2020 YAMAHA YXZ1000R SS Owners Manual

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8
Doors
The doors are designed to reduce the likeli-
hood that you will stick your leg out to stop
the vehicle from tipping over or for any other
reason in a rollover. The doors may also re-
duce intrusion of objects into the occupant
area. Make sure the door is securely latched
before operation. Do not place your arm or
hand on the door during operation. Your hand
or arm may be struck by objects or crushed
against outside objects or the ground during
a rollover.Passenger handhold
The passenger handhold is provided to grip
during operation to maintain proper position
and balance. Holding onto the handhold
helps to reduce the likelihood that the pas-
senger puts a hand outside the vehicle if the
vehicle begins to tip.
The driver should make sure the passenger is
holding onto the handhold with both hands
before operating the vehicle.
Adjusting the handhold position
The handhold can be adjusted to one of three
positions to suit the passenger’s preference.
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Adjust the handhold position as follows.1. Remove the locking pins. 2. Slide the handhold to
the desired position
and align the holes in the handhold bar
with the holes in the handhold supports.
3. Insert the pins into the holes and secure them with the wire loops. Make sure that
the handhold is properly secured before
starting off.1. Passenger handhold
2. Locking pin
1
2
1. Handhold support
2. Handhold bar
2
1
1
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Seat and shoulder bolsters
The seats and shoulder bolsters are designed
to help keep you in the vehicle. Do not put
your hand or arm on or outside of the shoul-
der bolster during operation. Your hand or
arm may be struck by objects or crushed
against outside objects or the ground during
a rollover.Floorboard
The floorboard allows you to brace your feet,
which helps you keep your body in the vehicle
in the event of an accident or rollover. Keep
your feet on the floorboard during operation.
Steering wheel
Keep both hands on the steering wheel. Do
not hold the steering wheel with your thumbs
inside the rim. Keep your palms on the out-
side of the steering wheel. Similar to other off-
road vehicles, if the YXZ1000R hits a deep rut
or large obstacle, the steering wheel could1. Wire loop
1
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briefly jerk in one direction or back and forth
as the tires and vehicle respond to the obsta-
cle. This quick motion could injure your
thumbs or wrist if your thumbs or hand(s) are
inside the steering wheel. Grip the steering
wheel so that your thumbs will not be hit by
the spokes. As an example, see the illustra-
tion.
CORRECT GRIP EXAMPLE
INCORRECT GRIP EXAMPLE
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EBU36753LEARNING TO OPERATE YOUR VEHI-
CLEPersonal protective equipment
The driver and passenger should wear the fol-
lowing to reduce risk of injury in an accident:
Approved motorcycle helmet that fits prop-
erly 
Eye protection (goggles, helmet face shield,
or protective eyewear)
 Over-the-ankle boots, gloves, long-sleeved
shirt or jacket, and long pants
An approved helmet and other personal pro-
tective equipment can help in a variety of
ways, including:
 Reduce the severity of injuries if any part of
you is outside the vehicle or protective
structure during a rollover.
 Help protect you if outside objects intrude
inside the vehicle during operation.
 Help protect you in the event of impact with
an obstacle or other vehicle.
Wear eye protection when operating or riding
in the vehicle to reduce the risk of a serious
accident or injury. Eye protection, such as a
face shield or goggles, may reduce the risk of
foreign material getting in your eyes and help
prevent loss of vision.1. Approved motorcycle helmet
2. Eye protection
3. Long-sleeved shirt or jacket
4. Gloves
5. Long pants
6. Over-the-ankle boots
1 2
3
4
5
6
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Practice for new Yamaha YXZ1000R users
Become familiar with the performance char-
acteristics of the vehicle in a large, flat area
that is free of obstacles and other vehicles.
Practice controlling the accelerator pedal,
brakes, steering, and shift paddles. Drive at
slow speeds with gradual acceleration and
smooth turns. Practice applying the accelera-
tor pedal smoothly. Practice slowing down
before turning. Practice maintaining a steady
amount of throttle (accelerator pedal position)
through the turn. Avoid higher speeds until
you are thoroughly familiar with the operation
and handling of the vehicle. Remember, driv-
ing aggressively or making abrupt maneuvers
even on flat, open areas can cause side roll-
overs.Become familiar with the way the vehicle han-
dles in the various drive modes. Start off with
two-wheel drive “2WD”, then four-wheel drive
“4WD”, and finally four-wheel drive with the
differential locked “DIFF LOCK”. Steering
may take more effort in four-wheel drive with
the differential locked “DIFF LOCK”. Also
practice driving in reverse.
TIPTake the time to learn basic operation of the
vehicle before driving at higher speeds or at-
tempting more difficult maneuvers.
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Getting ready to ride
Perform the pre-operation checks on page
6-1. Follow the instructions on page 7-2 when
starting the engine.
Turning
Use care in turns — turning the steering wheel
too far or too fast can result in loss of control
or a rollover. Slow down before entering
turns. When making tight turns from a stand-
still or at slow speeds, avoid sudden or hard
acceleration. Driving aggressively or making
abrupt maneuvers even on flat, open areas
can cause side rollovers. Avoid sideways slid-
ing, skidding, or fishtailing (rear-wheel slid-
ing), and never do donuts. If you feel the
vehicle begin to slide sideways or the rear
wheels begin to slide during a turn, steer into
the direction of the slide, if possible, and
gradually let off the accelerator pedal to re-
gain directional control and avoid rollover. For
example, if you feel the back of the vehicle
start to slide to your right, steer to the right. If you think or feel that the vehicle may tip or
roll, keep your body completely inside the
protective structure of the vehicle:

Brace yourself by pressing your feet firmly
on the floorboard and keep a firm grip on
the steering wheel or passenger handhold.
 Do not put your hands or feet outside of the
vehicle for any reason. Do not try to stop a
tipover using your arm or leg.
Accelerating
Avoid higher speeds and sudden or hard ac-
celeration until you are thoroughly familiar
with the operation of your vehicle. Avoid sud-
den or hard acceleration in any turn. Never
drive faster than is safe for current conditions.
Shifting
Follow the instructions on pages 7-2 and 7-3
for shifting, downshifting, and shifting into re-
verse until you are thoroughly familiar with
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Braking
When slowing down or stopping, take your
foot off the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal smoothly. Abrupt or improper
use of the brakes can cause the tires to lose
traction, reducing control of the vehicle and
increasing the possibility of an accident.
Braking ability is affected by type of terrain. In
most cases, gradual application of the brakes
is more effective than abrupt braking, partic-
ularly on loose surfaces, such as gravel. Al-
ways allow for greater braking distance on
rough, loose, or slippery surfaces.
Engine compression braking will also help
slow the vehicle down. With the transmission
still in gear, take your foot off the accelerator
and allow the drivetrain and engine to absorb
vehicle speed. Downshift as necessary. Ap-
plication of the brakes provides additional
stopping power. Leaving the vehicle
Do not get out of the vehicle while the engine
is running. Take the key with when you leave
the vehicle. There is a serious risk of injury or
death because:

Children or other unauthorized persons
may attempt to operate the vehicle.
 Objects tossed into the vehicle may strike
the shift lever and accidently engage the
transmission.
 The parking brake may not keep the vehicle
from moving.
Parking on a flat area
Even when parking on a seemingly flat area, it
is good practice to leave the transmission in
gear to prevent the vehicle from rolling.
Therefore, shift into first or reverse gear, stop
the engine and always apply the parking
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