Page 62 of 114

Operation and important riding points
8-3
8
EAU16782
Acceleration and decelerationThe speed can be adjusted by opening
and closing the throttle. To increase
the speed, turn the throttle grip in di-
rection (a). To reduce the speed, turn
the throttle grip in direction (b).
EAU60650
Braking
WARNING
EWA17790
Avoid braking hard or suddenly
(especially when leaning over to
one side), otherwise the vehicle
may skid or overturn.
Railroad crossings, streetcar
rails, iron plates on road con-
struction sites, and manhole
covers become extremely slip-
pery when wet. Therefore, slow
down when approaching such
areas and cross them with cau-
tion.
Keep in mind that braking on a
wet road is much more difficult.
Ride slowly down a hill, as brak-
ing downhill can be very diffi-
cult.1. Close the throttle completely.
2. Apply both front and rear brakes
simultaneously while gradually in-
creasing the pressure.
EAU16821
Tips for reducing fuel con-
sumptionFuel consumption depends largely on
your riding style. Consider the follow-
ing tips to reduce fuel consumption:
Avoid high engine speeds during
acceleration.
Avoid high engine speeds with no
load on the engine.
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).
(b)
(a)
ZAUM0199
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Page 82 of 114

Periodic maintenance and adjustment
9-19
9
EAU21386
Checking the throttle grip free
playMeasure the throttle grip free play as
shown.
Periodically check the throttle grip free
play and, if necessary, have a Yamaha
dealer adjust it.
EAU21403
Valve clearanceThe valves are an important engine
component, and since valve clearance
changes with use, they must be
checked and adjusted at the intervals
specified in the periodic maintenance
chart. Unadjusted valves can result in
improper air-fuel mixture, engine
noise, and eventually engine damage.
To prevent this from occurring, have
your Yamaha dealer check and adjust
the valve clearance at regular intervals.TIPThis service must be performed when
the engine is cold.
EAU69761
TiresTires are the only contact between the
vehicle and the road. Safety in all con-
ditions of riding depends on a relatively
small area of road contact. Therefore, it
is essential to maintain the tires in good
condition at all times and replace them
at the appropriate time with the speci-
fied tires.
Tire air pressure
The tire air pressure should be
checked and, if necessary, adjusted
before each ride.
WARNING
EWA10504
Operation of this vehicle with im-
proper tire pressure may cause se-
vere injury or death from loss of
control.
The tire air pressure must be
checked and adjusted on cold
tires (i.e., when the temperature
of the tires equals the ambient
temperature).
The tire air pressure must be
adjusted in accordance with the
riding speed and with the total
1. Throttle grip free playThrottle grip free play:
3.0–5.0 mm (0.12–0.20 in)
1
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Page 106 of 114

Motorcycle care and storage
10-4
101. Make all necessary repairs and
perform any outstanding mainte-
nance.
2. Follow all instructions in the Care
section of this chapter.
3. Fill up the fuel tank, adding fuel
stabilizer according to product in-
structions. Run the engine for 5
minutes to distribute treated fuel
through the fuel system.
4. For vehicles equipped with a fuel
cock: Turn the fuel cock lever to
the off position.
5. For vehicles with a carburetor: To
prevent fuel deposits from build-
ing up, drain the fuel in the carbu-
retor float chamber into a clean
container. Retighten the drain bolt
and pour the fuel back into the fuel
tank.
6. Use a quality engine fogging oil
according to product instructions
to protect internal engine compo-
nents from corrosion. If engine
fogging oil is not available, per-
form the following steps for each
cylinder:
a. Remove the spark plug cap
and spark plug.b. Pour a teaspoonful of engine
oil into the spark plug bore.
c. Install the spark plug cap onto
the spark plug, and then place
the spark plug on the cylinder
head so that the electrodes are
grounded. (This will limit spark-
ing during the next step.)
d. Turn the engine over several
times with the starter. (This will
coat the cylinder wall with oil.)
WARNING! To prevent dam-
age or injury from sparking,
make sure to ground the
spark plug electrodes while
turning the engine over.
[EWA10952]
e. Remove the spark plug cap
from the spark plug, and then
install the spark plug and the
spark plug cap.
7. Lubricate all control cables, piv-
ots, levers and pedals, as well as
the sidestand and centerstand (if
equipped).
8. Check and correct the tire air
pressure, and then lift the vehicle
so that all wheels are off the
ground. Otherwise, turn thewheels a little once a month in or-
der to prevent the tires from be-
coming degraded in one spot.
9. Cover the muffler outlet with a
plastic bag to prevent moisture
from entering it.
10. Remove the battery and fully
charge it, or attach a maintenance
charger to keep the battery opti-
mally charged. NOTICE: Confirm
that the battery and its charger
are compatible. Do not charge a
VRLA battery with a convention-
al charger.
[ECA26330]
TIPIf the battery will be removed,
charge it once a month and store
it in a temperate location between
0-30 °C (32-90 °F).
See page 9-28 for more informa-
tion on charging and storing the
battery.
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