2021 YAMAHA MT-125 brakes

Instrument and control functions
3-15
3
EAU63040
ABSThe Yamaha ABS (Anti-lock Brake
System) features a dual electronic con-
trol system, which acts on the front and
rear brakes independently.
Operate the brakes with ABS as you
would conventional brakes. If the ABS
is activated, a pulsating sensation may
be felt at the brake lever or brake ped-
al. In this situation, continue to apply
the brakes and let the ABS work; do
not “pump” the brakes as this will re-
duce braking effectiveness.
WARNING
EWA16051
Always keep a sufficient d istance
from the vehicle ahea d to match the
ri din g speed even with ABS.
 The ABS performs best with
lon g b rakin g d istances.
 On certain surfaces, such as
rou gh or g ravel roa ds, the b rak-
in g d istance may b e longer with
the ABS than without.The ABS is monitored by an ECU,
which will revert the system to conven-
tional braking if a malfunction occurs.
TIP The ABS performs a self-diagno-
sis test each time the vehicle first
starts off after the key is turned to
“ON” and the vehicle has traveled
at a speed of 10 km/h (6 mi/h) or
higher. During this test, a “click-
ing” noise can be heard from the
hydraulic control unit, and if the
brake lever or brake pedal is even
slightly applied, a vibration can be
felt at the lever and pedal, but
these do not indicate a malfunc-
tion.
 This ABS has a test mode which
allows the owner to experience
the pulsation at the brake lever or
brake pedal when the ABS is op-
erating. However, special tools are
required, so please consult your
Yamaha dealer.NOTICE
ECA20100
Be careful not to damag e the wheel
sensor or wheel sensor rotor; other-
wise, improper performance of the
ABS will result.
1. Front wheel sensor rotor
2. Front wheel sensor
1. Rear wheel sensor
2. Rear wheel sensor rotorZAUM173412ZAUM1590
12
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Operation and important ri din g points
5-3
5
EAU16674
Shiftin gShifting gears lets you control the
amount of engine power available for
starting off, accelerating, climbing hills,
etc.
The gear positions are shown in the il-
lustration.TIPTo shift the transmission into the neu-
tral position ( ), press the shift pedal
down repeatedly until it reaches the
end of its travel, and then slightly raise
it.
NOTICE
ECA10261
Even with the transmission in
the neutral position, do not
coast for lon g period s of time
with the eng ine off, and d o not
tow the motorcycle for lon g d is-
tances. The transmission is
properly lu bricated only when
the en gine is runnin g. Ina de-
quate lu brication may damag e
the transmission.
 Always use the clutch while
chan gin g g ears to avoi d d am-
a g in g the en gine, transmission,
an d d rive train, which are not
d esi gne d to withstan d the
shock of forced shifting.
EAU85370
To start out an d accelerate
1. Pull the clutch lever to disengage the clutch.
2. Shift the transmission into first gear. The neutral indicator light
should go out.
3. Open the throttle gradually, and at the same time, release the clutch
lever slowly. 4. After starting out, close the throt-
tle, and at the same time, quickly
pull the clutch lever in.
5. Shift the transmission into second gear. (Make sure not to shift the
transmission into the neutral posi-
tion.)
6. Open the throttle part way and gradually release the clutch lever.
7. Follow the same procedure when shifting to the next higher gear.
EAU85380
To decelerate
1. Release the throttle and apply both the front and the rear brakes
smoothly to slow the motorcycle.
2. As the vehicle decelerates, shift to a lower gear.
3. When the engine is about to stall or runs roughly, pull the clutch le-
ver in, use the brakes to slow the
motorcycle, and continue to
downshift as necessary.
4. Once the motorcycle has stopped, the transmission can be
shifted into the neutral position.
1. Neutral position
2. Shift pedal
1 2 3 4 5
6
1
2
N
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Operation and important rid ing points
5-4
5 The neutral indicator light should
come on and then the clutch lever
can be released.
WARNING
EWA17380

Improper brakin g can cause
loss of control or traction. Al-
ways use b oth brakes an d apply
them smoothly.
 Make sure that the motorcycle
and the en gine have sufficiently
slowe d b efore shiftin g to a low-
er gear. En gag in g a lower gear
when the vehicle or en gine
speed is too hi gh coul d make
the rear wheel lose traction or
the en gine to over-rev. This
coul d cause loss of control, an
acci dent an d injury. It coul d also
cause en gine or drive train dam-
a g e.
EAU16811
Tips for re ducin g fuel con-
sumptionFuel consumption depends largely on
your riding style. Consider the follow-
ing tips to reduce fuel consumption:
 Shift up swiftly, and avoid high en-
gine speeds during acceleration.
 Do not rev the engine while shift-
ing down, and avoid high engine
speeds with no load on the en-
gine.
 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).
EAU17214
Parkin gWhen parking, stop the engine, and
then remove the key from the main
switch.
WARNING
EWA10312
Since the en gine an d exhaust
system can become very hot,
park in a place where pe destri-
ans or chil dren are not likely to
touch them an d b e burne d.
 Do not park on a slope or on soft
groun d, otherwise the vehicle
may overturn, increasin g the
risk of a fuel leak an d fire.
 Do not park near grass or other
flammab le materials which
mi ght catch fire.
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Motorcycle care and stora ge
7-1
7
EAU37834
Matte color cautionNOTICE
ECA15193
Some mo dels are equipped with
matte colored finished parts. Be
sure to consult a Yamaha dealer for
a d vice on what prod ucts to use be-
fore cleanin g the vehicle. Usin g a
b rush, harsh chemical pro ducts or
cleanin g compoun ds when cleanin g
these parts will scratch or damag e
their surface. Wax also shoul d not
b e applie d to any matte colored 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 seepag e and d eterioration of
wheel bearin gs, brakes, trans-
mission seals an d electrical de-
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, a brasive
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
contaminate d with a brasive
cleanin g prod ucts or stron g
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Motorcycle care and stora ge
7-3
7
will
become slippery, which
coul d cause loss of control.
Thorou ghly clean the surfaces
of these parts before operatin g
the vehicle.
[EWA20650]
5. Treat rubber, vinyl, and unpainted plastic parts with a suitable care
product.
6. Touch up minor paint damage caused by stones, etc.
7. Wax all painted surfaces using a non-abrasive wax or use a detail
spray for motorcycles.
8. When finished cleaning, start the engine and let it idle for several
minutes to help dry any remaining
moisture.
9. If the headlight lens has fogged up, start the engine and turn on
the headlight to help remove the
moisture.
10. Let the vehicle dry completely be- fore storing or covering it.NOTICE
ECA26320
Do not apply wax to ru bber or
unpainte d plastic parts. 
Do not use a brasive polishin g
compoun ds as they will wear
away the paint.
 Apply sprays an d wax sparin gly.
Wipe off excess afterwar ds.
WARNING
EWA20660
Contaminants left on the brakes or
tires can cause loss of control.  Make sure there is no lu bricant
or wax on the brakes or tires.
 If necessary, wash the tires with
warm water an d a mil d d eter-
g ent.
 If necessary, clean the b rake
d iscs an d pa ds with b rake
cleaner or acetone.
 Before ri din g at hi gher spee ds,
test the vehicle’s brakin g per-
formance an d cornerin g b ehav-
ior.
EAU83472
Stora geAlways store the vehicle in a cool, dry
place. If necessary, protect it against
dust with a porous cover. Be sure the
engine and the exhaust system are
cool before covering the vehicle. If the
vehicle often sits for weeks at a time
between uses, the use of a quality fuel
stabilizer is recommended after each
fill-up.NOTICE
ECA21170
 Storin g the vehicle in a poorly
ventilate d room or coverin g it
with a tarp, while it is still wet,
will allow water an d humi dity to
seep in an d cause rust.
 To prevent corrosion, avoi d
d amp cellars, stab les (because
of the presence of ammonia)
an d areas where stron g chemi-
cals are stored .Long term stora ge
Before storing the vehicle long term (60
days or more):
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