2020 YAMAHA NIKEN GT brakes

Instrument and control functions
3-10
3
TIPPushing the power switch while the
system is operating will turn the sys-
tem off completely and erase the previ-
ously set cruising speed. You will not
be able to use the resume function until
a new cruising speed has been set.Automatic deactivation of the cruisecontrol systemThe cruise control system for this mod-
el is electronically controlled and is
linked with the other control systems.
The cruise control system will auto-
matically become deactivated under
the following conditions:
 The cruise control system is not
able to maintain the set cruising
speed.
 Wheel slip or wheel spin is detect-
ed. (If the traction control system
has not been turned off, the trac-
tion control system will work.)
 The start/engine stop switch is set
to the “ ” position.
 The engine stalls.
 The sidestand is lowered. When traveling with a set cruising
speed, if the cruise control system is
deactivated under the above condi-
tions, the “ ” indicator light will go off
and the “SET” indicator light will flash
for 4 seconds, and then go off.
When not traveling with a set cruising
speed, if the start/engine stop switch is
set to the “ ” position, the engine
stalls, or the sidestand is lowered, then
the “ ” indicator light will go off (the
“SET” indicator light will not flash).
If the cruise control system is automat-
ically deactivated, please stop and
confirm that your vehicle is in good op-
erating condition.
Before using the cruise control system
again, activate it using the power
switch.
TIPIn some cases, the cruise control sys-
tem may not be able to maintain the set
cruising speed when the vehicle is
traveling uphill or downhill.
 When the vehicle is traveling up-
hill, the actual traveling speed may
become lower than the set cruis- ing speed. If this occurs, acceler-
ate to the desired traveling speed
using the throttle.
 When the vehicle is traveling
downhill, the actual traveling
speed may become higher than
the set cruising speed. If this oc-
curs, the setting switch cannot be
used to adjust the set cruising
speed. To reduce the traveling
speed, apply the brakes. When
the brakes are applied, the cruise
control system will become deac-
tivated.
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Instrument and control functions
3-21
3
EAU12944
Brake ped alThe brake pedal is located on the right
side of the motorcycle. To apply the
rear brake, press down on the brake
pedal.
EAU84570
ABSThe anti-lock brake system (ABS) acts
on the front and rear brakes indepen-
dently.
WARNING
EWA16051
Always keep a sufficient distance
from the vehicle ahea d to match the
ri din g spee d even with ABS.
 The ABS performs best with
lon g b rakin g d istances.
 On certain surfaces, such as
rou gh or g ravel roa ds, the b rak-
in g d istance may b e longer with
the ABS than without.How to operate the brakes
Operate the brake lever and brake
pedal the same as you would conven-
tional brakes. If wheel slip is detected
while braking, ABS will activate and a
pulsating sensation may be felt at the
brake lever or brake pedal. Continue to
apply the brakes and let the ABS work.
Do not pump the brakes as this will re-
duce braking effectiveness. 
The ABS performs a self-check
when you first start off. During this
time a clicking noise from the hy-
draulic unit may be audible, and if
the brake lever or brake pedal is
applied a vibration can be felt, but
this is not a malfunction.
 The brake system will revert to a
conventional brake system in case
of ABS malfunction.
NOTICE
ECA20100
Be careful not to d amage the wheel
sensor or wheel sensor rotor; other-
wise, improper performance of the
ABS will result.
1. Brake pedal
1
1. Front wheel sensor
2. Front wheel sensor rotor
1
2
UB5BE1E0.book Page 21 Wednesday, October 30, 2019 9:59 AM

Operation and important ri din g points
5-3
5
EAU84370
Shiftin gShifting gears lets you control the
amount of engine power available for
starting off, accelerating, climbing hills,
etc.
The gear positions are shown in the il-
lustration.TIPTo shift the transmission into the
neutral position ( ), press the
shift pedal down repeatedly until it
reaches the end of its travel, and
then slightly raise it. 
This model is equipped with a
quick shift system. (See page
3-20.)
NOTICE
ECA23990
Even with the transmission in
the neutral position, do not
coast for lon g period s of time
with the eng ine off, and d o not
tow the motorcycle for lon g d is-
tances. The transmission is
properly lu bricated only when
the en gine is runnin g. Ina de-
quate lu brication may damag e
the transmission.
 Except when upshiftin g with the
quick shift system, always use
the clutch while chan gin g g ears
to avoi d d amag ing the en gine,
transmission, an d drive train,
which are not desi gne d to with-
stan d the shock of forced shift-
in g.
EAU85370
To start out an d accelerate
1. Pull the clutch lever to disengage the clutch. 2. Shift the transmission into first
gear. The neutral indicator light
should go out.
3. Open the throttle gradually, and at the same time, release the clutch
lever slowly.
4. After starting out, close the throt- tle, 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 part way and gradually release the clutch lever.
7. Follow the same procedure when shifting to the next higher gear.
EAU85380
To decelerate
1. Release the throttle and apply both the front and the rear brakes
smoothly to slow the motorcycle.
2. As the vehicle decelerates, shift to a lower gear.
1. Gear positions
2. Shift pedal
2
1
1
N 2 3 4
5
6
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Operation and important rid ing points
5-4
5 3. When the engine is about to stall
or runs roughly, pull the clutch le-
ver in, use the brakes to slow the
motorcycle, and continue to
downshift as necessary.
4. Once the motorcycle has stopped, the transmission can be
shifted into the neutral position.
The neutral indicator light should
come on and then the clutch lever
can be released.
WARNING
EWA17380
Improper brakin g can cause
loss of control or traction. Al-
ways use b oth brakes an d apply
them smoothly.
 Make sure that the motorcycle
and the en gine have sufficiently
slowe d b efore shiftin g to a low-
er gear. En gag in g a lower gear
when the vehicle or en gine
speed is too hi gh coul d make
the rear wheel lose traction or
the en gine to over-rev. This
coul d cause loss of control, an acci
dent an d injury. It coul d also
cause en gine or drive train dam-
a g e.
EAU16811
Tips for re ducin g fuel con-
sumptionFuel consumption depends largely on
your riding style. Consider the follow-
ing tips to reduce fuel consumption:
 Shift up swiftly, and avoid high en-
gine speeds during acceleration.
 Do not rev the engine while shift-
ing down, and avoid high engine
speeds with no load on the en-
gine.
 Turn the engine off instead of let-
ting it idle for an extended length
of time (e.g., in traffic jams, at traf-
fic lights or at railroad crossings).
UB5BE1E0.book Page 4 Wednesday, October 30, 2019 9:59 AM

Motorcycle care and stora ge
7-1
7
EAU37834
Matte color cautionNOTICE
ECA15193
Some mo dels are equipped with
matte colore d finishe d parts. Be
sure to consult a Yamaha d ealer for
a d vice on what prod ucts to use be-
fore cleanin g the vehicle. Usin g a
b rush, harsh chemical prod ucts or
cleanin g compoun ds when cleanin g
these parts will scratch or damag e
their surface. Wax also shoul d not
b e applied to any matte colore d fin-
ishe d parts.
EAU83443
CareFrequent, thorough cleaning of the ve-
hicle will not only enhance its appear-
ance but also will improve its general
performance and extend the useful life
of many components. Washing, clean-
ing, and polishing will also give you a
chance to inspect the condition of the
vehicle more frequently. Be sure to
wash the vehicle after riding in the rain
or near the sea, because salt is corro-
sive to metals.TIP The roads of heavy snowfall areas
may be sprayed with salt as a de-
icing method. This salt can stay on
the roads well into spring, so be
sure to wash the underside and
chassis parts after riding in such
areas.
 Genuine Yamaha care and main-
tenance products are sold under
the YAMALUBE brand in many
markets worldwide.
 See your Yamaha dealer for addi-
tional cleaning tips.
NOTICE
ECA26280
Improper cleanin g can cause cos-
metic an d mechanical damag e. Do
not use:  high-pressure washers or
steam-jet cleaners. Excessive
water pressure may cause wa-
ter seepa ge an d d eterioration of
wheel bearin gs, brakes, trans-
mission seals an d electrical d e-
vices. Avoi d hi gh-pressure
d eter gent applications such as
those availa ble in coin-operate d
car washers.
 harsh chemicals, inclu din g
stron g aci dic wheel cleaners,
especially on spoke or ma gne-
sium wheels.
 harsh chemicals, ab rasive
cleanin g compoun ds, or wax on
matte-finishe d parts. Brushes
can scratch an d damag e the
matte-finish, use soft spon ge or
towel only.
 towels, spon ges, or brushes
contaminated with abrasive
cleanin g prod ucts or stron g
UB5BE1E0.book Page 1 Wednesday, October 30, 2019 9:59 AM

Motorcycle care and stora ge
7-3
7 will
become slippery, which
coul d cause loss of control.
Thorou ghly clean the surfaces
of these parts before operatin g
the vehicle.
[EWA20650]
5. Treat rubber, vinyl, and unpainted plastic parts with a suitable care
product.
6. Touch up minor paint damage caused by stones, etc.
7. Wax all painted surfaces using a non-abrasive wax or use a detail
spray for motorcycles.
8. When finished cleaning, start the engine and let it idle for several mi-
nutes to help dry any remaining
moisture.
9. If the headlight lens has fogged up, start the engine and turn on
the headlight to help remove the
moisture.
10. Let the vehicle dry completely be- fore storing or covering it.NOTICE
ECA26320
Do not apply wax to ru bber or
unpainte d plastic parts. 
Do not use a brasive polishin g
compoun ds as they will wear
away the paint.
 Apply sprays an d wax sparin gly.
Wipe off excess afterwar ds.
WARNING
EWA20660
Contaminants left on the b rakes or
tires can cause loss of control.  Make sure there is no lu bricant
or wax on the brakes or tires.
 If necessary, wash the tires with
warm water an d a mil d d eter-
g ent.
 If necessary, clean the brake
d iscs an d pa ds with brake
cleaner or acetone.
 Before ri din g at hi gher spee ds,
test the vehicle’s b raking per-
formance an d cornerin g b ehav-
ior.
EAU83472
Stora geAlways store the vehicle in a cool, dry
place. If necessary, protect it against
dust with a porous cover. Be sure the
engine and the exhaust system are
cool before covering the vehicle. If the
vehicle often sits for weeks at a time
between uses, the use of a quality fuel
stabilizer is recommended after each
fill-up.NOTICE
ECA21170
 Storin g the vehicle in a poorly
ventilate d room or coverin g it
with a tarp, while it is still wet,
will allow water an d humi dity to
seep in an d cause rust.
 To prevent corrosion, avoi d
d amp cellars, sta bles (b ecause
of the presence of ammonia)
an d areas where stron g chemi-
cals are store d.Lon g term stora ge
Before storing the vehicle long term (60
days or more):
UB5BE1E0.book Page 3 Wednesday, October 30, 2019 9:59 AM