2020 YAMAHA NIKEN GT Owners Manual

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
6-22
6
EAU40262
Checkin g the brake flui d levelBefore 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 b raking a bility. O bserve
these precautions:  Insufficient brake flui d may al-
low air to enter the b rake sys-
tem, re ducin g brakin g
performance.
 Clean the filler cap before re-
movin g. 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 dding 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 damag e 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
1. Minimum level mark
1
1. Minimum level mark
Specified b rake flui d:
DOT 4
1
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
6-23
6 fluid level goes down suddenly, have a
Yamaha dealer check the cause before further riding.
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.
EAU73530
To check the drive chain slack
1. Place the motorcycle on the cen- terstand.
2. Shift the transmission into the neutral position.
3. Measure the drive chain slack as shown.1. Drive chain slackDrive chain slack:5.0–15.0 mm (0.20–0.59 in)
1
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
6-24
6
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]
EAU49314
To adjust the drive chain slack
Consult a Yamaha dealer before ad-
justing the drive chain slack. 1. Take the motorcycle off the cen- terstand, and then put the side-
stand down.
2. Loosen the axle nut and the lock- nut on each side of the swingarm. 3. Place the motorcycle on the cen-
terstand.
4. 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.
5. Take the motorcycle off the cen-terstand, and then put the side-
stand down.
6. Tighten the axle nut, then the lock- nuts to the specified torques.
7. Make sure that the drive chain pullers are in the same position,
the drive chain slack is correct,
and the drive chain moves
smoothly.
1. Axle nut
2. Locknut
2
1
1. Drive chain slack adjusting bolt
2. Drive chain puller
3. Alignment mark
Tightenin 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
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 b e lubricated
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-rin gs, 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 may contain su
bstances that
coul d damag e the O-rin gs.
[ECA11112] EAU23098
Checkin
g an d lu bricatin g the
cab lesThe 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 cab les may result
in internal rustin g an d cause inter-
ference with cab le movement. Re-
place damag ed cab les as soon as
possi ble to prevent unsafe con di-
tions.
[EWA10712]
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
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.
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
Recommen ded lu bricant:
Lithium-soap-based grease
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
6-27
6
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
EAU88860
Checkin g an d lu bricatin g the
centerstan d an d si destan dThe operation of the centerstand and
sidestand should be checked before
each ride, and the pivots and metal-to-
metal contact surfaces should be lubri-
cated if necessary.
WARNING
EWA10742
If the centerstan d or si destan d d oes
not move up an d d own smoothly,
have a Yamaha dealer check or re-
pair it. Otherwise, the centerstan d or
si destan d coul d contact the groun d
an d d istract the operator, resultin g
in a possi ble loss of control.
Recommen ded lu bricants:
Brake lever:
Silicone grease
Clutch lever:
Lithium-soap-based grease
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
6-28
6
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.
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 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.
Recommen ded lu bricants:
Centerstand:
Lithium-soap-based grease
Sidestand:
Molybdenum disulfide grease
Recommen ded lu bricant:
Lithium-soap-based grease
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
6-29
6
NOTICE
ECA10591
If any d amage is foun d or the front
fork does not operate smoothly,
have a Yamaha d ealer 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.
EAU84960
Lub ricatin 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.Recommen ded lu bricant:
Urea grease
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