ESP YAMAHA MT-125 2021 Owners Manual

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1
Safety information
EAU1028C
Be a Responsible Owner
As the vehicle’s owner, you are re-
sponsible for the safe and proper oper-
ation of your motorcycle.
Motorcycles are single-track vehicles.
Their safe use and operation are de-
pendent upon the use of proper riding
techniques as well as the expertise of
the operator. Every operator should
know the following requirements be-
fore riding this motorcycle.
He or she should:  Obtain thorough instructions from
a competent source on all aspects
of motorcycle operation.
 Observe the warnings and mainte-
nance requirements in this Own-
er’s Manual.
 Obtain qualified training in safe
and proper riding techniques.
 Obtain professional technical ser-
vice as indicated in this Owner’s
Manual and/or when made neces-
sary by mechanical conditions. 
Never operate a motorcycle with-
out proper training or instruction.
Take a training course. Beginners
should receive training from a cer-
tified instructor. Contact an autho-
rized motorcycle dealer to find out
about the training courses nearest
you.
Safe Ri din g
Perform the pre-operation checks
each time you use the vehicle to make
sure it is in safe operating condition.
Failure to inspect or maintain the vehi-
cle properly increases the possibility of
an accident or equipment damage.
See page 4-1 for a list of pre-operation
checks.  This motorcycle is designed to
carry the operator and a passen-
ger.
 The failure of motorists to detect
and recognize motorcycles in traf-
fic is the predominating cause of
automobile/motorcycle accidents.
Many accidents have been
caused by an automobile driver
who did not see the motorcycle.
Making yourself conspicuous ap- pears to be very effective in reduc-
ing the chance of this type of
accident.
Therefore:
• Wear a brightly colored jacket.
• Use extra caution when you are approaching and passing
through intersections, since in-
tersections are the most likely
places for motorcycle accidents
to occur.
• Ride where other motorists can see you. Avoid riding in another
motorist’s blind spot.
• Never maintain a motorcycle without proper knowledge.
Contact an authorized motorcy-
cle dealer to inform you on ba-
sic motorcycle maintenance.
Certain maintenance can only
be carried out by certified staff.UB6GE1E0.book Page 1 Thursday, July 30, 2020 1:08 PM

Safety information
1-4
1
tents, can create unstable han-
dling or a slow steering re-
sponse.
 This vehicle is not desi gne d to
pull a trailer or to be attached to
a si decar.
Genuine Yamaha Accessories
Choosing accessories for your vehicle
is an important decision. Genuine
Yamaha accessories, which are avail- able only from a Yamaha dealer, have
been designed, tested, and approved
by Yamaha for use on your vehicle.
Many companies with no connection
to Yamaha manufacture parts and ac-
cessories or offer other modifications
for Yamaha vehicles. Yamaha is not in
a position to test the products that
these aftermarket companies produce.
Therefore, Yamaha can neither en-
dorse nor recommend the use of ac-
cessories not sold by Yamaha or
modifications not specifically recom-
mended by Yamaha, even if sold and
installed by a Yamaha dealer. Aftermarket Parts, Accessories, an
d
Mo difications
While you may find aftermarket prod-
ucts similar in design and quality to
genuine Yamaha accessories, recog-
nize that some aftermarket accesso-
ries or modifications are not suitable
because of potential safety hazards to
you or others. Installing aftermarket
products or having other modifications
performed to your vehicle that change
any of the vehicle’s design or operation
characteristics can put you and others
at greater risk of serious injury or
death. You are responsible for injuries
related to changes in the vehicle.
Keep the following guidelines in mind,
as well as those provided under “Load-
ing” when mounting accessories.  Never install accessories or carry
cargo that would impair the per-
formance of your motorcycle.
Carefully inspect the accessory
before using it to make sure that it
does not in any way reduce
ground clearance or cornering
clearance, limit suspension travel, steering travel or control opera-
tion, or obscure lights or reflec-
tors.
• Accessories fitted to the han- dlebar or the front fork area can
create instability due to improp-
er weight distribution or aerody-
namic changes. If accessories
are added to the handlebar or
front fork area, they must be as
lightweight as possible and
should be kept to a minimum.
• Bulky or large accessories may seriously affect the stability of
the motorcycle due to aerody-
namic effects. Wind may at-
tempt to lift the motorcycle, or
the motorcycle may become
unstable in cross winds. These
accessories may also cause in-
stability when passing or being
passed by large vehicles.
• Certain accessories can dis- place the operator from his or
her normal riding position. This
improper position limits the
freedom of movement of the
UB6GE1E0.book Page 4 Thursday, July 30, 2020 1:08 PM

Instrument and control functions
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3
EAU14302
Helmet hol derThe helmet holder is located under the
seat.
To secure a helmet to the helmet
hol der
1. Open the seat. (See page 3-19.)
2. Attach the helmet to the helmet holder, and then securely close
the seat. WARNING! Never ri de
with a helmet attache d to the
helmet hol der, since the helmet
may hit o bjects, causin g loss of
control an d possi bly an acci-
d ent.
[EWA10162]
To release the helmet from the hel-
met hol der
Open the seat, remove the helmet from
the helmet holder, and then close the
seat.
EAU15306
Si destan dThe 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 situa-
tions. (See the following section for an
explanation of the ignition circuit cut-
off system.)
WARNING
EWA10242
The vehicle must not be ri dden with
the si destan d d own, or if the si de-
stan d cannot b e properly move d up
(or does not stay up), otherwise the
si destan d coul d contact the groun d
an d d istract the operator, resultin g
in a possib le loss of control.
Yamaha’s ig nition circuit cut-off
system has been desi gne d to assist
the operator in fulfillin g the respon-
si bility of raisin g the sid estand b e-
fore startin g off. Therefore, check
1. Helmet holder
1
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Periodic maintenance an d a djustment
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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.
TIPUsing the alignment marks on each
side of the swingarm, make sure that
both drive chain pullers are in the same
position for proper wheel alignment.
3. Tighten the axle nut, then the lock-nuts to their 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.
EAU23026
Cleanin g an d lu bricatin g the
d rive chainThe 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. Clean the drive chain with kero-
sene and a small soft brush.
NOTICE: To prevent d amaging
the O-rin gs, do not clean the
d rive chain with steam cleaners,
hi gh-pressure washers or inap-
propriate solvents.
[ECA11122]
2. Wipe the drive chain dry.
3. Thoroughly lubricate the drive chain with a special O-ring chain
lubricant. NOTICE: Do not use
en gine oil or any other lu bri-
cants for the drive chain, as they
1. Drive chain slack adjusting bolt
2. Axle nut
3. Alignment marks
4. LocknutZAUM1605
321
4
(b)
(a)
Ti
ghtenin g torques:
Axle nut: 85 N·m (8.5 kgf·m, 63 lb·ft)
Locknut:
15 N·m (1.5 kgf·m, 11 lb·ft)
UB6GE1E0.book Page 25 Thursday, July 30, 2020 1:08 PM

Motorcycle care and stora ge
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EAU37834
Matte color cautionNOTICE
ECA15193
Some mo dels are equipped with
matte colored finished parts. Be
sure to consult a Yamaha dealer for
a d vice on what prod ucts to use be-
fore cleanin g the vehicle. Usin g a
b rush, harsh chemical pro ducts or
cleanin g compoun ds when cleanin g
these parts will scratch or damag e
their surface. Wax also shoul d not
b e applie d to any matte colored fin-
ishe d parts.
EAU83443
CareFrequent, thorough cleaning of the ve-
hicle will not only enhance its appear-
ance but also will improve its general
performance and extend the useful life
of many components. Washing, clean-
ing, and polishing will also give you a
chance to inspect the condition of the
vehicle more frequently. Be sure to
wash the vehicle after riding in the rain
or near the sea, because salt is corro-
sive to metals.TIP The roads of heavy snowfall areas
may be sprayed with salt as a de-
icing method. This salt can stay on
the roads well into spring, so be
sure to wash the underside and
chassis parts after riding in such
areas.
 Genuine Yamaha care and main-
tenance products are sold under
the YAMALUBE brand in many
markets worldwide.
 See your Yamaha dealer for addi-
tional cleaning tips.
NOTICE
ECA26280
Improper cleanin g can cause cos-
metic an d mechanical damag e. Do
not use:  high-pressure washers or
steam-jet cleaners. Excessive
water pressure may cause wa-
ter seepag e and d eterioration of
wheel bearin gs, brakes, trans-
mission seals an d electrical de-
vices. Avoi d hi gh-pressure
d eter gent applications such as
those availa ble in coin-operate d
car washers.
 harsh chemicals, inclu din g
stron g aci dic wheel cleaners,
especially on spoke or ma gne-
sium wheels.
 harsh chemicals, a brasive
cleanin g compoun ds, or wax on
matte-finishe d parts. Brushes
can scratch an d damag e the
matte-finish, use soft spon ge or
towel only.
 towels, spon ges, or brushes
contaminate d with a brasive
cleanin g prod ucts or stron g
UB6GE1E0.book Page 1 Thursday, July 30, 2020 1:08 PM