................... 4-7
Seat ................................................ 4-8
Adjusting the front fork ................... 4-8
Front fork bleeding ....................... 4-10
Adjusting the shock absorber assembly ................................... 4-11
Removable sidestand ................... 4-14
YPVS system ................................ 4-15
For your safety – pre-operation
checks ............................................... 5-1
Operation an d important ri din g
points ................................................ 6-1
Starting and warming up a cold
engine ......................................... 6-1
Starting a warm engine .................. 6-2
Shifting ........................................... 6-2
Engine break-in .............................. 6-3
Parking ........................................... 6-5
Perio dic maintenance an d
a d justment ........................................ 7-1
Periodic maintenance and lubrication chart .......................... 7-2
Checking the spark plug ................ 7-6 Transmission oil .............................. 7-7
Coolant ............................................ 7-8
Cleaning the air filter element ....... 7-10
Adjusting the carburetor ............... 7-12
Adjusting the engine idling
speed ......................................... 7-13
Adjusting the throttle grip free play ............................................ 7-13
Tires .............................................. 7-14
Spoke wheels ................................ 7-16
Adjusting the clutch lever free play ............................................ 7-17
Checking the brake lever free play ............................................ 7-18
Checking the shift pedal ............... 7-18
Checking the front and rear brake pads ................................. 7-19
Checking the brake fluid level ....... 7-20
Changing the brake fluid ............... 7-21
Drive chain slack ........................... 7-21
Cleaning and lubricating the drive chain ................................. 7-23
Checking and lubricating the
cables ........................................ 7-23
Checking and lubricating the throttle grip and cable ............... 7-24
Checking and lubricating the brake and clutch levers ............. 7-24
Checking and lubricating the
brake pedal ................................ 7-25
Lubricating the rear suspension.... 7-25
Lubricating the swingarm pivots ... 7-26
Checking the front fork ................. 7-26
Checking the steering ................... 7-27
Checking the wheel bearings ........ 7-27
Supporting the motorcycle ........... 7-28
Front wheel ................................... 7-28
Rear wheel .................................... 7-29
Troubleshooting ............................ 7-31
Troubleshooting charts ................. 7-32
Motorcycle care an d stora ge .......... 8-1
Matte color caution ......................... 8-1
Care................................................. 8-1
Storage............................................ 8-3
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Description
3-2
3
EAU63391
Right view
21345
108697
1. Spring preload adjuster (page 4-11)
2. Compression damping force adjuster (page 4-11)
3. Kickstarter (page 4-7)
4. Spark plug cap (page 7-6)
5. Bleed screw (page 4-10)
6. Coolant drain bolt (page 7-9)
7. Brake pedal (page 4-3)
8. Transmission oil drain bolt (page 7-7)
9. Transmission oil filler cap (page 7-7)
10.Rebound damping force adjuster (page 4-11)
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Instrument and control functions
4-5
4 Fillin
g the fuel tank
WARNING
EWA10882
Gasoline an d g asoline vapors are
extremely flamma ble. To avoi d fires
an d explosions an d to re duce the
risk of injury when refuelin g, follow
these instructions.
1. Before refueling, turn off the en- gine and be sure that no one is sit-
ting on the vehicle. Never refuel
while smoking, or while in the vi-
cinity of sparks, open flames, or
other sources of ignition such as
the pilot lights of water heaters
and clothes dryers.
2. Do not overfill the fuel tank. Stop filling when the fuel reaches the
bottom of the filler tube. 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 immedi- ately. NOTICE: Immediately
wipe off spille d fuel with a clean,
d ry, soft cloth, since fuel may
d eteriorate painted surfaces or
plastic parts.
[ECA10072]
4. Be sure to securely close the fuel tank cap.
WARNING
EWA15152
Gasoline is poisonous an d can cau-
se injury or death. Han dle gasoline
with care. Never siphon gasoline by
mouth. If you shoul d swallow some
g asoline or inhale a lot of gasoline
vapor, or get some g asoline in your
eyes, see your doctor imme diately. If
g asoline spills on your skin, wash
with soap an d water. If gasoline
spills on your clothin g, chan ge your
clothes.
1. Maximum fuel level
2. Fuel tank filler tube
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Operation and important ri din g points
6-3
6
an
d d rive train, which are not
d esi gne d to withstan d the
shock of force d shifting .
EAU16691To start out an d accelerate
1. Pull the clutch lever to disengage the clutch.
2. Shift the transmission into first gear.
3. Open the throttle gradually and si- multaneously release the clutch
lever slowly.
4. Once the motorcycle has reached a speed high enough to change
gears, close the throttle, and at the
same time, quickly pull the clutch
lever in.
5. Shift the transmission into second gear. (Make sure not to shift the
transmission into the neutral posi-
tion.)
6. Open the throttle halfway and gradually release the clutch lever.
7. Follow the same procedure when
shifting to the next gear.
EAU16711To decelerate
1. Close the throttle and apply both the front and the rear brakes to
slow the motorcycle.
2. Downshift through the gears and shift the transmission into the neu-
tral position when the motorcycle
is almost completely stopped.
EAU41506
Engine break-in
WARNING
EWA10322
Failure to properly maintain the vehi-
cle or performin g maintenance ac-
tivities incorrectly may increase
your risk of injury or death durin g
service or while usin g the vehicle. If
you are not familiar with vehicle ser-
vice, have a Yamaha d ealer perform
service.
TIP
Before starting the engine for the first
time, the air filter must be lubricated.
(See page 7-10.)
En gine break-in proce dure
1. Fill the fuel tank with a break-in oil- fuel mixture as follows.
2. Start and warm up the engine. Check the operation of the con-
trols and the engine stop switch.
(See page 4-1.)
3. Operate the motorcycle in the low- er gears at moderate throttle
openings for 5 to 8 minutes. Stop
the engine and check the spark
plug condition (see page 7-6); it
will show a rich condition during
break-in.
4. Allow the engine to cool. Restart the engine and operate the motor-
cycle as in the step above for 5 mi-
nutes. Then, very briefly shift to
Recommen ded 2-stroke en gine oil:
YAMALUBE 2R
Mixin g ratio ( gasoline to oil):
15:1
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Operation and important rid ing points
6-4
6 the higher gears and check the
full-throttle response. Stop the en-
gine and check the spark plug.
5. After again allowing the engine to cool, restart and run the motorcy-
cle for 5 more minutes. Full throttle
and the higher gears may be used,
but sustained full-throttle opera-
tion should be avoided. Stop the
engine and check the spark plug
again.
6. Allow the engine to cool, remove the cylinder head and cylinder,
and inspect the piston and cylin-
der. Remove any high spots on
the piston with #600-grit wet
sandpaper. Clean all components
and carefully reassemble the cyl-
inder head and cylinder.
7. Drain the break-in oil-fuel mixture from the fuel tank and refill with
the normal oil-fuel mixture. (See
page 4-4.)
8. Start the engine and check its power delivery and throttle re-
sponse throughout all gear rang-
es. Stop the engine and check the
spark plug condition. It should be-
gin to lighten in color.
9. Restart the motorcycle and ride it for about 10 to 15 more minutes.
Stop the engine and check the
spark plug condition. (See page
7-6.)
10. Lastly, thoroughly check the mo- torcycle for loose parts, oil leak-
age and any other problems.
Check all fittings and fasteners
and tighten as necessary.
TIP
Be sure to inspect and make adjust-
ments thoroughly. In particular, check
control cable slack, drive chain slack
and for loose spokes.
Notes on en gine overhauls
If the following parts have been re-
placed, they must be broken in as fol-
lows.  Piston, rings or transmission
gears: 30 minutes of break-in op-
eration at half-throttle or less.
 Cylinder or crankshaft: 60 minutes
of break-in operation is necessary.
TIP
Observe the condition of the engine
carefully during break-in operation.
NOTICE
ECA10271
If any en gine trou ble shoul d occur
d uring the en gine break-in perio d,
imme diately have a Yamaha d ealer
check the vehicle.
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-3
7
10 *Rotor nut
(flywheel magneto) Tighten.
11 *
Kickstarter system Check idle gear for damage. Replace if necessary.
Check exhaust pipe and muffler for
carbon deposits.

12 *Exhaust system
Clean.
 Check crankshaft for carbon depositsand damage.13 *Crankshaft
Clean.
 


14 *
Carburetor Check carburetor settings and for
obstructions.
Adjust and clean. Check condition.
15Spark plug Clean and regap.
Replace.
 Check chain slack, alignment and
condition.
16 *Drive chain Adjust and thoroughly lubricate chain
with Yamaha chain and cable lube or
equivalent.
Replace.
NO. ITEM ROUTINE
After
break-in
Everyrace
Every
third race
Every
fifth race
As
required
7 *Clutch Check clutch housing, friction plates,
clutch plates and clutch springs for
wear or damage.
Adjust.
Replace.

8 *
Transmission Change the transmission oil. Check transmission for damage. Replace bearings.
9 *Shift forks, guide
bars, shift cam Check all parts for wear and damage. Replace if necessary.
UB4B80E0.book Page 3 Tuesday, March 27, 2018 1:39 PM

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-6
7
EAU84450
Checkin g the spark plu g
The spark plug is an important engine
component, which is easy to check.
Since heat and deposits will cause any
spark plug to slowly erode, the spark
plug should be removed and checked
in accordance with the periodic main-
tenance and lubrication chart. In addi-
tion, the condition of the spark plug
can reveal the condition of the engine.
To remove the spark plu g
1. Remove the spark plug cap.
2. Remove the spark plug as shown, with a spark plug wrench available
at a Yamaha dealer. To check the spark plu
g
1. Check that the porcelain insulator around the center electrode of the
spark plug is a medium-to-light
tan (the ideal color when the vehi-
cle is ridden normally).
TIP
If the spark plug shows a distinctly dif-
ferent color, the engine could be oper-
ating improperly. Do not attempt to
diagnose such problems yourself. In-
stead, have a Yamaha dealer check
the vehicle.
2. Check the spark plug for electrodeerosion and excessive carbon or
other deposits, and replace it if
necessary.
3. Measure the spark plug gap with a wire thickness gauge and, if nec-
essary, adjust the gap to specifi-
cation.
1. Spark plug cap
1. Spark plug wrench
1
1
Specified spark plu g:
NGK/BR10EG
1. Spark plug gap
Spark plu g g ap:
0.5–0.6 mm (0.020–0.024 in)
UB4B80E0.book Page 6 Tuesday, March 27, 2018 1:39 PM