warning YAMAHA XVS950 2011 Owners Manual

INTRODUCTION
EAU10102
Welcome to the Yamaha world of motorcycling!
As the owner of the XVS950A, you are benefiting from Yamaha’s vast experience and newest technology regarding the de-
sign and manufacture of high-quality products, which have earned Yamaha a reputation for dependability.
Please take the time to read this manual thoroughly, so as to enjoy all advantages of your XVS950A. The Owner’s Manual
does not only instruct you in how to operate, inspect and maintain your motorcycle, but also in how to safeguard yourself and
others from trouble and injury.
In addition, the many tips given in this manual will help keep your motorcycle in the best possible condition. If you have any
further questions, do not hesitate to contact your Yamaha dealer.
The Yamaha team wishes you many safe and pleasant rides. So, remember to put safety first!
Yamaha continually seeks advancements in product design and quality. Therefore, while this manual contains the most cur-
rent product information available at the time of printing, there may be minor discrepancies between your motorcycle and this
manual. If there is any question concerning this manual, please consult a Yamaha dealer.
WARNING
EWA10031
Please read this manual carefully and completely before operating this motorcycle.
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IMPORTANT MANUAL INFORMATION
EAU10132
Particularly important information is distinguished in this manual by the following notations:
This is the safety alert symbol. It is used to alert you to potential personal injury
hazards. Obey all safety messages that follow this symbol to avoid possible injury
or death.
A WARNING indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in
death or serious injury.
A NOTICE indicates special precautions that must be taken to avoid damage to the
vehicle or other property.
A TIP provides key information to make procedures easier or clearer.
WARNING
NOTICETIP
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TABLE OF CONTENTSSAFETY INFORMATION ..................1-1
DESCRIPTION ..................................2-1
Left view ..........................................2-1
Right view ........................................2-2
Controls and instruments.................2-3
INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL
FUNCTIONS.......................................3-1
Immobilizer system .........................3-1
Main switch/steering lock ................3-2
Indicator lights and warning
lights ............................................3-4
Multi-function meter unit .................3-5
Handlebar switches ........................3-8
Clutch lever ...................................3-10
Shift pedal .....................................3-10
Brake lever ...................................3-11
Brake pedal ..................................3-11
Fuel tank cap ................................3-11
Fuel ...............................................3-12
Fuel tank breather/overflow
hose ..........................................3-13
Catalytic converter ........................3-14
Rider seat .....................................3-14
Helmet holder ...............................3-15
Adjusting the shock absorber
assembly ...................................3-16
Sidestand ......................................3-17
Ignition circuit cut-off system ........3-18FOR YOUR SAFETY –
PRE-OPERATION CHECKS............. 4-1
OPERATION AND IMPORTANT
RIDING POINTS................................. 5-1
Starting the engine ......................... 5-1
Shifting ........................................... 5-2
Tips for reducing fuel
consumption ............................... 5-3
Engine break-in .............................. 5-3
Parking ........................................... 5-4
PERIODIC MAINTENANCE AND
ADJUSTMENT................................... 6-1
Owner’s tool kit ............................... 6-2
Periodic maintenance chart for the
emission control system ............. 6-3
General maintenance and
lubrication chart .......................... 6-4
Removing and installing the
panel ........................................... 6-8
Checking the spark plugs ............... 6-8
Engine oil and oil filter cartridge ..... 6-9
Replacing the air filter element ..... 6-12
Checking the throttle grip free
play ........................................... 6-13
Valve clearance ............................ 6-13
Tires ............................................. 6-13
Cast wheels .................................. 6-15
Adjusting the clutch lever free
play ........................................... 6-15Adjusting the brake lever free
play ........................................... 6-16
Brake light switches ..................... 6-17
Checking the front and rear brake
pads .......................................... 6-17
Checking the brake fluid level ...... 6-18
Changing the brake fluid .............. 6-19
Drive belt slack ............................ 6-19
Checking and lubricating the
cables ....................................... 6-20
Checking and lubricating the
throttle grip and cable ............... 6-20
Checking and lubricating the
brake and shift pedals .............. 6-21
Checking and lubricating the
brake and clutch levers ............ 6-21
Checking and lubricating the
sidestand .................................. 6-22
Lubricating the swingarm
pivots ........................................ 6-22
Lubricating the rear suspension ... 6-23
Checking the front fork ................. 6-23
Checking the steering .................. 6-24
Checking the wheel bearings ....... 6-24
Battery ......................................... 6-24
Replacing the fuses ..................... 6-26
Replacing the headlight bulb ....... 6-27
Replacing the tail/brake light
bulb ........................................... 6-28
Replacing a turn signal light
bulb ........................................... 6-29U26PE2E0.book Page 1 Thursday, May 13, 2010 5:38 PM

1-1
1
SAFETY INFORMATION
EAU10287
Be a Responsible Owner
As the vehicle’s owner, you are respon-
sible for the safe and proper operation
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 before
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.Safe Riding
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 vehicle 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 car-
ry the operator and a passenger.


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 appears to
be very effective in reducing 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.


Many accidents involve inexperi-
enced operators. In fact, many op-
erators who have been involved in
accidents do not even have a cur-
rent motorcycle license.
Make sure that you are qualified
and that you only lend your mo-
torcycle to other qualified opera-
tors.
Know your skills and limits.
Staying within your limits may
help you to avoid an accident.
We recommend that you prac-
tice riding your motorcycle
where there is no traffic until you
have become thoroughly famil-
iar with the motorcycle and all of
its controls.


Many accidents have been caused
by error of the motorcycle opera-
tor. A typical error made by the op-
erator is veering wide on a turn
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INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-2
3


Keep other immobilizer system
keys away from the main switch
as they may cause signal inter-
ference.
EAU10472
Main switch/steering lock The main switch/steering lock controls
the ignition and lighting systems, and is
used to lock the steering. The various
positions are described below.TIPBe sure to use the standard key (black
bow) for regular use of the vehicle. To
minimize the risk of losing the code re-
registering key (red bow), keep it in a
safe place and only use it for code re-
registering.
EAU48420
ON
All electrical circuits are supplied with
power; the meter lighting, taillight, li-
cense plate lights and auxiliary light
come on, and the engine can be start-
ed. The key cannot be removed.TIPThe headlight comes on automatically
when the engine is started and stays on
until the key is turned to “OFF”, even if
the engine stalls.
EAU10661
OFF
All electrical systems are off. The key
can be removed.
WARNING
EWA10061
Never turn the key to “OFF” or
“LOCK” while the vehicle is moving.
Otherwise the electrical systems will
be switched off, which may result in
loss of control or an accident.
ON
OFF
LOCK
P
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INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-4
3
EAU49391
Indicator lights and warning
lights
EAU11020
Turn signal indicator light“”
This indicator light flashes when the
turn signal switch is pushed to the left or
right.
EAU11060
Neutral indicator light“”
This indicator light comes on when the
transmission is in the neutral position.
EAU11080
High beam indicator light“”
This indicator light comes on when the
high beam of the headlight is switched
on.
EAU11254
Oil level warning light“”
This warning light comes on if the en-
gine oil level is low.
The electrical circuit of the warning light
can be checked by turning the key to
“ON”. The warning light should come
on for a few seconds, and then go off.
If the warning light does not come on
initially when the key is turned to “ON”,
or if the warning light remains on, have
a Yamaha dealer check the electrical
circuit.TIP

Even if the oil level is sufficient, the
warning light may flicker when
riding on a slope or during sudden
acceleration or deceleration, but
this is not a malfunction.


This model is also equipped with a
self-diagnosis device for the oil
level detection circuit. If a problem
is detected in the oil level detectioncircuit, the following cycle will be
repeated until the malfunction is
corrected: The oil level warning
light will flash ten times, then go off
for 2.5 seconds. If this occurs,
have a Yamaha dealer check the
vehicle.
EAU11365
Fuel level warning light“”
This warning light comes on when the
fuel level drops below approximately
3.4 L (0.90 US gal, 0.75 Imp.gal). When
this occurs, refuel as soon as possible.
The electrical circuit of the warning light
can be checked by turning the key to
“ON”. The warning light should come
on for a few seconds, and then go off.
If the warning light does not come on
initially when the key is turned to “ON”,
or if the warning light remains on, have
a Yamaha dealer check the electrical
circuit.TIPThis model is also equipped with a self-
diagnosis device for the fuel level de-
tection circuit. If a problem is detected
in the fuel level detection circuit, the fol-
lowing cycle will be repeated until the
1. Neutral indicator light“”
2. Fuel level warning light“”
3. Engine trouble warning light“”
4. Immobilizer system indicator light
5. Oil level warning light“”
6. Turn signal indicator light“”
7. High beam indicator light“”
67
12
4 3
5
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INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-5
3malfunction is corrected: The fuel level
warning light will flash eight times, and
then go off for 3.0 seconds. If this oc-
curs, have a Yamaha dealer check the
vehicle.
EAU11534
Engine trouble warning light“”
This warning light comes on or flashes
if a problem is detected in the electrical
circuit monitoring the engine. If this oc-
curs, have a Yamaha dealer check the
self-diagnosis system. (See page 3-7
for an explanation of the self-diagnosis
device.)
The electrical circuit of the warning light
can be checked by turning the key to
“ON”. The warning light should come
on for a few seconds, and then go off.
If the warning light does not come on
initially when the key is turned to “ON”,
or if the warning light remains on, have
a Yamaha dealer check the electrical
circuit.
EAU38624
Immobilizer system indicator light
The electrical circuit of the indicator
light can be checked by turning the key
to “ON”. The indicator light should
come on for a few seconds, and then
go off.
If the indicator light does not come on
initially when the key is turned to “ON”,
or if the indicator light remains on, have
a Yamaha dealer check the electrical
circuit.
When the key is turned to “OFF” and 30
seconds have passed, the indicator
light will start flashing indicating the im-
mobilizer system is enabled. After 24
hours have passed, the indicator light
will stop flashing, however the immobi-
lizer system is still enabled.
The self-diagnosis device also detects
problems in the immobilizer system cir-
cuits. (See page 3-7 for an explanation
of the self-diagnosis device.)
EAU47202
Multi-function meter unit
WARNING
EWA12422
Be sure to stop the vehicle before
making any setting changes to the
multi-function meter unit. Changing
settings while riding can distract the
operator and increase the risk of an
accident.The multi-function meter unit is
equipped with the following:

a speedometer


an odometer
1. Speedometer
2. Odometer/tripmeter/fuel reserve tripme-
ter/clock
1
2
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INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-6
3


two tripmeters (which show the
distance traveled since they were
last set to zero)


a fuel reserve tripmeter (which
shows the distance traveled on the
fuel reserve)


a clock


a self-diagnosis device


a brightness control mode
TIPBe sure to turn the key to “ON” before
using the “SELECT” and “RESET”
switches, except for setting the bright-
ness control mode.
Speedometer
When the key is turned to “ON”, the
speedometer needle will sweep once
across the speed range and then return
to zero in order to test the electrical cir-
cuit.Odometer, tripmeters, fuel reserve
tripmeter and clock
Push the “SELECT” switch to change
the display between the odometer
mode “ODO”, the tripmeter modes
“TRIP A” and “TRIP B” in the following
order:
ODO → TRIP A → TRIP B → ODO
If the fuel level warning light comes on
(see page 3-4), the odometer display
will automatically change to the fuel re-
serve tripmeter mode “TRIP F” and
start counting the distance traveled
from that point. In that case, push the
“SELECT” switch to change the display
between the various tripmeter and
odometer modes in the following order:
1.“SELECT” switch
2.“RESET” switch
1
2
1. Speedometer
1
1. Odometer/tripmeter/fuel reserve tripmeter
1
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INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-7
3TRIP F → TRIP A → TRIP B → ODO →
TRIP F
To reset a tripmeter, select it by push-
ing the “SELECT” switch, and then
push the “RESET” switch for at least
one second. If you do not reset the fuel
reserve tripmeter manually, it will reset
itself automatically, and the display will
return to the prior mode after refueling
and traveling 5 km (3 mi).
To set the clock
1. Push the “SELECT” and “RESET”
switches together for at least three
seconds.
2. When the hour digits start flashing,
push the “RESET” switch to set the
hours.3. Push the “SELECT” switch, and
the minute digits will start flashing.
4. Push the “RESET” switch to set
the minutes.
5. Push the “SELECT” switch and
then release it to start the clock.
Self-diagnosis device
This model is equipped with a self-diag-
nosis device for various electrical cir-
cuits.
If a problem is detected in any of those
circuits, the engine trouble warning light
will come on and the odometer/tripme-
ter/clock display will indicate an error
code.If the odometer/tripmeter/clock display
indicates any error codes, note the
code number, and then have a Yamaha
dealer check the vehicle.
The self-diagnosis device also detects
problems in the immobilizer system cir-
cuits.
If a problem is detected in the immobi-
lizer system circuits, the immobilizer
system indicator light will flash and the
display will indicate an error code.
TIPIf the display indicates error code 52,
this could be caused by transponder in-
terference. If this error code appears,
try the following.1. Use the code re-registering key to
start the engine.TIPMake sure there are no other immobi-
lizer keys close to the main switch, and
do not keep more than one immobilizer
key on the same key ring! Immobilizer
system keys may cause signal interfer-
ence, which may prevent the engine
from starting.
1. Clock
1
1. Error code display
1
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INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
3-9
3Right
EAU12350
Pass switch“”
Press this switch to flash the headlight.
EAU12400
Dimmer switch“/”
Set this switch to“” for the high
beam and to“” for the low beam.
EAU12460
Turn signal switch“/”
To signal a right-hand turn, push this
switch to“”. To signal a left-hand
turn, push this switch to“”. When re-
leased, the switch returns to the centerposition. To cancel the turn signal
lights, push the switch in after it has re-
turned to the center position.
EAU12500
Horn switch“”
Press this switch to sound the horn.
EAU12660
Engine stop switch“/”
Set this switch to“” before starting
the engine. Set this switch to“” to
stop the engine in case of an emergen-
cy, such as when the vehicle overturns
or when the throttle cable is stuck.
EAU12711
Start switch“”
Push this switch to crank the engine
with the starter. See page 5-1 for start-
ing instructions prior to starting the en-
gine.
EAU41700
The engine trouble warning light will
come on when the key is turned to “ON”
and the start switch is pushed, but this
does not indicate a malfunction.
EAU12733
Hazard switch“”
With the key in the “ON” or“” posi-
tion, use this switch to turn on the haz-
ard lights (simultaneous flashing of all
turn signal lights).
The hazard lights are used in case of
an emergency or to warn other drivers
when your vehicle is stopped where it
might be a traffic hazard.NOTICE
ECA10061
Do not use the hazard lights for an
extended length of time with the en-
gine not running, otherwise the bat-
tery may discharge.
EAU44602
“SELECT” switch
This switch is used to perform selec-
tions in the odometer and tripmeters, to
set the clock and to set the brightness
control mode of the multi-function
meter unit.
See “Multi-function meter unit” on page
3-5 for detailed information.
1. Engine stop switch“/”
2.“SELECT” switch
3.“RESET” switch
4. Start switch“”
5. Hazard switch“”
1
52
3
4
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