2020 YAMAHA YZF-R1 Owners Manual

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-24
7
EAU37914
Checkin g the brake lever free
playThere should be no free play at the
brake lever end. If there is free play,
have a Yamaha dealer inspect the
brake system.
WARNING
EWA14212
A soft or spon gy feelin g in the brake
lever can in dicate the presence of
air in the hy draulic system. If there is
air in the hy draulic system, have a
Yamaha dealer blee d the system be-
fore operatin g the vehicle. Air in the
hy draulic system will diminish the b
rakin g performance, which may re-
sult in loss of control an d an acci-
d ent.
EAU36505
Brake li ght switchesThe brake light should come on just
before braking takes effect. The brake
light is activated by switches connect-
ed to the brake lever and brake pedal.
Since the brake light switches are
components of the anti-lock brake sys-
tem, they should only be serviced by a
Yamaha dealer.
1. No brake lever free play
1
UB3LE0E0.book Page 24 Tuesday, July 23, 2019 12:05 PM

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-25
7
EAU22393
Checkin g the front an d rear
b rake pa dsThe front and rear brake pads must be
checked for wear at the intervals spec-
ified in the periodic maintenance and
lubrication chart.
EAU36891
Front brake pa ds
Each front brake pad is provided with
wear indicators, which allows you to
check the brake pad wear without hav-
ing to disassemble the brake. To check
the brake pad wear, check the position
of the wear indicators while applying
the brake. If a brake pad has worn to
the point that a wear indicator almost touches the brake disc, have a
Yamaha dealer replace the brake pads as a set.
EAU46292
Rear brake pad s
Each rear brake pad is provided with
wear indicator grooves, which allow
you to check the brake pad wear with-
out having to disassemble the brake.
To check the brake pad wear, check
the wear indicator grooves. If a brake
pad has worn to the point that a wear
indicator groove almost appears, have
a Yamaha dealer replace the brake
pads as a set.
EAU22583
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 res-
ervoir in an upright position. Replenish
the brake fluid if necessary.NOTICE
ECA17641
Brake flui d may damag e painted
surfaces or plastic parts. Always
clean up spille d flui d imme diately.Front brake
1. Brake pad wear indicator
1
1
1. Brake pad wear indicator groove
1
1
Specifie d b rake flui d:
DOT 41. Minimum level mark
UPPER
LOWER
1
UB3LE0E0.book Page 25 Tuesday, July 23, 2019 12:05 PM

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-26
7
Rear
brake
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 or brake
system leakage; therefore, be sure
to check the brake pads for wear
and the brake system for leakage.
 If the brake fluid level goes down
suddenly, have a Yamaha dealer
check the cause before further rid-
ing.
WARNING
EWA15991
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 specified 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 fluid
other than DOT 4 may result in a
harmful chemical reaction.
 Be careful that water d oes not
enter the brake flui d reservoir
when refillin g. Water will si gnifi-
cantly lower the boilin g point of
the flui d an d may result in vapor
lock.
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
1. Minimum level mark
UPPER
LOWER
1
UB3LE0E0.book Page 26 Tuesday, July 23, 2019 12:05 PM

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-27
7
EAU22762
Drive chain slackThe drive chain slack should be
checked before each ride and adjusted
if necessary.
EAU2277G
To check the drive chain slack
1. Place the motorcycle on the side- stand.TIPWhen checking and adjusting the drive
chain slack, there should be no weight
on the motorcycle.2. Shift the transmission into theneutral position.
3. Measure the drive chain slack as shown. 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 breaka ge. If the d rive
chain slack is more than 35.0
mm (1.38 in), the chain can dam-
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 specifie d limits.
[ECA17791]
EAU74260
To adjust the drive chain slack
Consult a Yamaha dealer before ad-
justing the drive chain slack. 1. Loosen the axle nut and the lock- nut on each side of the swingarm. 2. 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.
1. Drive chain slack
1
Drive chain slack:25.0–35.0 mm (0.98–1.38 in)
1. Drive chain puller
2. Axle nut
3. Drive chain slack adjusting bolt
4. Locknut
5. Alignment marks
5 3
1 2
4
UB3LE0E0.book Page 27 Tuesday, July 23, 2019 12:05 PM

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-28
7
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.3. Tighten the axle nut, then the lock-
nuts to their specified torques. 4. Make sure that the drive chain
pullers are in the same position,
the drive chain slack is correct,
and the drive chain moves
smoothly.
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 lubricate d
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
1. Drive chain slack adjusting bolt
2. LocknutTi ghtenin g torques:
Axle nut: 190 N·m (19 kgf·m, 140 lb·ft)
Locknut:
16 N·m (1.6 kgf·m, 12 lb·ft)
(a) 1
2
(b)
UB3LE0E0.book Page 28 Tuesday, July 23, 2019 12:05 PM

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-29
7 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] EAU82490
Checkin
g an d lu bricatin g the
throttle gripThe operation of the throttle grip
should be checked before each ride. In
addition, the throttle grip housing
should be lubricated by a Yamaha
dealer at the intervals specified in the
periodic maintenance chart.
Recommen ded lu bricant:
Yamaha cable lubricant or other
suitable cable lubricant
UB3LE0E0.book Page 29 Tuesday, July 23, 2019 12:05 PM

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-30
7
EAU88560
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
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
Recommen ded lu bricants:
Brake pedal:
Lithium-soap-based grease
Shift pedal:
Molybdenum disulfide grease
UB3LE0E0.book Page 30 Tuesday, July 23, 2019 12:05 PM

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-31
7
EAU23203
Checkin g an d lu bricatin g the
si destan dThe operation of the sidestand should
be checked before each ride, and the
sidestand pivot and metal-to-metal
contact surfaces should be lubricated
if necessary.
WARNING
EWA10732
If the si destan d d oes not move up
an d d own smoothly, have a Yamaha
d ealer check or repair it. Otherwise,
the si destan d coul d contact the
g roun d an d d istract the operator, re-
sultin g in a possi ble loss of control.
EAUM1653
Lub ricatin 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.
Recommen ded lu bricants:
Brake lever:
Silicone grease
Clutch lever:
Lithium-soap-based grease
Recommen ded lu bricant:
Lithium-soap-based grease
Recommen ded lu bricant:
Lithium-soap-based grease
UB3LE0E0.book Page 31 Tuesday, July 23, 2019 12:05 PM