YAMAHA YFZ450R 2011 Owner's Guide

4-6
4 leased slowly for smooth clutch operation. (See
page 6-1 for a description of the ignition circuit cut-
off system.)
EBU18423Brake lever The brake lever is located on the right handlebar.
To apply the front brake, pull the brake lever to-
ward the handlebar grip.
The brake lever is equipped with a position adjust-
ing bolt. To adjust the distance between the brake
lever and the handlebar grip, hold the brake lever
away from the handlebar so it does not contact the
adjusting bolt, loosen the locknut, turn the adjust-
ing bolt, and then tighten the locknut.
EBU18432Brake pedal The brake pedal is located on the right side of the
ATV. To apply the rear brake, push down on the
brake pedal.
1. Clutch lever
1. Brake lever
2. Locknut
3. Brake lever position adjusting bolt
4. Distance between brake lever and handlebar grip
1
4
23
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4-7
4
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
1. Parking brake lever (locked position)
1. Parking brake lever (unlocked position)
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4-8
4
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 brakes
prematurely.EBU18530Shift pedal This ATV is equipped with a constant-mesh 5-
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.
EBU18720Fuel tank cap Remove the fuel tank cap by turning it counter-
clockwise.1. Shift pedal
1
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4-9
4
EBU18814Fuel Make sure there is sufficient gasoline in the tank.
WARNING
EWB02521Gasoline and gasoline vapors are extremely
flammable. To avoid fires and explosions and
to reduce the risk of injury when refueling, fol-
low these instructions.1. Before refueling, turn off the engine and be
sure that no one is sitting on the vehicle. Nev-
er refuel while smoking, or while in the vicinityof sparks, open flames, or other sources of ig-
nition such as the pilot lights of water heaters
and clothes dryers.
2. Do not overfill the fuel tank. When refueling,
be sure to insert the pump nozzle into the fuel
tank filler hole. Stop filling when the fuel reach-
es the bottom of the filler tube. Because fuel
expands when it heats up, heat from the en-
gine or the sun can cause fuel to spill out of
the fuel tank.1. Fuel tank cap
1
1. Maximum fuel level
2. Fuel tank filler tube
2 1
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4-10
4
3. Wipe up any spilled fuel immediately.
NOTICE: Immediately wipe off spilled fuel
with a clean, dry, soft cloth, since fuel may
deteriorate painted surfaces or plastic
parts.
[ECB00981]
4. Turn the fuel tank cap fully clockwise to make
sure it is securely closed.
WARNING
EWB02531Gasoline is poisonous and can cause injury or
death. Handle gasoline with care. Never siphon
gasoline by mouth. If you should swallow
some gasoline or inhale a lot of gasoline vapor,
or get some gasoline in your eyes, see yourdoctor immediately. If gasoline spills on your
skin, wash with soap and water. If gasoline
spills on your clothing, change your clothes.
NOTICEECB00070Use only unleaded gasoline. The use of leaded
gasoline will cause severe damage to internal
engine parts, such as the valves and piston
rings, as well as to the exhaust system.Your Yamaha engine has been designed to use
premium unleaded gasoline with a research oc-
tane number of 97 or higher. If knocking (or ping-
ing) occurs, use a gasoline of a different brand.
Use of unleaded fuel will extend spark plug life and
reduce maintenance costs.EBU18891Seat To remove the seat
Insert your hand between the rear of the seat and
the rear fender, pull the seat lock lever upward and
pull up the seat at the rear. Recommended fuel:
PREMIUM UNLEADED GASOLINE ONLY
For Europe: PREMIUM UNLEADED GASO-
LINE ONLY with a research octane number
of 97 or higher
Fuel tank capacity:
10.0 L (2.64 US gal, 2.20 Imp.gal)
Fuel reserve amount:
3.4 L (0.90 US gal, 0.75 Imp.gal)
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4-11
4
To install the seat
Insert the projections on the front of the seat into
the seat holders and push down on the seat at the
rear. Make sure that the seat is securely fitted.
EBU30050Adjusting the front shock absorber as-
semblies These shock absorber assemblies are equipped
with a spring preload adjusting nut, a rebound
damping force adjusting screw, with a compres-
sion damping force adjusting bolt (for fast com-
pression damping), and a compression damping
force adjusting screw (for slow compression damp-
ing).
1. Seat lock lever
1
1. Projection
2. Seat holder
1
2
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4-12
4
WARNING
EWB02491
Suspension components become hot during
operation. Never touch the compression
damping force adjusting bolt and screw, the
rebound damping force adjusting screw or
the oil reservoir with your bare hand or skin
until suspension components have cooled.
Always adjust the shock absorber assem-
blies 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.NOTICEECB00090Never turn an adjusting mechanism beyond
the minimum and maximum settings.TIPAlthough the total number of clicks or turns of a
damping force adjusting mechanism may not ex-
actly match the following specifications due to
small differences in production, the actual number
of clicks or turns always represents the entire ad-
justing range. To obtain a precise adjustment, itwould be advisable to check the number of clicks
or turns of each damping force adjusting mecha-
nism and to modify the specifications as neces-
sary.
Spring preload
1. Loosen the locknut.
2. Turn the spring preload adjusting nut in direc-
tion (a) to increase the spring preload and
thereby harden the suspension, and in direc-
tion (b) to decrease the spring preload and
thereby soften the suspension.1. Locknut
2. Spring preload adjusting nut
3. Special wrench
(a)
(b)2 1
3
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4
TIP
A special wrench can be obtained at a Yamaha
dealer to make this adjustment.
The spring preload setting is determined by
measuring distance A, shown in the illustration.
The shorter distance A is, the higher the spring
preload; the longer distance A is, the lower the
spring preload. With each complete turn of the
adjusting nut, distance A is changed by 1.5 mm
(0.06 in).
3. Tighten the locknut to the specified torque.
NOTICE: Always tighten the locknut
against the adjusting nut, and then tighten
it to the specified torque.
[ECB00081]
Spring preload setting:
Minimum (soft):
Distance A = 299.8 mm (11.80 in)
Standard:
Distance A = 289.8 mm (11.41 in)
Maximum (hard):
Distance A = 279.8 mm (11.02 in)
1. Distance ATightening torque:
Locknut:
50 Nm (5.0 m·kgf, 36 ft·lbf)
1
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4-14
4 Rebound damping force
Turn the rebound damping force adjusting screw in
direction (a) to increase the rebound damping
force and thereby harden the damping, and in di-
rection (b) to decrease the rebound damping force
and thereby soften the damping.
Compression damping force
Compression damping force (for fast compression
damping)To increase the compression damping force and
thereby harden the compression damping, turn the
compression damping force adjusting bolt in direc-
tion (a). To decrease the compression damping
force and thereby soften the compression damp-
ing, turn the adjusting bolt in direction (b).
1. Rebound damping force adjusting screw
(a)
(b)
1
Rebound damping setting:
Minimum (soft):
20 click(s) in direction (b)*
Standard:
12 click(s) in direction (b)*
Maximum (hard):
1 click(s) in direction (b)*
* With the adjusting screw fully turned in di-
rection (a)
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4-15
4Compression damping force (for slow compres-
sion damping)To increase the compression damping force and
thereby harden the compression damping, turn the
compression damping force adjusting screw in di-
rection (a). To decrease the compression damping
force and thereby soften the compression damp-
ing, turn the adjusting screw in direction (b).
1. Compression damping force adjusting bolt (for fast
compression damping)Compression damping setting (for fast com-
pression damping):
Minimum (soft):
2 turn(s) out from the fully turned in posi-
tion
Standard:
1 turn(s) out from the fully turned in posi-
tion
Maximum (hard):
Adjusting bolt fully turned in
(a)
(b)1
1. Compression damping force adjusting screw (for slow
compression damping)
(a)
(b)
1
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