2020 YAMAHA YZF-R1 brake

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
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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
7-30
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
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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

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-32
7
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 sur- face 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.
NOTICE
ECA10591
If any damag e is foun d or the front
fork does not operate smoothly,
have a Yamaha d ealer check or re-
pair it.
EAU23285
Checkin g the steerin gWorn or loose steering bearings may
cause danger. Therefore, the operation
of the steering must be checked as fol-
lows at the intervals specified in the
periodic maintenance and lubrication
chart.
1. Raise the front wheel off the ground. (See page 7-38.)
WARNING! To avoi d injury, se-
curely support the vehicle so
there is no dan ger of it fallin g
over.
[EWA10752]
2. Hold the lower ends of the front fork legs and try to move them for-
ward and backward. If any free
play can be felt, have a Yamaha
dealer check or repair the steer-
ing.
UB3LE0E0.book Page 32 Tuesday, July 23, 2019 12:05 PM

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-37
7 3. Turn the key to “ON” and turn on
the electrical circuit in question to
check if the device operates.
4. If the fuse immediately blows again, have a Yamaha dealer
check the electrical system.
EAU67122
Vehicle lig htsThis model is equipped with full-LED
lighting.
The headlights, auxiliary lights, turn
signals, brake/tail light, and license
plate light are all LED. There are no
user replaceable bulbs.
If a light does not come on, check the
fuses and then have a Yamaha dealer
check the vehicle.NOTICE
ECA16581
Do not affix any type of tinte d film or
stickers to the hea dlig ht lens.
TIP The right headlight comes on
when Pass/LAP switch “ /LAP”
is pushed or the dimmer switch is
set to “ ” (high beam).
 The auxiliary lights were designed
to fade out as your R1 goes to
sleep.
1. Auxiliary light
2. Headlight
12
UB3LE0E0.book Page 37 Tuesday, July 23, 2019 12:05 PM

Motorcycle care and stora ge
8-1
8
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
UB3LE0E0.book Page 1 Tuesday, July 23, 2019 12:05 PM