weight YAMAHA BANSHEE 350 2001 Owners Manual

2-9
8Always follow proper procedures for climbing
hills as described in this manual. Check the
terrain carefully before you start up any hill.
Never climb hills with excessively slippery or
loose surfaces. Shift your weight forward.
Never open the throttle suddenly or make sud-
den gear changes. Never go over the top of a
hill at high speed.
8Always 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 vehicle to lean
sharply to one side. Go straight down the hill
where possible.

2-11
8Always follow proper procedures for crossing
the side of a hill as described in this manual.
Avoid hills with excessively slippery or loose
surfaces. 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 technique described in this manual on
level ground. Avoid crossing the side of a
steep hill if possible.
8Always use proper procedures if you stall or
roll backwards when climbing a hill. To avoid
stalling, use proper gear and maintain a
steady speed when climbing a hill. If you stall
or roll backwards, follow the special procedure
for braking described in this manual. Dismount
on the uphill side or to a side if pointed straight
uphill. Turn the ATV around and remount, fol-
lowing the procedure described in this manu-
al.
8Always check for obstacles before operating
in a new area.

1. Adjuster
a. Increase spring preload
b. Decrease spring preload
1. Dispositif de réglage
a. Augmenter la précontrainte du ressort
b. Reduirer la précontrainte du ressort
1. Ajustador
a. Aumento de la precarga del resorte
b. Diminución de la precarga del resorte
4-25
EBU00633
Front shock absorber adjustment
The spring preload can be adjusted to suit the
rider’s weight and riding conditions.
Adjust the spring preload as follows:
To increase the spring preload, turn the adjuster
in direction a.
To decrease the spring preload, turn the adjuster
in direction b.
w
Always adjust the shock absorbers on the
left and right side to the same setting.
Uneven adjustment can cause poor handling
and loss of stability, which could lead to an
accident.
a
b
A
B
C
D
E
q
Standard position: C
A - Minimum (Soft)
E - Maximum (Hard)

4-27
EBU00767
Rear shock absorber adjustment
The spring preload, rebound damping and com-
pression damping force of the rear shock
absorber can be adjusted to suit the rider’s
weight and the riding conditions.
w
This shock absorber contains highly pressur-
ized nitrogen gas. Read and understand the
following information before handling the
shock absorber.
8Do not tamper with or attempt to open the
cylinder assembly.
8Do not subject the shock absorber to an
open flame or other high heat source.
This may cause the unit to explode due to
excessive gas pressure.
8Do not deform or damage the cylinder in
any way. Cylinder damage will result in
poor damping performance.
8Take the shock absorber to a Yamaha
dealer for any service.

6-33
EBU00224
Loading
As originally equipped, this ATV is not designed
to carry cargo or tow a trailer. If you choose to
add accessories so that you can carry cargo or
tow a trailer, you must use common sense and
good judgement. Keep the following points in
mind:
8Never exceed the weight limits shown. An
overloaded ATV can be unstable.
MAXIMUM LOADING LIMIT
Vehicle loading limit (total weight of rider,
cargo and accessories): 100 kg

6-35
8Load cargo on the carriers as close to the
center of the vehicle as possible. Put cargo at
the rear of the front carrier and at the front of
the rear carrier. Center the load from side to
side.
8Tie down cargo securely to the carriers. Make
sure cargo in the trailer cannot move around.
A shifting load can cause an accident.
8Make sure the load does not interfere with
controls or your ability to see where you are
going.
8Ride more slowly than you would without a
load. The more weight you carry, the slower
you should go. Although conditions vary, it is
good practice not to exceed 2nd gear when-
ever you are carrying heavier loads or when
towing a trailer.
8Allow more braking distance. A heavier vehi-
cle takes longer to stop.

6-37
8Avoid making sharp turns unless at very slow
speeds.
8Avoid hills and rough terrain. Choose terrain
carefully. Added weight affects the stability
and handling of the ATV.
w
Never exceed the stated load capacity for
this ATV. Overloading this ATV or carrying
or towing cargo improperly could cause
changes in vehicle handling which could
lead to an accident.
Cargo should be properly distributed and
securely attached. Reduce speed when car-
rying cargo or pulling a trailer. Allow greater
distance for braking.

7-17
Speed limiter
For riders inexperienced with this model, this
model is equipped with a speed limiter in the
throttle lever housing. The speed limiter limits
the power and top speed of the machine. Turn-
ing the screw in decreases top speed, and turn-
ing it out increases top speed.
Loading and accessories
Use extra caution when riding the machine with
additional loads, such as accessories or cargo.
The machine’s handling may be adversely
affected. Reduce your speed when adding addi-
tional loads.
MAXIMUM LOADING LIMIT
Vehicle loading limit (total weight of
rider, cargo and accessories): 100 kg

1. Lean towards inside of turn.
2. Support your weight on the outer footrest.
1. Se pencher vers l’intérieur du virage.
2. S’appuyer sur le repose-pied externe.
1. Inclínese hacia el interior del giro.
2. Descanse su peso en el descansapie externo.
7-43
As you approach a curve, slow down and begin
to turn the handlebars in the desired direction.
As you do so, put your weight on the footboard
to the outside of the turn (opposite your desired
direction) and lean your upper body into the
turn. Use the throttle to maintain an even speed
through the turn. This maneuver will let the
wheel on the inside of the turn slip slightly,
allowing the ATV to make the turn properly.
This procedure should be practiced at slow
speed many times in a large off-road area with
no obstacles. If an incorrect technique is used,
your ATV may continue to go straight. If the ATV
doesn’t turn, come to a stop and then practice
the procedure again. If the riding surface is slip-
pery or loose, it may help to position more of
your weight over the front wheels by moving for-
ward on the seat.Once you have learned this
technique you should be able to perform it at
higher speeds or in tighter curves.
q
w

7-47
w
Never operate the ATV on hills too steep for
the ATV or for your abilities. The vehicle can
overturn more easily on extremely steep hills
than on level surfaces or small hills. Practice
on smaller hills before attempting large hills.
It is important when climbing a hill to make sure
that your weight is transferred forward on the
ATV. This can be accomplished by leaning for-
ward and, on steeper inclines, standing on the
footboards and leaning forward over the handle-
bars.