2021 YAMAHA YZ85 brake

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-1
7
EAU42074
Periodic inspection, adjustment, and
lubrication will keep your vehicle in the
safest and most efficient condition
possible. Safety is an obligation of the
vehicle owner/operator. The most im-
portant points of vehicle inspection,
adjustment, and lubrication are ex-
plained on the following pages.
The intervals given in the periodic
maintenance and lubrication chart
should be simply considered as a gen-
eral guide under normal riding condi-
tions. However, depending on the
weather, terrain, geographical location,
and individual use, the maintenance in-
tervals may need to be shortened.
WARNING
EWA10322
Failure to properly maintain the vehi-
cle or performin g maintenance ac-
tivities incorrectly may increase
your risk of injury or death during
service or while usin g the vehicle. If
you are not familiar with vehicle ser-
vice, have a Yamaha d ealer perform
service.
WARNING
EWA15123
Turn off the en gine when performin g
maintenance unless otherwise
specified .
 A runnin g en gine has movin g
parts that can catch on body
parts or clothin g an d electrical
parts that can cause shocks or
fires.
 Runnin g the en gine while ser-
vicin g can lead to eye injury,
b urns, fire, or car bon monoxi de
poisonin g – possi bly lea din g to d
eath. See pag e 2-2 for more in-
formation a bout car bon monox-
i d e.
WARNING
EWA15461
Brake discs, calipers, drums, an d
linin gs can b ecome very hot durin g
use. To avoi d possi ble burns, let
b rake components cool before
touching them.
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-4
7
23 *Front fork Check operation and for oil leakage.
Adjust if necessary.
 Clean dust seal and lubricate with
lithium-soap-based grease.
Replace fork oil.
 Replace oil seals.
NO. ITEM ROUTINE
After
break-in
Everyrace
Every
third race
Every
fifth race
As
required
Check coolant level and for leakage.
17 *
Cooling system Check hoses for cracks or damage. Check radiator cap spring operation. Change coolant.
Every 2 years
Every year Check all chassis fitting and fasteners.
18
*Chassis fasteners
Correct or tighten if necessary.
19Air filter element Clean. Replace.
20 *Frame Clean and check for damage.

21
*Fuel line Clean and check for leakage.
22 *
Brakes Adjust lever position and pedal height.
Lubricate pivot points.
Check brake disk surface.
Check fluid level and for leakage.
Tighten brake disk bolts, caliper bolts,
master cylinder bolts and union bolts.
Replace brake pads.
 Replace brake fluid.
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-5
7
EAU42012
TIP
 Hydraulic brake service
• Regularly check and, if necessary, correct the brake fluid levels.
• Every two years replace the internal components of the brake master cyl- inders and calipers, and change the brake fluid.
• Replace the brake hoses every four years and if cracked or damaged.
NO. ITEM ROUTINEAfter
break-in
Everyrace
Every
third race
Every
fifth race
As
required
*Shock absorber
assembly Check operation and adjust. Tighten if necessary.
Lubricate with lithium-soap-based
grease.

*Drive chain roller
and support guide Check for wear or damage. Replace if necessary.
*Rear suspension Check operation and tighten if
necessary.
Lubricate with molybdenum disulfidegrease.
Check operation, free play, andtighten if necessary.
*
Steering head Clean and lubricate with
lithium-soap-based grease.
Replace bearings. Check tire air pressure, wheel runout,spokes for looseness, and tires for
wear.

Tighten sprocket bolts if necessary.
*Tires and wheels
Check wheel bearings for looseness. Lubricate wheel bearings with
lithium-soap-based grease.
Replace wheel bearings.
*Moving parts and ca-
bles Lubricate.
*
Throttle grip Check operation. Check throttle grip free play, and
adjust if necessary.
27 *Swingarm pivot
bearings 
Lubricate cable and grip housing.
After washing the motorcycle or riding in the rain.
Lubricate with molybdenum
disulfide grease. Check bearing assemblies for
looseness.
24
25
26
28
29
30
31
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-18
7
EAU37914
Checkin g the brake lever free
play
There 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 b rake
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 and an acci-
d ent.
EAU44821
Checkin g the shift pe dal
The operation of the shift pedal should
be checked before each ride. If opera-
tion is not smooth, have a Yamaha
dealer check the vehicle.
1. No brake lever free play
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-19
7
EAU22393
Checkin g the front an d rear
b rake pa ds
The front and rear brake pads must be
checked for wear at the intervals spec-
ified in the periodic maintenance and
lubrication chart.
EAU22411Front brake pa ds
Each front brake pad is provided with a
wear indicator, 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 indicator while applying the
brake. If a brake pad has worn to the
point that the wear indicator almost
touches the brake disc, have a
Yamaha dealer replace the brake pads as a set.
EAU46292Rear 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.
1. Brake pad wear indicator
11. Brake pad wear indicator groove
1
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-20
7
EAU22583
Checkin g the brake flui d level
Before 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 painte d
surfaces or plastic parts. Always
clean up spille d flui d imme diately.
Front brake
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 brakin g a bility. O bserve
these precautions:  Insufficient brake flui d may al-
low air to enter the brake sys-
tem, re ducing brakin g
performance.
 Clean the filler cap before re-
moving . Use only DOT 4 brake
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 ddin g a brake flui d
other than DOT 4 may result in a
harmful chemical reaction.
 Be careful that water d oes not
enter the b rake fluid reservoir
when refillin g. Water will sig nifi-
cantly lower the boilin g point of
the flui d an d may result in vapor
lock.
Specifie d b rake flui d:
DOT 4
1. Minimum level mark
1. Minimum level mark
1
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-21
7
EAU51721
Chan gin g the brake flui d
Have a Yamaha dealer change the
brake fluid at the intervals specified in
the periodic maintenance and lubrica-
tion chart. In addition, have the oil seals
of the master cylinders and calipers as
well as the brake hoses replaced at the
intervals listed below or whenever they
are damaged or leaking.
 Oil seals: Replace every two
years.
 Brake hoses: Replace every four
years.
EAU22762
Drive chain slack
The drive chain slack should be
checked before each ride and adjusted
if necessary.
EAU84400To check the d rive chain slack
1. Place the motorcycle on a suitable stand. (See page 7-28.)
2. Confirm the rear wheel is off the ground and the rear shock ab-
sorber is fully extended.
3. Shift the transmission into neutral.
4. Pull up the drive chain until the chain is taut, and then measure
distance A between the top of the
swingarm and the bottom of the
chain as shown.
5. If the drive chain slack is incorrect, adjust it as follows. NOTICE: Im-
proper drive chain slack will
overload the engine as well as
other vital parts of the motorcy-
cle an d can lead to chain slip-
pa ge or breakag e. To prevent
1. Distance A
Distance A:
58.0–68.0 mm (2.28–2.68 in) (YZ85,
YZ85M)
65.0–75.0 mm (2.56–2.95 in)
(YZ85LW, YZ85LWM)
1
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-24
7
EAU23115
Checkin g an d lu bricatin g the
throttle grip an d ca ble
The 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.
EAU23144
Checkin g an d lu bricatin g the
b rake an d clutch levers
The 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 lever: Silicone grease
Clutch lever: Lithium-soap-based grease
UB4B82E0.book Page 24 Wednesday, March 11, 2020 1:10 PM