2021 YAMAHA YZ85 check oil

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-8
7 6. Refill with the specified amount of
the recommended transmission
oil.
NOTICE
ECA10453
In or der to prevent clutch slip-
pa ge (since the transmission oil
also lu bricates the clutch), d o
not mix any chemical additives.
Do not use oils with a diesel
specification of “CD” or oils of a
hi gher quality than specifie d. In
a ddition, do not use oils la bele d
“ENERGY CONSERVING II” or
hi gher.
 Make sure that no forei gn mate-
rial enters the transmission.
7. Check the O-ring for damage, and replace it if necessary.
8. Install and tighten the transmis- sion oil filler cap and its O-ring.
9. Start the engine, and then let it idle for several minutes while checking
it for oil leakage. If oil is leaking,
immediately turn the engine off
and check for the cause.
EAU20071
Coolant
The coolant level should be checked
before each ride. In addition, the cool-
ant must be changed at the intervals
specified in the periodic maintenance
and lubrication chart.
EAUM1296To check the coolant level1. Place the vehicle on a level sur- face and hold it in an upright posi-
tion.
TIP
The coolant level must be
checked on a cold engine since
the level varies with engine tem-
perature.
 Make sure that the vehicle is posi-
tioned straight up when checking
the coolant level. A slight tilt to the
side can result in a false reading.
2. Remove the radiator cap and
check the coolant level in the radi-
ator. WARNING! Never attempt
to remove the ra diator cap
when the en gine is hot.
[EWA10382]
Ti ghtenin g torque:
Transmission oil drain bolt: 10 N·m (1.0 kgf·m, 7.4 lb·ft)
Recommen ded transmission oil:
Motor oil SAE 10W-30 type SE or
higher or Gear oil SAE 85W GL-3
Oil chan ge quantity:
0.50 L (0.53 US qt, 0.44 Imp.qt)
1. Radiator cap
1
UB4B82E0.book Page 8 Wednesday, March 11, 2020 1:10 PM

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
UB4B82E0.book Page 20 Wednesday, March 11, 2020 1:10 PM

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
UB4B82E0.book Page 21 Wednesday, March 11, 2020 1:10 PM

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-23
7
EAU23018
Cleanin g an d lu bricatin g the
d rive chain
The 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. Remove all dirt and mud from the
drive chain with a brush or cloth.
TIP
For a thorough cleaning, have a
Yamaha dealer remove the drive chain and soak it in solvent.
2. Spray Yamaha chain lubricant or other suitable chain lubricant on
the entire chain, making sure that
all side plates and rollers have
been sufficiently oiled.
EAU23098
Checkin g an d lu bricatin g the
ca bles
The 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]
Recommen ded lu bricant:
Yamaha cable lubricant or other
suitable cable lubricant
UB4B82E0.book Page 23 Wednesday, March 11, 2020 1:10 PM

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-26
7
EAUM2701
Lub ricatin g the swin garm piv-
ots
The swingarm pivots must be lubricat-
ed at the intervals specified in the peri-
odic maintenance and lubrication
chart.
EAU23273
Checkin g the front fork
The 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 d anger 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 dealer check or re-
pair it.
Recommen ded lu bricant:
Molybdenum disulfide grease
UB4B82E0.book Page 26 Wednesday, March 11, 2020 1:10 PM

Motorcycle care and stora ge
8-4
8
EAU86460
Stora ge
Always 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, sta bles ( because
of the presence of ammonia)
an d areas where stron g chemi-
cals are store d.
Lon g term stora ge
Before storing the vehicle long term (60
days or more): 1. Make all necessary repairs and perform any outstanding mainte-
nance.
2. Follow all instructions in the Care Section of this chapter.
3. Fill up the fuel tank and add fuel stabilizer according to product in-
structions.
4. Run the engine for 5 minutes to distribute treated fuel through the
fuel system.
5. For vehicles with a fuel cock: Turn the fuel cock lever to the off posi-
tion. 6. For vehicles with a carburetor: To
prevent fuel deposits from build-
ing up, drain the fuel in the carbu-
retor float chamber into a clean
container. Retighten the drain bolt
and pour the fuel back into the fuel
tank.
7. Use a quality engine fogging oil according to product instructions.
If engine fogging oil is not avail-
able, perform the following steps
for each cylinder:a. Remove the spark plug cap and spark plug.
b. Pour a teaspoonful of engine oil into the spark plug bore.
c. Install the spark plug cap onto the spark plug, and then place
the spark plug on the cylinder
head so that the electrodes are
grounded. (This will limit spark-
ing during the next step.)
d. Turn the engine over several times with the starter or kick-
starter. (This will coat the cylin-
der wall with oil.) WARNING!
To prevent d amage or injury
from sparkin g, make sure to
g roun d the spark plu g elec-
tro des while turnin g the en-
g ine over.
[EWA10952]
e. Remove the spark plug cap
from the spark plug, and then
install the spark plug and the
spark plug cap.
8. Lubricate all control cables, piv- ots, levers and pedals, as well as
the sidestand and centerstand (if
equipped).
9. Check and correct the tire air pressure, and then lift the vehicle
so that all wheels are off the
UB4B82E0.book Page 4 Wednesday, March 11, 2020 1:10 PM

11-1
11
Index
A
Air filter element, cleaning .................... 7-10
B
Brake and clutch levers, checking and
lubricating .......................................... 7-24
Brake fluid, changing ........................... 7-21
Brake fluid level, checking ................... 7-20
Brake lever ............................................. 4-2
Brake lever free play, checking ............ 7-18
Brake pedal ............................................ 4-3
Brake pedal, checking and lubricating .......................................... 7-25
C
Cables, checking and lubricating ......... 7-23
Carburetor, adjusting ........................... 7-12
Care ........................................................ 8-1
Clutch lever ............................................ 4-1
Clutch lever free play, adjusting ........... 7-17
Coolant ................................................... 7-8
D
Drive chain, cleaning and lubricating ... 7-23
Drive chain slack .................................. 7-21
E
Engine break-in ...................................... 6-1
Engine idling speed .............................. 7-13
Engine overheating............................... 7-33
Engine serial number............................ 10-1
Engine, starting a warm ......................... 6-3
Engine stop switch ................................. 4-1
F
Front and rear brake pads, checking ... 7-19
Front fork, adjusting ............................... 4-9
Front fork, bleeding .............................. 4-11
Front fork, checking ............................. 7-26
Fuel......................................................... 4-4
Fuel cock ................................................ 4-7
Fuel tank breather hose ......................... 4-6
Fuel tank cap.......................................... 4-3
H
Handlebar switch ................................... 4-1
I
Identification numbers.......................... 10-1
K
Kickstarter .............................................. 4-8
L
Labels, location ...................................... 1-1
M
Matte color, caution ............................... 8-1
P
Parking ................................................... 6-5 Part locations .......................................... 3-1
Periodic maintenance and lubrication
chart ..................................................... 7-2
R
Rear suspension, lubricating ................ 7-25
S
Safety defects, reporting (For CANADA customers) .......................................... 10-2
Safety information................................... 2-1
Seat......................................................... 4-8
Shifting .................................................... 6-4
Shift pedal............................................... 4-2
Shift pedal, checking ............................ 7-18
Shock absorber assembly, adjusting ... 4-12
Sidestand .............................................. 4-15
Spark plug, checking .............................. 7-6
Specifications ......................................... 9-1
Starter (choke) knob ............................... 4-7
Starting and warming up a cold engine ................................................... 6-3
Steering, checking ................................ 7-27
Storage ................................................... 8-4
Supporting the motorcycle ................... 7-28
Swingarm pivots, lubricating ................ 7-26
T
Throttle grip and cable, checking and lubricating ........................................... 7-24
Throttle grip free play, adjusting ........... 7-13
Tires ...................................................... 7-14
Transmission oil ...................................... 7-7
Troubleshooting .................................... 7-31
Troubleshooting chart........................... 7-32
V
Vehicle identification number ............... 10-1
W
Wheel bearings, checking..................... 7-27
Wheel (front).......................................... 7-28
Wheel (rear) ........................................... 7-29
Wheels .................................................. 7-16
Y
YPVS system ........................................ 4-16
UB4B82E0.book Page 1 Wednesday, March 11, 2020 1:10 PM