warning YAMAHA XVS950 2010 User Guide
Page 26 of 84
INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-12
32. Turn the key counterclockwise to
the original position, remove it, and
then close the lock cover.
TIPThe fuel tank cap cannot be installed
unless the key is in the lock. In addition,
the key cannot be removed if the cap is
not properly installed and locked.
WARNING
EWA10131
Make sure that the fuel tank cap is
properly installed before riding.
Leaking fuel is a fire hazard.
EAU13221
Fuel Make sure there is sufficient gasoline in
the tank.
WARNING
EWA10881
Gasoline and gasoline vapors are
extremely flammable. To avoid fires
and explosions and to reduce the
risk of injury when refueling, follow
these instructions.1. Before refueling, turn off the en-
gine and be sure that no one is sit-
ting on the vehicle. Never refuel
while smoking, or while in the vi-
cinity of sparks, open flames, or
other sources of ignition such as
the pilot lights of water heaters and
clothes dryers.
2. Do not overfill the fuel tank. When
refueling, be sure to insert the
pump nozzle into the fuel tank filler
hole. Stop filling when the fuel
reaches the bottom of the filler
tube. Because fuel expands when
it heats up, heat from the engine or
the sun can cause fuel to spill out
of the fuel tank.3. Wipe up any spilled fuel immedi-
ately. NOTICE: Immediately wipe
off spilled fuel with a clean, dry,
soft cloth, since fuel may deteri-
orate painted surfaces or plastic
parts.
 [ECA10071]
4. Be sure to securely close the fuel
tank cap.
WARNING
EWA15151
Gasoline is poisonous and can
cause injury or death. Handle gaso-
line with care. Never siphon gaso-
line by mouth. If you should swallow
some gasoline or inhale a lot of gas-
oline vapor, or get some gasoline in
your eyes, see your doctor immedi-1. Fuel tank filler tube
2. Maximum fuel level
1 2
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Page 27 of 84
INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-13
3 ately. If gasoline spills on your skin,
wash with soap and water. If gaso-
line spills on your clothing, change
your clothes.
EAU33501
NOTICE
ECA11400
Use only unleaded gasoline. The use
of leaded gasoline will cause severe
damage to internal engine parts,
such as the valves and piston rings,
as well as to the exhaust system.Your Yamaha engine has been de-
signed to use regular unleaded gaso-
line with a research octane number of
91 or higher. If knocking (or pinging) oc-
curs, use a gasoline of a different brandor premium unleaded fuel. Use of un-
leaded fuel will extend spark plug life
and reduce maintenance costs.
EAU13433
Catalytic converter This model is equipped with a catalytic
converter in the exhaust system.
WARNING
EWA10862
The exhaust system is hot after op-
eration. To prevent a fire hazard or
burns:
Do not park the vehicle near
possible fire hazards such as
grass or other materials that
easily burn.
Park the vehicle in a place
where pedestrians or children
are not likely to touch the hot
exhaust system.
Make sure that the exhaust sys-
tem has cooled down before do-
ing any maintenance work.
Do not allow the engine to idle
more than a few minutes. Long
idling can cause a build-up of
heat.
Recommended fuel:
REGULAR UNLEADED GASO-
LINE ONLY
Fuel tank capacity:
17.0 L (4.49 US gal, 3.74 Imp.gal)
Fuel reserve amount (when the fuel 
level warning light comes on):
3.4 L (0.90 US gal, 0.75 Imp.gal)
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Page 29 of 84
INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-15
3
EAU14322
Helmet holder The helmet holder is located under the
rider seat.
To secure a helmet to the helmet
holder
1. Remove the rider seat. (See page
3-14.)
2. Hook the helmet onto the helmet
holder, and then securely install
the seat. WARNING! Never ride
with a helmet attached to the
helmet holder, since the helmet
may hit objects, causing loss of
control and possibly an acci-
dent.
 [EWA10161]
To release the helmet from the hel-
met holder
Remove the rider seat, remove the hel-
met from the helmet holder, and then
install the seat.
EAU48380
Adjusting the shock absorber 
assembly This shock absorber assembly is
equipped with a spring preload adjust-
ing ring, allowing the spring preload to
be adjusted to suit the rider’s prefer-
ence.
When making this adjustment, use
the special wrench and extension
bar included in the additional tool
kit, which was handed out sepa-
rately at the purchase of the vehi-
cle.
1. Helmet holder
1
1. Panel A
2. Spring preload adjusting ring
1
2
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Page 30 of 84
INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-16
3
NOTICE
ECA10101
To avoid damaging the mechanism,
do not attempt to turn beyond the
maximum or minimum settings.Adjust the spring preload as follows.
1. Remove panel A. (See page 6-7.)
2. To increase the spring preload and
thereby harden the suspension,
turn the adjusting ring in direction
(a). To decrease the spring pre-
load and thereby soften the sus-
pension, turn the adjusting ring in
direction (b).TIPAlign the appropriate notch in the ad-
justing ring with the position indicator
on the shock absorber.
3. Install the panel.
WARNING
EWA10221
This shock absorber assembly con-
tains highly pressurized nitrogen
gas. Read and understand the fol-
lowing information before handling
the shock absorber assembly.
Do not tamper with or attempt to
open the cylinder assembly.
Do not subject the shock ab-
sorber assembly to an open
flame or other high heat source.
This may cause the unit to ex-
plode due to excessive gas
pressure.
Do not deform or damage the
cylinder in any way. Cylinder
damage will result in poor
damping performance.
Do not dispose of a damaged or
worn-out shock absorber as-
sembly yourself. Take the shock
absorber assembly to a Yamaha
dealer for any service.
1. Special wrench
2. Extension bar
3. Position indicatorSpring preload setting:
Minimum (soft):
1
Standard:
4
Maximum (hard):
9123456789
1
(a)(b)2
3
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Page 31 of 84
INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-17
3
EAU15303
Sidestand The sidestand is located on the left side
of the frame. Raise the sidestand or
lower it with your foot while holding the
vehicle upright.TIPThe built-in sidestand switch is part of
the ignition circuit cut-off system, which
cuts the ignition in certain situations.
(See page 3-17 for an explanation of
the ignition circuit cut-off system.)
WARNING
EWA10240
The vehicle must not be ridden with
the sidestand down, or if the side-
stand cannot be properly moved up
(or does not stay up), otherwise the
sidestand could contact the ground
and distract the operator, resulting
in a possible loss of control.
Yamaha’s ignition circuit cut-off
system has been designed to assist
the operator in fulfilling the respon-
sibility of raising the sidestand be-
fore starting off. Therefore, check
this system regularly as describedbelow and have a Yamaha dealer re-
pair it if it does not function proper-
ly.
EAU44892
Ignition circuit cut-off system The ignition circuit cut-off system (com-
prising the sidestand switch, clutch
switch and neutral switch) has the fol-
lowing functions.
It prevents starting when the trans-
mission is in gear and the side-
stand is up, but the clutch lever is
not pulled.
It prevents starting when the trans-
mission is in gear and the clutch le-
ver is pulled, but the sidestand is
still down.
It cuts the running engine when the
transmission is in gear and the sid-
estand is moved down.
Periodically check the operation of the
ignition circuit cut-off system according
to the following procedure.
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Page 32 of 84
INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-18
3
With the engine turned off:
1. Move the sidestand down.
2. Make sure that the engine stop switch is set to “
3. Turn the key on. 
4. Shift the transmission into the neutral position.
5. Push the start switch.
Does the engine start?
With the engine still running:
6. Move the sidestand up.
7. Keep the clutch lever pulled.
8. Shift the transmission into gear.
9. Move the sidestand down.
Does the engine stall?
After the engine has stalled:
10. Move the sidestand up.
11. Keep the clutch lever pulled.
12. Push the start switch.
Does the engine start?
The system is OK. The motorcycle can be ridden.The neutral switch may not be working correctly.
The motorcycle should not be ridden until
checked by a Yamaha dealer.
The sidestand switch may not be working correctly.
The motorcycle should not be ridden until
checked by a Yamaha dealer.
The clutch switch may not be working correctly.
The motorcycle should not be ridden until
checked by a Yamaha dealer.
YES NO YES NO YES NO
If a malfunction is noted, have a Yamaha
dealer check the system before riding.
WARNING
”.
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Page 33 of 84
FOR YOUR SAFETY – PRE-OPERATION CHECKS
4-1
4
EAU15596
Inspect your vehicle each time you use it to make sure the vehicle is in safe operating condition. Always follow the inspection
and maintenance procedures and schedules described in the Owner’s Manual.
WARNING
EWA11151
Failure to inspect or maintain the vehicle properly increases the possibility of an accident or equipment damage.
Do not operate the vehicle if you find any problem. If a problem cannot be corrected by the procedures provided in
this manual, have the vehicle inspected by a Yamaha dealer.Before using this vehicle, check the following points:
ITEM CHECKS PAGE
FuelCheck fuel level in fuel tank.
Refuel if necessary.
Check fuel line for leakage.3-12
Engine oilCheck oil level in engine.
If necessary, add recommended oil to specified level.
Check vehicle for oil leakage.6-8
Front brakeCheck operation.
If soft or spongy, have Yamaha dealer bleed hydraulic system.
Check lever free play.
Adjust if necessary.
Check brake pads for wear.
Replace if necessary.
Check fluid level in reservoir.
If necessary, add recommended brake fluid to specified level.
Check hydraulic system for leakage.6-15, 6-16, 6-17
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Page 36 of 84
OPERATION AND IMPORTANT RIDING POINTS
5-1
5
EAU15951
Read the Owner’s Manual carefully to
become familiar with all controls. If
there is a control or function you do not
understand, ask your Yamaha dealer.
WARNING
EWA10271
Failure to familiarize yourself with
the controls can lead to loss of con-
trol, which could cause an accident
or injury.
EAU47150
TIPThis model is equipped with:
a lean angle sensor to stop the en-
gine in case of a turnover. In this
case, the multi-function meter unit
indicates error code 30, but this is
not a malfunction. Turn the key to
“OFF” and then to “ON” to clear the
error code. Failing to do so will pre-
vent the engine from starting even
though the engine will crank when
pushing the start switch.
an engine auto-stop system. The
engine stops automatically if left
idling for 20 minutes. In this case,
the multi-function meter unit indi-
cates error code 70, but this is not
a malfunction. Push the start
switch to clear the error code and
to restart the engine.
EAU47231
Starting the engine In order for the ignition circuit cut-off
system to enable starting, one of the
following conditions must be met:
The transmission is in the neutral
position.
The transmission is in gear with
the clutch lever pulled and the sid-
estand up.
See page 3-17 for more informa-
tion.
1. Turn the key to “ON” and make
sure that the engine stop switch is
set to“”.
The following warning lights and
indicator light should come on for a
few seconds, then go off.
Oil level warning light
Fuel level warning light
Engine trouble warning light
Immobilizer system indicator
light
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Page 37 of 84
OPERATION AND IMPORTANT RIDING POINTS
5-2
5
NOTICE
ECA11832
If a warning or indicator light does
not come on for a few seconds, and
then go off, see page 3-4 for the cor-
responding warning and indicator
light circuit check.2. Shift the transmission into the neu-
tral position. (See page 5-2.) The
neutral indicator light should come
on. If not, ask a Yamaha dealer to
check the electrical circuit.
3. Start the engine by pushing the
start switch. NOTICE: For maxi-
mum engine life, never acceler-
ate hard when the engine is
cold!
 [ECA11041]
If the engine fails to start, release
the start switch, wait a few sec-
onds, and then try again. Each
starting attempt should be as short
as possible to preserve the bat-
tery. Do not crank the engine more
than 10 seconds on any one at-
tempt.
EAU16671
Shifting Shifting 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
ECA10260
Even with the transmission in
the neutral position, do not
coast for long periods of time
with the engine off, and do not
tow the motorcycle for long dis-
tances. The transmission is
properly lubricated only when
the engine is running. Inade-
quate lubrication may damage
the transmission.
Always use the clutch while
changing gears to avoid damag-
ing the engine, transmission,
and drive train, which are not
designed to withstand the
shock of forced shifting.
1. Shift pedal
2. Neutral position
1
2 3 4 5N12
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Page 39 of 84
OPERATION AND IMPORTANT RIDING POINTS
5-4
5
EAU17213
Parking When parking, stop the engine, and
then remove the key from the main
switch.
WARNING
EWA10311
Since the engine and exhaust
system can become very hot,
park in a place where pedestri-
ans or children are not likely to
touch them and be burned.
Do not park on a slope or on soft
ground, otherwise the vehicle
may overturn, increasing the
risk of a fuel leak and fire.
Do not park near grass or other
flammable materials which
might catch fire.
U26PE1E0.book  Page 4  Thursday, July 16, 2009  8:21 AM