YAMAHA WOLVERINE 2015 Owners Manual

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Floorboard
The floorboard allows you to brace your feet,
which helps you keep your body in the vehicle
in the event of an accident or rollover. Keep
your feet on the floorboard during operation.
Steering wheel
Keep both hands on the steering wheel. Do
not hold the steering wheel with your thumbs
inside the rim. Keep your palms on the out-
side of the steering wheel. Similar to other off-
road vehicles, if the Wolverine hits a deep rut
or large obstacle, the steering wheel couldbriefly jerk in one direction or back and forth
as the tires and vehicle respond to the obsta-
cle. This quick motion could injure your
thumbs or wrist if your thumbs or hand(s) are
inside the steering wh
eel. Grip the steering
wheel so that your thumbs will not be hit by
the spokes. As an example, see the illustra-
tion.U2MB7AE0.book Page 11 Thursday, January 29, 2015 3:42 PM

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EBU33760LEARNING TO OPERATE YOUR VEHI-
CLEPersonal protective equipment
The driver and passenger should wear the fol-
lowing to reduce risk of injury in an accident:
Approved motorcycle helmet that fits prop-
erly
CORRECT GRIP EXAMPLE
INCORRECT GRIP EXAMPLE
1. Approved motorcycle helmet
2. Eye protection
3. Long-sleeved shirt or jacket
4. Gloves
5. Long pants
6. Over-the-ankle boots
1 2
3
4
5
6
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Eye protection (goggles, helmet face shield,
or protective eyewear)
 Over-the-ankle boots, gloves, long-sleeved
shirt or jacket, and long pants
An approved helmet and other personal pro-
tective equipment can help in a variety of
ways, including:
 Reduce the severity of injuries if any part of
you is outside the vehicle cage/frame pro-
tective structure during a rollover.
 Help protect you if outside objects intrude
inside the vehicle during operation.
 Help protect you in the event of vehicle im-
pact with an obstacle.
Wear eye protection when operating or riding
the vehicle to reduce the risk of a serious ac-
cident or injury. Eye protection, such as a face
shield or goggles, may reduce the risk of for-
eign material getting in your eyes and help
prevent loss of vision. Practice for new Yamaha Wolverine users
You should become familiar with the perfor-
mance characteristics of the vehicle in a
large, flat area that is free of obstacles and
other vehicles. Practice controlling the accel-
erator pedal, brakes, steering, and drive se-
lect lever. Drive at slow speeds with gradual
acceleration and turning. Practice smooth
throttle application. Practice slowing down
before turning. Practice maintaining a steady
throttle through the turn. Avoid higher speeds
until you are thoroughly familiar with the oper-
ation of your vehicle. Remember, driving ag-
gressively or making abrupt maneuvers even
on flat, open areas can cause side rollovers.U2MB7AE0.book Page 13 Thursday, January 29, 2015 3:42 PM

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Become familiar with the way the vehicle feels
in low and high ranges, first in two-wheel
drive “2WD” and then in four-wheel drive
“4WD” and four-wheel drive with the differen-
tial locked “DIFF LOCK”. Steering may take
more effort in four-wheel drive with the differ-
ential locked “DIFF LOCK”. Also practice
driving in reverse.
Take the time to learn basic operation of the
vehicle before attempting more difficult ma-
neuvers. Getting ready to ride
Perform the Pre-Operation Checks on page
5-1. Follow the instructions starting on page
6-2 to start the engine.
Turning
Use care in turns – turning the steering wheel
too far or too fast can result in loss of control
or a rollover. Slow down before entering
turns. When making tight turns from a stand-
still or at slow speeds, avoid sudden or hard
acceleration. Driving aggressively or making
abrupt maneuvers even on flat, open areas
can cause side rollovers. Avoid sideways slid-
ing, skidding, or back-wheel sliding, and nev-
er do donuts. If you feel the Wolverine begin
to slide sideways or the back wheels slide
during a turn, steer into the direction of the
slide, if possible, and gradually let off the ac-
celerator pedal to regain directional control
and avoid rollover. For example, if you feel the
back of the vehicle start
to slide to your right,
steer to the right.U2MB7AE0.book Page 14 Thursday, January 29, 2015 3:42 PM

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If you think or feel that the vehicle may tip or
roll, keep your body completely inside the
protective structure of the vehicle:
Brace yourself by pressing your feet firmly
on the floorboard and keep a firm grip on
the steering wheel or passenger handhold.
 Do not put your hands or feet outside of the
vehicle for any reason. Do not try to stop a
tipover using your arm or leg.
Accelerating
With the engine idling in neutral and your foot
on the brake, shift the drive select lever into
low or high. NOTICE: Do not shift from low
to high or vice versa without coming to a
complete stop and waiting for the engine
to return to normal idle speed – damage to
the engine or drive train may occur. Then
release the parking brake.
[ECB02160]
Press the
accelerator pedal slowly and smoothly. The
centrifugal clutch will engage and the vehicle
will begin to accelerate. Avoid higher speeds and sudden or hard ac-
celeration until you are thoroughly familiar
with the operation of your vehicle. Avoid sud-
den or hard acceleration in any turn.
Braking
When slowing down or stopping, take your
foot off the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal smoothly. Improper use of the
brakes can cause the tires to lose traction, re-
ducing control of the vehicle and increasing
the possibility of an accident.
Braking ability is affected by type of terrain. In
most cases, gradual application of the brakes
is more effective than
abrupt braking, partic-
ularly on loose surfaces, such as gravel. Al-
ways allow for greater braking distance on
rough, loose, or slippery surfaces.
Engine braking
Engine compression braking is designed to
assist you when operating your Wolverine off-
road. With this feature, the engine helps slow
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the vehicle down after you take your foot off
the accelerator. Engine braking is more no-
ticeable in four-wheel drive. Application of ve-
hicle brakes provides additional stopping
power.
Leaving the vehicle
Do not get out of the vehicle while the engine
is running and the drive select lever is in any
gear. There is a risk of injury because:
 Children or others may accidentally press
the accelerator pedal.
 Objects tossed into the vehicle may strike
the accelerator pedal.
 The parking brake may not keep the vehicle
from accelerating.
Unwanted vehicle movement can cause seri-
ous injury or death, and it may be dangerous
to try to stop the vehicle. Parking on a flat area
When parking on a flat area, stop the engine
and shift the drive select lever into the neutral
position. Apply the parking brake to help pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling.
Parking on a slope
The parking brake acts only on the rear
wheels when in “2WD”. For the parking brake
to take effect on all four wheels, shift to “DIFF
LOCK” before stopping the engine.
If you park on a hill that is too steep, the vehi-
cle may roll out of control. Never park on hills
that are so steep you cannot walk up them
easily. If you must park on an incline, follow
these instructions:
1. Bring the vehicle to a stop by applying the brake pedal.
2. Put the vehicle in “DIFF LOCK”.
3. Turn the key to “ ” (off).
4. With the brake pedal applied, set the parking brake.U2MB7AE0.book Page 16 Thursday, January 29, 2015 3:42 PM

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5. Block the front and rear wheels withrocks or other objects.
Loading
The total weight of operator, passenger, ac-
cessories, cargo, trailer tongue weight, and
the vehicle itself must not exceed 975 kg
(2150 lb). Vehicle loading can affect handling.
See “Loading” on page 6-7.EBU33730Operation on different surfaces and
terrainsGo slowly and proceed with caution when op-
erating on an unfamiliar surface or terrain.
This vehicle may handle differently in certain
types of terrains or on certain surfaces. You
may come upon hidden rocks, bumps, or
holes without enough time to react. To avoid
loss of control or rollover, always be alert to
changing surfaces or terrain when operating
the vehicle. Your Yamaha Wolverine has higher ground
clearance and other features to handle rug-
ged terrain, and as a result, can overturn in
situations where some vehicles may not.
Abrupt maneuvers or aggressive driving can
cause loss of control, including rollovers –
even on flat, open area
s. These rollovers can
result in crushed limbs and other serious inju-
ries or death to drivers or passengers.
Hills
Choose carefully which hills you attempt to
climb or descend. Avoid hills with slippery
surfaces or those where you will not be ableU2MB7AE0.book Page 17 Thursday, January 29, 2015 3:42 PM

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to see far enough ahead of you. Use common
sense and remember that some hills are too
steep for you to climb or descend. Use proper
driving techniques to avoid rearward, for-
ward, or sideways rollovers on hills and
slopes.
Drive straight up and down inclines, not
across them. If crossing a hill is unavoidable,
drive slowly. Turn downhill immediately if you
feel the vehicle may tip.
If you think or feel the vehicle may tip or
roll:
Brace yourself by pressing your feet firmly
on the floorboard and keep a firm grip on
the steering wheel or passenger handhold.
 Do not put your hands or feet outside of the
vehicle for any reason.
Uphill
Do not attempt to climb hills until you have
mastered basic maneuvers on flat ground.
Drive straight up hills, and avoid crossing the side of a hill, which increases your risk of roll-
over. Practice first on gentle slopes before at-
tempting steeper hills. Always check the
terrain carefully before attempting any hill.
To climb a hill, you need traction, momentum,
and steady throttle. For more traction and
control for climbing steeper and/or rougher
slopes, shift into low gear and select “4WD”
or “DIFF LOCK”. Travel fast enough to main-
tain momentum, but not so fast that you can-
not react to changes in the terrain as you
climb.
Slow down when you reach the crest of the
hill if you cannot see clearly what is on the
other side – there could be another person, an
obstacle, or a sharp drop-off.
If you start to lose traction or momentum
when climbing, and decide you will be unable
to continue, use the brakes to stop. Do not at-
tempt to turn the vehicle around. With your
foot on the brake pedal, look behind you and
plan your descent. Shift the drive select lever
into reverse so you can use engine braking toU2MB7AE0.book Page 18 Thursday, January 29, 2015 3:42 PM

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slow your descent. Release the brake and be-
gin to coast down the hill. Use engine braking
as much as possible, gently applying the
brakes when necessary.
Downhill
Check the terrain carefully before going
downhill. When possible, choose a path that
lets you drive your vehicle straight downhill.
Choose your path carefully and drive slowly
enough to be able to react to obstacles that
you encounter.
For more traction and control, before going
down steeper and/or rougher slopes, shift
into low gear and select “4WD” or “DIFF
LOCK”. Engine braking will help you go
downhill slowly. Go as slowly as possible. If
you begin to go too fast, apply the brakes
gently. Avoid hard application of the brakes,
which could cause the vehicle to slide. If you are sliding or skidding, try to steer in the
direction the vehicle is sliding, to regain con-
trol. For example, if you feel the back of the
vehicle start to slide to your right, steer to the
right.
If you must turn on the hill to avoid an obsta-
cle, do so slowly and carefully. If the vehicle
starts to tip, immediately steer in the downhill
direction if there are no obstacles in your
path. As you regain proper balance, gradually
steer again in the direction you want to go.
Rough terrain
Operation over rough terrain should be done
with caution.

Look for and avoid obstacles that could
cause damage to the vehicle or could lead
to a rollover or accident.
 Do not drive in a way that will get the vehicle
airborne, as injury, loss of control, and
damage to the vehicle could occur.U2MB7AE0.book Page 19 Thursday, January 29, 2015 3:42 PM

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Pavement
This vehicle is designed for off-road use only.
Avoid paved surfaces. Turn gradually and go
slowly if you must drive on pavement.
Water
If you must cross shallow, slow-moving water
up to the depth of the vehicle’s floorboard,
choose your path carefully to avoid sharp
drop-offs, large rocks, or slippery surfaces
that could cause the vehicle to overturn. Nev-
er operate through water deeper than 37 cm
(15 in) or fast-flowing water. Choose a path
where both your entrance into and exit point
from the water is a gradual incline. Determine
the water depth and currents before crossing.
Operating this vehicle through deep or fast-
flowing water can lead to loss of control or
overturn. To reduce your risk of drowning or
other injuries, use care when crossing
through water.Wet brakes may have reduced effectiveness.
After leaving the water, test your brakes. If
necessary, apply the brakes several times to
let friction dry out the linings.
NOTICEECB02170After driving your vehicle in water, be sure
to drain the trapped water by removing the
check hoses at the bottom of the air filter
case and air duct and the V-belt case drain
plug. Wash the vehicle in fresh water if it
has been operated in salt water or muddy
conditions. Loose terrain/slippery terrain
When driving on slippery terrain, including
wet, muddy, or icy conditions, as well as
loose gravel, be aware that you could begin
skidding or sliding. To avoid loss of control,
slow down and put the vehicle in four-wheel
drive before driving on a slippery surface and
plan your path to avoid making abrupt ma-
neuvers.
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