warning YAMAHA YFZ450R 2012 User Guide

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 besure that no one is sitting on the vehicle. Nev-
er refuel while smoking, or while in the vicinity of 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
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 your doctor 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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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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WARNING
EWB00410These shock absorber assemblies contain
highly pressurized nitrogen gas. Read and un-
derstand the following information before han-
dling the shock absorber assemblies.
Do not tamper with or attempt to open the
cylinder assemblies.
Do not subject the shock absorber assem-
blies to an open flame or other high heat
source. This may cause the unit to explode
due to excessive gas pressure.
Do not deform or damage the cylinders in
any way. Cylinder damage will result in poor
damping performance.

Do not dispose of a damaged or worn out
shock absorber assembly yourself. Take the
shock absorber assembly to a Yamaha deal-
er for any service.EBU30610Adjusting the rear shock absorber as-
sembly This shock absorber assembly is equipped with a
spring preload adjusting nut, a rebound damping
force adjusting screw, a compression damping
force adjusting bolt (for fast compression damp-
ing), and a compression damping force adjusting
screw (for slow compression damping).
WARNING
EWB02680Suspension components become hot during
operation. Never touch the compression
damping force adjusting bolt and screw, the re-
bound damping force adjusting screw or the
oil reservoir with your bare hand or skin until
the suspension components have cooled.
Compression damping setting (for slow com-
pression damping):Minimum (soft):18 click(s) in direction (b)*
Standard: 10 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
WARNING
EWB00430This shock absorber assembly contains highly
pressurized nitrogen gas. Read and under-
stand the following information before han-
dling the shock absorber assembly.
Do not tamper with or attempt to open the
cylinder assembly.
Do not subject the shock absorber assembly
to an open flame or other high heat source.
This may cause the unit to explode due to ex-
cessive gas pressure.
Do not deform or damage the cylinder in any
way. Cylinder damage will result in poor
damping performance.
Do not dispose of a damaged or worn out
shock absorber assembly yourself. Take the
shock absorber assembly to a Yamaha deal-
er for any service.EBU29401Handlebar position The handlebar can be adjusted to one of four posi-
tions to suit the rider’s preference. Have a Yamaha
dealer adjust the position of the handlebar.
1. Handlebar
1
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5
EBU19201
PRE-OPERATION CHECKS
EBU19224Inspect your vehicle each time you use it to make sure the vehicle is in safe operating condition. Always
follow the inspection and maintenance procedures and schedules described in the Owner’s Manual.
WARNING
EWB00481Failure to inspect or maintain the vehicle properly increases the possibility of an accident or equip-
ment damage. Do not operate the vehicle if you find any problem. If a problem cannot be corrected
by the procedures provided in this manual, have the vehicle inspected by a Yamaha dealer.Before using this vehicle, check the following points:
ITEM ROUTINE PAGE
Fuel 
Check fuel level in fuel tank, and add recommended fuel if neces-
sary.
 Check fuel line for leakage. Correct if necessary. 4-9, 5-4
Engine oil 
Check oil level in engine oil tank, and add recommended oil to spec-
ified level if necessary.
 Check ATV for oil leakage. Correct if necessary. 5-4, 8-16
Coolant 
Check coolant level in reservoir, and add recommended coolant to
specified level if necessary.
 Check cooling system for leakage. Correct if necessary. 5-4, 8-22
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5
EBU19761Throttle lever Check the operation of the throttle lever. It must
open smoothly and spring back to the idle position
when released. Have a Yamaha dealer correct if
necessary.EBU19770Drive chain Check the condition of the drive chain and check
the drive chain slack. Lubricate and adjust the
drive chain as necessary. (See page 8-38.)EBU19794Tires Check tire pressure regularly to make sure it is at
the recommended specifications. Also check for
wear and damage.
Tire pressure
Use the low-pressure tire gauge to check and ad-
just tire pressures when the tires are cold. Tire
pressures must be equal on both sides.
WARNING! Operation of this vehicle with im- proper tire pressure may cause severe injury
or death from loss of control or rollover. Tire
pressure below the minimum specified could also cause the tire to dislodge from the rim un-
der severe riding conditions.
[EWB02541]
Set tire
pressures to the following specifications:
The low-pressure tire gauge is included as stan-
dard equipment. Make two measurements of the
tire pressure and use the second reading. Dust or
dirt in the gauge could cause the first reading to be
incorrect. Recommended tire pressure:
Fro nt27.5 kPa (0.275 kgf/cm ², 4.0 psi)
Rear 30.0 kPa (0.300 kgf/cm ², 4.4 psi)
Minimum tire pressure: Fro nt24.5 kPa (0.245 kgf/cm ², 3.6 psi)
Rear 27.0 kPa (0.270 kgf/cm ², 4.0 psi)
Maximum tire seating pressure: Fro nt250 kPa (2.5 kgf/cm ², 36 psi)
Rear 250 kPa (2.5 kgf/cm ², 36 psi)
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5
Tire wear limit
When the tire groove decreases to 3 mm (0.12 in)
due to wear, replace the tire. Tire information
This ATV is equipped with tubeless tires with
valves.
WARNING
EWB02551Use of improper tires on this ATV may cause
loss of control, increasing your risk of an acci-
dent.After extensive tests, only the tires listed below
have been approved for this model by Yamaha
Motor Co., Ltd.
1. Low-pressure tire gauge
1
1. Tire wear limit
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EBU19881
OPERATION
EBU19901Read the Owner’s Manual carefully before riding
the ATV. If there is a control or function you do not
understand, ask your Yamaha dealer.
WARNING
EWB00631Read the Owner ’s Manual carefully to become
familiar with all controls in order to help pre-
vent any loss of control, which could cause an
accident or injury.EBU29952Starting the engine NOTICEECB00150See the “Engine break-in ” section on page 6-4
prior to operating the engine for the first time.1. Set the parking brake.
2. Turn the key to “” (on) and the engine stop
switch to “”.
The following warning lights should come on
for a few seconds, then go off.

Coolant temperature warning light
Fuel level warning light
Engine trouble warning light
NOTICEECB00824If a warning light does not go off, see page 4-2
for the corresponding warning light circuit
check. To avoid possible damage, do not oper-
ate the ATV if a warning light stays on.3. Shift the transmission into neutral. The neutral indicator light should come on, if it does not
come on, have a Yamaha dealer check the
electrical circuit.TIPThis model is equipped with an ignition circuit cut-
off system. The engine can be started under the
following conditions.
The transmission is in neutral.
The clutch is disengaged with the transmission
in gear. However, it is recommended to shift into
neutral before starting the engine.
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NOTICEECB00200Always close the throttle before shifting gears,
otherwise damage to the engine and drive train
may result.2. Pull the clutch lever to disengage the clutch.
3. Shift into first gear, and then release thebrake.
4. Open the throttle gradually and at the same time, release the clutch lever slowly.
WARNING! Opening the throttle abruptly or releasing the clutch lever too quickly
could make the ATV wheelie, which would
increase the chance of an accident, includ-
ing an overturn.
[EWB00731]
5. Once the ATV has attained adequate speed, release the throttle, and at the same time,
quickly pull in the clutch lever.
6. Shift the transmission into second gear. (Make sure not to shift the transmission into
neutral.)
7. Open the throttle part way and gradually re- lease the clutch lever.
8. Follow the same procedure when shifting to the next higher gear.
EBU20650To decelerate
When slowing down or stopping, release the throt-
tle and apply the brakes smoothly and evenly. As
you slow down, shift to a lower gear. Be sure that
the engine has sufficiently slowed before engaging
a lower gear. Improper use of the brakes or shifting
can cause the tires to lose traction, reducing con-
trol and increasing the possibility of an accident.
WARNING
EWB00710Make sure the engine has sufficiently slowed
before shifting to a lower gear. Engaging a low-
er gear when the engine speed is too high
could make the wheels stop rotating and lose
traction. This could cause loss of control, an
accident and injury. It could also cause engine
or drive train damage.NOTICEECB00180
Even with the transmission in the neutral po-
sition, do not coast for long periods of time
with the engine off, and do not tow the ATV
for long distances. The transmission is prop-
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