check oil YAMAHA YFZ450R 2012 Owners Manual

EBU17420
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LOCATION OF THE WARNING AND
SPECIFICATION LABELS ............................ 1-1
SAFETY INFORMATION .............................. 2-1
DESCRIPTION .............................................. 3-1Left view ...................................................... 3-1
Right view.................................................... 3-1
Controls and instruments ............................ 3-2
INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL
FUNCTIONS .................................................. 4-1 Main switch ................................................ 4-1
Indicator light and warning lights ................ 4-2
Handlebar switches .................................... 4-3
Throttle lever .............................................. 4-4
Speed limiter .............................................. 4-5
Clutch lever ................................................ 4-5
Brake lever ................................................. 4-6
Brake pedal ................................................ 4-6
Parking brake lever .................................... 4-7
Shift pedal .................................................. 4-8
Fuel tank cap .............................................. 4-8
Fuel ............................................................ 4-9 Seat ..........................................................4-10
Adjusting the front shock absorber
assemblies ..............................................4-11
Adjusting the rear shock absorber assembly .................................................4-16
Handlebar position ....................................4-24
PRE-OPERATION CHECKS ..........................5-1 Fuel .............................................................5-4
Engine oil ....................................................5-4
Coolant .......................................................5-4
Front and rear brakes .................................5-4
Throttle lever ...............................................5-5
Drive chain ..................................................5-5
Tires ............................................................5-5
Chassis fasteners .......................................5-7
Instruments, lights and switches .................5-7
OPERATION...................................................6-1 Starting the engine ......................................6-1
Shifting ........................................................6-2
Engine break-in ...........................................6-4
Parking ........................................................6-4
Parking on a slope ......................................6-5U18P66E0.book Page 1 Monday, May 16, 2011 4:23 PM

Accessories and loading ............................ 6-6
RIDING YOUR ATV ...................................... 7-1 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR ATV............... 7-2
RIDE WITH CARE AND GOOD JUDGMENT .............................................. 7-2
BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU RIDE ............. 7-9
TURNING YOUR ATV .............................. 7-12
CLIMBING UPHILL ................................... 7-13
RIDING DOWNHILL.................................. 7-16
CROSSING A SLOPE............................... 7-18
CROSSING THROUGH SHALLOW WATER ................................................... 7-19
RIDING OVER ROUGH TERRAIN ........... 7-20
SLIDING AND SKIDDING ......................... 7-21
WHAT TO DO IF... .................................... 7-22
WHAT TO DO... ........................................ 7-22
PERIODIC MAINTENANCE AND
ADJUSTMENT ............................................... 8-1 Owner’s manual and tool kit ....................... 8-2
Periodic maintenance chart for the emission control system ........................... 8-3
General maintenance and lubrication chart ......................................................... 8-5
Removing and installing the cowling and panels ....................................................... 8-9 Checking the spark plug ...........................8-15
Engine oil and oil filter element .................8-16
Coolant .....................................................8-22
Cleaning the air filter element ...................8-23
Cleaning the spark arrester ......................8-27
Adjusting the throttle lever free play .........8-29
Valve clearance ........................................8-30
Brakes .......................................................8-30
Checking the front and rear brake pads ...8-30
Checking the brake fluid level ...................8-32
Changing the brake fluid ...........................8-33
Checking the front brake lever free play ...8-33
Checking the brake pedal height ..............8-34
Adjusting the parking brake free play .......8-34
Brake light switches ..................................8-36
Adjusting the clutch lever free play ...........8-36
Drive chain slack .......................................8-38
Lubricating the drive chain ........................8-40
Checking and lubricating the cables .........8-40
Checking and lubricating the brake and
clutch levers ............................................8-41
Checking the shift pedal ...........................8-42
Checking and lubricating the brake pedal .......................................................8-42
Checking the wheel hub bearings .............8-42
Lubricating the swingarm pivots ...............8-43
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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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5-1
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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5-4
5
EBU19541Fuel Make sure that there is sufficient fuel in the tank.
(See page 4-9.)EBU19560Engine oil Make sure that the engine oil is at the specified lev-
el. Add oil as necessary. (See page 8-16.)EBU19631Coolant Make sure that the coolant is at the specified level.
Add coolant as necessary. (See page 8-22.)TIPThe coolant level must be checked on a cold en-
gine since the level varies with engine tempera-
ture.EBU19712Front 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
8-34.) 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 8-32.)
Brake fluid leakage
Check to see if any brake fluid is leaking out of the
pipe joints or brake fluid reservoirs. Apply the
brakes firmly for one minute. If there is any leak-
age, have a Yamaha dealer check the brake sys-
tem.
Brake operation
Test the brakes at slow speed after starting out to
make sure they are working properly. If the brakes
do not provide proper braking performance, check
the brake pads for wear. (See page 8-30.) Specified brake fluid:
DOT 4
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8-7
8
14*Chassis fasteners 
Make sure that all nuts, bolts, and screws are
properly tightened. √√√√√
15 *Shock absorber as-
semblies 
Check operation and correct if necessary.
 Check for oil leakage and replace if necessary. √√√
16 *Rear suspension re-
lay arm and con-
necting arm
pivoting points 
Check operation and correct if necessary. √√√√
17 *Steering shaft Lubricate with lithium-soap-based grease. √√√
18 *Steering system 
Check operation and repair or replace if damaged.
 Check toe-in and adjust if necessary. √√√√√
19 Engine oil 
Change.
 Check ATV for oil leakage, and correct if neces-
sary. √ √√√
20 Engine oil filter ele-
ment 
Replace. √√√
21 *Cooling system 
Check coolant level and ATV for coolant leakage,
and correct if necessary. √√√√√
 Replace coolant. Every 2 years
22 *Moving parts and
cables 
Lubricate. √√√√
NO. ITEM
CHECK OR MAINTENANCE
JOB INITIAL EVERY
Whichev- er comes first month136612
km
(mi) 320
(200) 1300
(800) 2500
(1600) 2500
(1600) 5000
(3200)
hours 20 80 160 160 320U18P66E0.book Page 7 Monday, May 16, 2011 4:23 PM

8-16
8Before installing the spark plug, the spark plug gap
should be measured with a wire thickness gauge
and, if necessary, adjusted to specification.
Clean the surface of the spark plug gasket and its
mating surface, and then wipe off any grime from
the spark plug threads.
TIPIf a torque wrench is not available when installing
the spark plug, a good estimate of the correct
torque is 1/4
–1/2 turn past finger tight. However,
the spark plug should be tightened to the specified
torque as soon as possible.EBU29499Engine oil and oil filter element The engine oil level should be checked before
each ride. In addition, the oil must be changed and
the oil filter element replaced at the intervals spec-
ified in the periodic maintenance and lubrication
chart.
To check the engine oil level 1. Place the ATV on a level surface.
2. Start the engine, warm it up until the engine oil has reached a normal temperature of 40 °C
(104 °F), let it continue to idle for ten seconds
or more, and then turn the engine off.
Specified spark plug:
NGK/CR8E
1. Spark plug gapSpark plug gap:0.7– 0.8 mm (0.028 –0.031 in)
Tightening torque:
Spark plug:13 Nm (1.3 m ·kgf, 9.4 ft ·lbf)
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8-17
8
TIPTo achieve the proper engine oil temperature for
an accurate oil level reading, the engine must have
first completely cooled down, and then warmed up
again for several minutes to normal operating tem-
perature.3. Remove the engine oil tank filler cap, andwipe the engine oil dipstick off with a clean
rag.
4. Insert the dipstick into the filler hole (without screwing it in), and then remove it again to
check the oil level.TIPThe engine oil should be between the minimum
and maximum level marks.
5. If the engine oil is at or below the minimumlevel mark, add sufficient oil of the recom-
mended type through the engine oil tank filler
hole to raise it to the correct level. NOTICE:
Be sure the engine oil is at the correct lev-
el, otherwise engine damage may result.
[ECB00851]
1. Engine oil tank filler cap
2. Engine oil dipstick
3. Maximum level mark
4. Half-level mark
5. Minimum level mark1 1
2
3
54
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8-21
8
11. Install the crankcase engine oil drain bolt, the
engine oil tank drain bolt and their new gasket,
and then tighten the bolts to their specified
torques.
12. Refill with the specified amount of the recom- mended engine oil through the engine oil tank
filler hole, and then install and tighten the en-
gine oil tank filler cap.
TIPBe sure to wipe off spilled oil on any parts after the
engine and exhaust system have cooled down.NOTICEECB00300
In order to prevent clutch slippage (since the
engine oil also lubricates the clutch), do not
mix any chemical additives. Do not use oils
with a diesel specification of “CD ” or oils of
a higher quality than specified. In addition,
do not use oils labeled “ENERGY CONSERV-
ING II ” or higher.
Make sure that no foreign material enters the
crankcase.13. Start the engine, and then let it idle for several
minutes while checking it for oil leakage. If oil
is leaking, immediately turn the engine off and
check for the cause.
14. Turn the engine off, and then check the oil lev- el and correct it if necessary.
Tightening torques:
Crankcase engine oil drain bolt:20 Nm (2.0 m ·kgf, 14 ft ·lbf)
Engine oil tank drain bolt: 20 Nm (2.0 m ·kgf, 14 ft ·lbf)
Recommended oil: See page 10-1.
Oil quantity: Without oil filter element replacement:1.40 L (1.48 US qt, 1.23 Imp.qt)
With oil filter element replacement: 1.45 L (1.53 US qt, 1.28 Imp.qt)
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8-26
810. Check the sponge material and replace it if
damaged.
11. Apply Yamaha foam air filter oil or other qual- ity foam air filter oil to the sponge material.
TIPThe sponge material should be wet but not drip-
ping.12. Pull the sponge material over the air filter ele-ment frame.
13. Apply all-purpose grease to the air filter ele- ment seat. 14. Install the washer onto the air filter element
frame, and then insert the wing bolt into the
hole in the air filter element frame. NOTICE:
Be sure to install the washer with its
curved side facing outward as shown.
[ECB00453]
1. Air filter element seat
1
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