ESP YAMAHA YFM350R 2008 Owners Manual

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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 footboards of the ATV during
operation.
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 hills
before 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-
ing, use the proper gear and maintain a steady
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EBU18520Parking 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 pedal
1. Parking brake lever (locked position)
1. Parking brake lever (unlocked position)
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WARNING
EWB00220
Always set the parking brake before starting
the engine. The ATV could start moving un-
expectedly if the parking brake is not ap-
plied. This could cause loss of control or a
collision.
Always be sure you have released the park-
ing brake before you begin to ride. The brake
could overheat if you ride the ATV without re-
leasing the parking brake. You could lose
braking performance which could cause an
accident. You could also wear out the brakesprematurely.EBU18530Shift pedal This ATV is equipped with a constant-mesh 6-
speed transmission. The shift pedal is located on
the left side of the engine and is used in combina-
tion with the clutch when shifting.
EBU18571Drive select lever The drive select lever is used for driving the ATV
either forward or in reverse. See the “Operating the
drive select lever and driving in reverse” section on
page 6-3 for the drive select lever operation.1. Shift pedal
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NOTE:If knocking or pinging occurs, use a different brandof gasoline or higher octane grade.
CAUTION:ECB00070Use only unleaded gasoline. The use of leaded
gasoline will cause severe damage to internal
engine parts, such as the valves and pistonrings, 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.EBU18820Fuel cock The fuel cock supplies fuel from the tank to the car-
buretor while also filtering it.
The fuel cock lever positions are explained as fol-
lows and shown in the illustrations.
1. Fuel tank filler tube
2. Fuel levelRecommended fuel:
UNLEADED GASOLINE ONLY
For Europe: Regular unleaded gasoline only
with a research octane number of 91 or high-
er
Fuel tank capacity:
9.0 L (2.38 US gal) (1.98 Imp.gal)
Fuel reserve amount:
2.7 L (0.71 US gal) (0.59 Imp.gal)
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EBU19540Fuel 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.EBU19560Engine oil Make sure that the engine oil is at the specified lev-
el. Add oil as necessary. (See page 8-11.)
EBU19710Front and rear brakes Brake lever and brake pedal
Check that there is no free play in the brake le-
ver. If there is free play, have a Yamaha dealer
check the brake system.
Check for correct brake pedal height. (See page
8-25.) If the pedal height is incorrect, have a
Yamaha dealer adjust it.
Check the operation of the lever and pedal. They
should move smoothly and there should be a
firm feeling when the brakes are applied. If not,
have a Yamaha dealer check the brake system.
Brake fluid level
Check the brake fluid level. Add fluid if necessary.
(See page 8-23.)
Recommended brake fluid:
DOT 4
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NOTE:The engine is warm when it responds normally tothe throttle with the starter (choke) turned off.EBU20291Starting 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.EBU20340Operating the drive select lever and
driving in reverse CAUTION:ECB00170Before shifting, stop the ATV, otherwise thetransmission may be damaged.
Shifting: Reverse to Forward
1. Bring the ATV to a complete stop.
2. Pull in the clutch lever to disengage the clutch.
3. Apply the brake pedal.
4. While pulling the drive select lever handle up-
ward, move the drive select lever forward until
it completely stops.5. Release the brake pedal.
6. Open the throttle lever gradually and release
the clutch lever slowly.
Shifting: Forward to Reverse
1. Bring the ATV to a complete stop.
2. Pull in the clutch lever to disengage the clutch.
3. Apply the brake pedal.
4. While pulling the drive select lever handle up-
ward, move the drive select lever to the rear
until it completely stops.
1. Drive select lever
2. Drive select lever handle
3. For forward drive
4. For reverse drive
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7 when operating on excessively rough, slippery
or loose terrain could cause loss of traction or
ATV control, which could result in an accident,
including an overturn.
When riding in an area where you might not easily
be seen, such as desert terrain, mount a caution
flag on the ATV. DO NOT use the flag pole bracket
as a trailer hitch.
WARNING
EWB01550Always 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.
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8described in the following section, however, may
be performed by the owner as part of routine main-
tenance.
CAUTION:ECB00480The carburetor has been set and extensively
tested at the Yamaha factory. Changing these
settings without sufficient technical knowl-
edge may result in poor performance of ordamage to the engine.EBU24000Adjusting the engine idling speed The engine idling speed must be checked and, if
necessary, adjusted as follows at the intervals
specified in the periodic maintenance and lubrica-
tion chart.NOTE:A diagnostic tachometer is needed to make thisadjustment.
1. Start the engine and warm it up.NOTE:The engine is warm when it quickly responds to thethrottle.
2. Attach the tachometer to the spark plug lead.3. Check the engine idling speed and, if neces-
sary, adjust it to specification by turning the
throttle stop screw at the carburetor. To in-
crease the engine idling speed, turn the throt-
tle stop screw in direction (a), and to decrease
it, turn the screw in direction (b).
NOTE:If the specified idling speed cannot be obtained as
described above, have a Yamaha dealer make theadjustment.1. Throttle stop screwEngine idling speed:
1450–1550 r/min
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8 mark on both drive chain pullers with the alignment
mark on either side of the swingarm for proper
wheel alignment.CAUTION:ECB00541Improper 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 drivechain slack within the specified limits.3. Tighten the locknuts and the axle holding bolts
to the specified torques.
EBU24880Lubricating 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.
1. Locknut
2. Drive chain slack adjusting bolt
3. Alignment marks
Tightening torques:
Locknut:
16 Nm (1.6 m·kgf, 11 ft·lbf)
Axle holding bolt (upper):
120 Nm (12.0 m·kgf, 85 ft·lbf)
Axle holding bolt (lower):
73 Nm (7.3 m·kgf, 53 ft·lbf)
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