ESP YAMAHA YFZ450 2007 Owners Manual
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that is proper for the terrain, visibility, operating
conditions, and your experience.
Never attempt wheelies, jumps, or other stunts.
Always inspect your ATV each time you use it to
make sure it is in safe operating condition. Al-
ways follow the inspection and maintenance
procedures and schedules described in this
manual.
Always keep both hands on the handlebars and
both feet on the footrests of the ATV during op-
eration.
Always go slowly and be extra careful when op-
erating on unfamiliar terrain. Always be alert to
changing terrain conditions when operating the
ATV.
Never operate on excessively rough, slippery or
loose terrain until you have learned and prac-
ticed the skills necessary to control the ATV on
such terrain. Always be especially cautious on
these kinds of terrain.
Always follow proper procedures for turning as
described in this manual. Practice turning at low
speeds before attempting to turn at faster
speeds and never turn at excessive speeds.
Never operate the ATV on hills too steep for the
ATV or for your abilities. Practice on smaller hillsbefore attempting larger hills.
Always follow proper procedures for climbing
hills as described in this manual. Check the ter-
rain carefully before you start up any hill. Never
climb hills with excessively slippery or loose sur-
faces. Shift your weight forward. Never open the
throttle suddenly or make sudden gear changes.
Never go over the top of a hill at high speed.
Always follow proper procedures for going down
hills and for braking on hills as described in this
manual. Check the terrain carefully before you
start down any hill. Shift your weight backward.
Never go down a hill at high speed. Avoid going
down a hill at an angle that would cause the ve-
hicle to lean sharply to one side. Go straight
down the hill where possible.
Always follow proper procedures for crossing
the side of a hill as described in this manual.
Avoid hills with excessively slippery or loose sur-
faces. Shift your weight to the uphill side of the
ATV. Never attempt to turn the ATV around on
any hill until you have mastered the turning tech-
nique described in this manual on level ground.
Avoid crossing the side of a steep hill if possible.
Always use proper procedures if you stall or roll
backwards when climbing a hill. To avoid stall-
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EBU18411
Brake lever
The brake lever is located at the right handlebar
grip. To apply the front brake, pull the brake lever
toward the handlebar grip.
EBU18432
Brake pedal
The brake pedal is located on the right side of the
ATV. To apply the rear brake, push down on the
brake pedal.
EBU18520
Parking brake lever
Use the parking brake before starting the engine or
parking the ATV, especially on a slope. To apply
the parking brake, move the parking brake lever in
direction (a). To release the parking brake, move
the parking brake lever in direction (b).
1. Brake lever
2. Locknut
3. Brake lever position adjusting bolt
4. Distance between brake lever and handlebar grip
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4
23
1. Brake pedal
1
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NOTE:
If knocking or pinging occurs, use a different brand
of gasoline or higher octane grade.CAUTION:
ECB00070
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.WARNING
EWB00310
Do not overfill the fuel tank. Fuel expands
when it heats up. If the fuel tank is overfilled,
fuel could spill out due to heat from the en-
gine or the sun.
Be careful not to spill fuel, especially on the
engine or exhaust pipe which can cause a
fire and severe injury. Wipe up any spilled
fuel immediately.
Do not refuel right after the engine has been
running and is still very hot.
Be sure the fuel tank cap is closed securely.
EBU18820
Fuel cock
The fuel cock supplies fuel from the tank to the car-
buretor while also filtering it.
1. Fuel level
2. Filler tube
Recommended fuel:
PREMIUM UNLEADED GASOLINE ONLY
For Europe: PREMIUM UNLEADED GASO-
LINE ONLY with a research octane number
of 97 or higher
Fuel tank capacity:
10.0 L (2.64 US gal) (2.20 Imp.gal)
Fuel reserve amount:
1.9 L (0.50 US gal) (0.42 Imp.gal)
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EBU19540
Fuel
Make sure that there is sufficient fuel in the tank.
(See page 4-8.)
WARNING
EWB00520
Do not overfill the fuel tank. Fuel expands
when it heats up. If the fuel tank is overfilled,
fuel could spill out due to heat from the en-
gine or the sun.
Be careful not to spill fuel, especially on the
engine or exhaust pipe which can cause a
fire and severe injury. Wipe up any spilled
fuel immediately.
Do not refuel right after the engine has been
running and is still very hot.
Be sure the fuel tank cap is closed securely.
EBU19560
Engine oil
Make sure that the engine oil is at the specified lev-
el. Add oil as necessary. (See page 8-13.)
EBU19630
Coolant
Make sure that the coolant is at the specified level.
Add coolant as necessary. (See page 8-19.)
NOTE:
The coolant level must be checked on a cold en-
gine since the level varies with engine tempera-
ture.
WARNING
EWB00510
Wait for the engine and radiator to cool before
removing the radiator cap. You could be
burned by hot fluid and steam blown out under
pressure. Always put a thick rag over the cap
when opening. Allow any remaining pressure
to escape before completely removing the cap.
EBU19690
Front and rear brakes
Brake levers and brake pedal
Check for correct free play in the brake levers
and brake pedal. If the free play is incorrect,
have a Yamaha dealer check the brake system.
(See pages 8-34 and 8-35.)
Check the operation of the brake levers and
brake pedal. They should move smoothly and
there should be a firm feeling when the brakes
are applied. If not, have the ATV checked by a
Yamaha dealer.
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attempt.
7. If the engine is started with the starter (choke)
in position (1), the starter (choke) should be
returned to position (2) to warm up the engine.
If the engine is started with the starter (choke)
in position (2), keep the starter (choke) in this
position to warm up the engine.
CAUTION:
ECB00160
For maximum engine life, always warm the en-
gine up before starting off. Never accelerate
hard when the engine is cold!
8. Continue warming up the engine until it idles
smoothly, then return the starter (choke) to
position (3) before riding.
NOTE:
The engine is warm when it responds normally to
the throttle with the starter (choke) turned off.
EBU20291
Starting a warm engine
Follow the same procedure as for starting a cold
engine, with the exception that the starter (choke)
is not required when the engine is warm. Instead,
start the engine with the throttle slightly open.
EBU20520
Shifting
This ATV has a 5-speed forward transmission. The
transmission allows you to control the amount of
power you have available at a given speed or for
starting, accelerating, climbing hills, etc.
To shift into neutral, return the throttle lever to the
closed position, apply the clutch, and then repeat-
edly depress the shift pedal until it stops.
When it stops, it will be in first gear. Raise the pedal
slightly to reach the neutral position.
EBU20570
To start out and accelerate
1. Release the throttle lever.
1. Shift pedal
2. Neutral position
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WARNING
EWB01550
Always mount a caution flag on the ATV to
make you more visible when operating in areas
where you might not be seen by other vehicles.
Watch carefully for other vehicles.
Do not ride in areas posted “no trespassing”.
Do not ride on private property without getting per-
mission.Select a large, flat, unpaved area to become famil-
iar with your ATV. Make sure that this area is free
of obstacles and other riders. You should practice
control of the throttle, brakes, shifting procedures,
and turning techniques in this area before trying
more difficult terrain. Always avoid riding on paved
surfaces: the ATV is designed for use on unpaved
surfaces only, and handling maneuvers are more
difficult to perform on pavement.
Set the parking brake and follow the instruction on
page 6-1 to start the engine. Once it has warmed
up you are ready to begin riding your ATV. As you
get on the ATV, be sure not to accidentally move
the shift pedal. Remember that the engine and ex-
haust pipe will be hot when riding and afterwards;
do not allow skin or clothing to come in contact with
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CAUTION:
ECB00541
Improper drive chain slack will overload the en-
gine as well as other vital parts of the ATV and
can lead to drive chain slippage or breakage.
To prevent this from occurring, keep the drive
chain slack within the specified limits.
5. Pull the rod out, and then tighten the rear axle
pinch bolts to the specified torque in the order
shown.
EBU24880
Lubricating the drive chain
The drive chain must be cleaned and lubricated at
the intervals specified in the periodic maintenance
and lubrication chart, otherwise it will quickly wear
out, especially when riding in dusty or wet areas.
Service the drive chain as follows.
CAUTION:
ECB00560
The drive chain must be lubricated after wash-
ing the ATV or riding in the rain.
1. Clean the drive chain with kerosene and a Tightening torque:
Rear axle pinch bolt:
21 Nm (2.1 m·kgf, 15.2 ft·lbf)
3124
1. O-rings
1