2021 YAMAHA YZ85 maintenance

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
UB4B82E0.book Page 19 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
7-22
7 this from occurrin
g, keep the
d rive chain slack within the
specifie d limits.
[ECA10572]
EAU84060
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.
TIP
Using the alignment marks on the drive
chain pullers and the notch on each
side of the swingarm, make sure that
both drive chain pullers are in the same
position for proper wheel alignment.
3. Tighten both locknuts and the axlenut to the 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.1. Axle nut
2. Locknut
1. Drive chain slack adjusting bolt
1
2
(b)
(a) 1
1. Notch
2. Alignment mark
3. Drive chain puller
Ti
ghtening torques:
Locknut: 21 N·m (2.1 kgf·m, 15 lb·ft)
Axle nut:
80 N·m (8.0 kgf·m, 59 lb·ft)
12
3
UB4B82E0.book Page 22 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
7-24
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

Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
7-25
7
EAU23185
Checkin g an d lu bricatin g the
b rake pe dal
The operation of the brake pedal
should be checked before each ride,
and the pedal pivot should be lubricat-
ed if necessary.
EAU85250
Lu bricatin g the rear suspen-
sion
The pivoting points of the rear suspen-
sion must be lubricated by a Yamaha
dealer at the intervals specified in the
periodic maintenance and lubrication
chart.
Recommen ded lu bricant:
Lithium-soap-based grease
Recommen ded lu bricant:
Molybdenum disulfide grease
UB4B82E0.book Page 25 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