2020 YAMAHA YZF-R6 Owners Manual

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-24
7

Bran d-new tires can have a rel-
atively poor grip on certain road
surfaces until they have been
“ b roken in”. Therefore, it is a d-
visa ble before doin g any hi gh-
spee d ri din g to ri de conserva-
tively for approximately 100 km
(60 mi) after installin g a new tire.
 The tires must be warmed up
b efore a hi gh-spee d run.
 Always a djust the tire air pres-
sure accor din g to the operatin g
con ditions.
EAU21963
Cast wheelsTo maximize the performance, durabil-
ity, and safe operation of your vehicle,
note the following points regarding the
specified wheels.
 The wheel rims should be
checked for cracks, bends, warp-
age or other damage before each
ride. If any damage is found, have
a Yamaha dealer replace the
wheel. Do not attempt even the
smallest repair to the wheel. A de-
formed or cracked wheel must be
replaced.
 The wheel should be balanced
whenever either the tire or wheel
has been changed or replaced. An
unbalanced wheel can result in
poor performance, adverse han-
dling characteristics, and a short-
ened tire life.
EAU79960
Adjustin g the clutch lever free
playMeasure the clutch lever free play as
shown.
Periodically check the clutch lever free
play and, if necessary, adjust it as fol-
lows.
To increase the clutch lever free play,
turn the clutch lever free play adjusting
bolt at the clutch lever in direction (a).
To decrease the clutch lever free play,
turn the adjusting bolt in direction (b).1. Clutch lever free play
2. Clutch lever free play adjusting bolt
Clutch lever free play: 10.0–15.0 mm (0.39–0.59 in)1
2
(a)
(b)
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-25
7
TIPIf the specified clutch lever free play
cannot be obtained as described
above, proceed as follows.1. Fully turn the adjusting bolt at the
clutch lever in direction (a) to loos-
en the clutch cable.
2. Remove panel B and cowling C. (See page 7-9.)
3. Loosen the locknut at the crank- case.
4. To increase the clutch lever free play, turn the clutch lever free play
adjusting nut in direction (a). To decrease the clutch lever free
play, turn the adjusting nut in di-
rection (b).
5. Tighten the locknut.
6. Install the cowling and the panel.
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 b e-
fore operatin g the vehicle. Air in the
hy draulic system will d iminish the
1. Locknut
2. Clutch lever free play adjusting nut
1
2(a)(b)
1. No brake lever free play
1
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-26
7
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.
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 pad s
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 almost1. Brake pad wear indicator
1
1
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-27
7 touches the brake disc, have a
Yamaha dealer replace the brake pads as a set.
EAU46292
Rear brake pa ds
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.
EAU40262
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 top
of the reservoir level. Replenish the
brake fluid if necessary.
Front brake Rear
brake
WARNING
EWA16011
Improper maintenance can result in
loss of brakin g a bility. O bserve
these precautions:  Insufficient brake flui d may al-
low air to enter the brake sys-
tem, re ducin g brakin g
performance.
 Clean the filler cap before re-
movin g. Use only DOT 4 brake
flui d from a seale d container.
1. Brake pad wear indicator groove
1
1
1. Minimum level mark1
1. Minimum level markSpecifie d b rake flui d:
DOT 41
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-28
7

Use only the specifie d 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 ddin g a brake flui d
other than DOT 4 may result in a
harmful chemical reaction.
 Be careful that water or dust
d oes not enter the brake flui d
reservoir when refillin g. Water
will si gnificantly lower the boil-
in g point of the flui d an d may re-
sult in vapor lock, an d d irt may
clo g the ABS hy draulic unit
valves.
NOTICE
ECA17641
Brake flui d may d amage painte d
surfaces or plastic parts. Always
clean up spille d flui d imme diately.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 and/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 riding.
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
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-29
7
EAU22762
Drive chain slackThe drive chain slack should be
checked before each ride and adjusted
if necessary.
EAU74253
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 breakag e. To prevent
this from occurrin g, keep the
d rive chain slack within the
specified limits.
[ECA10572]
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:30.0–45.0 mm (1.18–1.77 in)
1. Drive chain puller
2. Axle nut
3. Drive chain slack adjusting bolt
4. Locknut
5. Alignment marks
4
2
3
1
5
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-30
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: 110 N·m (11 kgf·m, 81 lb·ft)
Locknut:
16 N·m (1.6 kgf·m, 12 lb·ft)
1
2
(a)
(b)
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-31
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] EAU23115
Checkin
g an d lu bricatin g the
throttle grip an d ca bleThe operation of the throttle grip
should be checked before each ride. In
addition, the cable should be lubricat-
ed by a Yamaha dealer at the intervals
specified in the periodic maintenance
chart.
The throttle cable is equipped with a
rubber cover. Make sure that the cover
is securely installed. Even though the
cover is installed correctly, it does not
completely protect the cable from wa-
ter entry. Therefore, use care not to
pour water directly onto the cover or
cable when washing the vehicle. If the
cable or cover becomes dirty, wipe
clean with a moist cloth.
Recommen ded lu bricant:
Yamaha cable lubricant or other
suitable cable lubricant
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