YAMAHA YXZ1000R 2020 Owners Manual

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Seat and shoulder bolsters
The seats and shoulder bolsters are designed
to help keep you in the vehicle. Do not put
your hand or arm on or outside of the shoul-
der bolster during operation. Your hand or
arm may be struck by objects or crushed
against outside objects or the ground during
a rollover.Floorboard
The floorboard allows you to brace your feet,
which helps you keep your body in the vehicle
in the event of an accident or rollover. Keep
your feet on the floorboard during operation.
Steering wheel
Keep both hands on the steering wheel ex-
cept when using your right hand to operate
the shift lever. Do not hold the steering wheel
with your thumbs inside the rim. Keep your
palms on the outside
of the steering wheel.
Similar to other off-road vehicles, if the1. Wire loop
1
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YXZ1000R hits a deep rut or large obstacle,
the steering wheel could briefly jerk in one di-
rection or back and forth as the tires and ve-
hicle respond to the obstacle. This quick
motion could injure your thumbs or wrist if
your thumbs or hand(s) are inside the steering
wheel. Grip the steering wheel so that your
thumbs will not be hit by the spokes. As an
example, see the illustration.
CORRECT GRIP EXAMPLE
INCORRECT GRIP EXAMPLE
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EBU35506LEARNING TO OPERATE YOUR VEHI-
CLEPersonal protective equipment
The driver and passenger should wear the fol-
lowing to reduce risk of injury in an accident:
Approved motorcycle helmet that fits prop-
erly 
Eye protection (goggles, helmet face shield,
or protective eyewear)
 Over-the-ankle boots, gloves, long-sleeved
shirt or jacket, and long pants
An approved helmet and other personal pro-
tective equipment can help in a variety of
ways, including:
 Reduce the severity of injuries if any part of
you is outside the vehicle or protective
structure during a rollover.
 Help protect you if outside objects intrude
inside the vehicle during operation.
 Help protect you in the event of impact with
an obstacle or other vehicle.
Wear eye protection when operating or riding
in the vehicle to reduce the risk of a serious
accident or injury. Eye protection, such as a
face shield or goggles, may reduce the risk of
foreign material getting in your eyes and help
prevent loss of vision.1. Approved motorcycle helmet
2. Eye protection
3. Long-sleeved shirt or jacket
4. Gloves
5. Long pants
6. Over-the-ankle boots
1 2
3
4
5
6
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Practice for new Yamaha YXZ1000R users
Become familiar with the performance char-
acteristics of the vehicle in a large, flat area
that is free of obstacles and other vehicles.
Practice controlling the accelerator pedal,
clutch, brakes, steering, and shift lever. Drive
at slow speeds with gradual acceleration and
smooth turns. Practice applying the accelera-
tor pedal smoothly. Practice slowing down
before turning. Practice maintaining a steady
amount of throttle (accelerator pedal position)
through the turn. Avoid higher speeds until
you are thoroughly familiar with the operation
and handling of the vehicle. Remember, driv-
ing aggressively or making abrupt maneuvers
even on flat, open areas can cause side roll-
overs.Become familiar with the way the vehicle han-
dles in the various drive modes. Start off with
two-wheel drive “2WD”, then four-wheel drive
“4WD”, and finally four-wheel drive with the
differential locked “DIFF LOCK”. Steering
may take more effort in four-wheel drive with
the differential locked “DIFF LOCK”. Also
practice driving in reverse.
TIPTake the time to learn basic operation of the
vehicle before driving at higher speeds or at-
tempting more difficult maneuvers.
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Getting ready to ride
Perform the pre-operation checks on page
6-1. Follow the instructions on page 7-2 when
starting the engine.
Turning
Use care in turns — turning the steering wheel
too far or too fast can result in loss of control
or a rollover. Slow down before entering
turns. When making tight turns from a stand-
still or at slow speeds, avoid sudden or hard
acceleration. Driving aggressively or making
abrupt maneuvers even on flat, open areas
can cause side rollovers. Avoid sideways slid-
ing, skidding, or fishtailing (rear-wheel slid-
ing), and never do donuts. If you feel the
vehicle begin to slide sideways or the rear
wheels begin to slide during a turn, steer into
the direction of the slide, if possible, and
gradually let off the accelerator pedal to re-
gain directional control and avoid rollover. For
example, if you feel the back of the vehicle
start to slide to your right, steer to the right. If you think or feel that the vehicle may tip or
roll, keep your body completely inside the
protective structure of the vehicle:

Brace yourself by pressing your feet firmly
on the floorboard and keep a firm grip on
the steering wheel or passenger handhold.
 Do not put your hands or feet outside of the
vehicle for any reason. Do not try to stop a
tipover using your arm or leg.
Accelerating
Avoid higher speeds and sudden or hard ac-
celeration until you are thoroughly familiar
with the operation of your vehicle. Avoid sud-
den or hard acceleration in any turn. Never
drive faster than is safe for current conditions.
Shifting
Follow the instructions on pages 7-2 and 7-3
for shifting, downshifting, and shifting into re-
verse until you are thoroughly familiar with
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Braking
When slowing down or stopping, take your
foot off the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal smoothly. Abrupt or improper
use of the brakes can cause the tires to lose
traction, reducing control of the vehicle and
increasing the possibility of an accident.
Braking ability is affected by type of terrain. In
most cases, gradual application of the brakes
is more effective than abrupt braking, partic-
ularly on loose surfaces, such as gravel. Al-
ways allow for greater braking distance on
rough, loose, or slippery surfaces.
Engine compression braking will also help
slow the vehicle down. With the transmission
still in gear, take your foot off the accelerator
and allow the drivetrain and engine to absorb
vehicle speed. Downshift as necessary. Ap-
plication of the brakes provides additional
stopping power. Leaving the vehicle
Do not get out of the vehicle while the engine
is running. Take the key with when you leave
the vehicle. There is a serious risk of injury or
death because:

Children or other unauthorized persons
may attempt to operate the vehicle.
 Objects tossed into the vehicle may strike
the shift lever and accidently engage the
transmission.
 The parking brake may not keep the vehicle
from moving.
Parking on a flat area
Even when parking on a seemingly flat area, it
is good practice to leave the transmission in
gear to prevent the vehicle from rolling.
Therefore, shift into first or reverse gear, stop
the engine and always apply the parking
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Parking on a slope
The parking brake is located on the rear drive
shaft. When the drivetrain is in “2WD” mode,
only the rear wheels will be locked. Therefore,
switch the drive mode to “DIFF LOCK” before
stopping the engine to lock all four wheels
when parking. In addition to the parking
brake, leave the transmission in gear to help
prevent the vehicle from rolling.
If you park on a hill that is too steep, the vehi-
cle may roll out of control. Never park on hills
that are so steep you cannot walk up them
easily. If you must park on an incline, follow
these instructions:1. First, bring the vehicle to a stop and con- tinue to apply the brake pedal.
2. Switch the drive mode to “DIFF LOCK”
and shift into first gear when parking up-
hill, or reverse gear when parking down-
hill.
TIPYou may need to turn the steering wheel left
and right or release the clutch slightly to help
the differential lock into place. 3. Stop the engine (turn the key to “ ”[off]).
4. With the brake pedal still being applied, set the parking brake.
5. Finally, get out of the vehicle and block
the front and rear wheels with rocks or
other objects.
Loading
Be aware that vehicle load includes the total
combined weight of the operator, passenger,
any installed accessories, and any luggage or
cargo brought on board or stored in the cargo
bed. Make sure that the gross vehicle weight
(vehicle load plus weight of the vehicle itself)
never exceeds 1065 kg (2348 lb).
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Vehicle loading can affect handling as well as
the recommended tire pressure. (See pages
7-9, 6-8.)EBU35513Operation on different surfaces and
terrainsGo slowly and proceed with caution when op-
erating on an unfamiliar surface or terrain.
This vehicle may handle differently in certain
types of terrains or on certain surfaces. You
may come upon hidden rocks, bumps, or
holes without enough time to react. To avoid
loss of control or rollover, always be alert to
changing surfaces or terrain when operating
the vehicle.
Your Yamaha YXZ1000R has higher ground
clearance and other features to handle rug-
ged terrain, and as a result, can overturn in
situations where some vehicles may not.
Abrupt maneuvers or aggressive driving can
cause loss of control, including rollovers –even on flat, open areas. These rollovers can
result in crushed limbs and other serious inju-
ries or death to drivers or passengers.
When operating the vehicle in areas which re-
quire the use of a safety flag, mount the safety
flag pole on the flag pole bracket. See page
5-28.
Hills
Choose carefully which hills you attempt to
climb or descend. Avoid hills with slippery
surfaces or those where you will not be able
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sense and remember that some hills are too
steep for you to climb or descend. Use proper
driving techniques to avoid rearward, for-
ward, or sideways rollovers on hills and
slopes.
Drive straight up and down inclines, not
across them. If crossing a hill is unavoidable,
drive slowly. Turn downhill immediately if you
feel the vehicle may tip.
If you think or feel the vehicle may tip or
roll:
Brace yourself by pressing your feet firmly
on the floorboard and keep a firm grip on
the steering wheel or passenger handhold.
 Do not put your hands or feet outside of the
vehicle for any reason.
Uphill
Do not attempt to climb hills until you have
mastered basic maneuv ers on flat ground.
Drive straight up hills, and avoid crossing the
side of a hill, which increases your risk of roll- over. Practice first on gentle slopes before at-
tempting steeper hills. Always check the
terrain carefully before attempting any hill.
To climb a hill, you need traction, momentum,
and steady throttle. For more traction and
control for climbing steeper and/or rougher
slopes, shift into low gear and select “4WD”
or “DIFF LOCK”. Travel fast enough to main-
tain momentum, but not so fast that you can-
not react to changes in the terrain as you
climb.
Slow down when you reach the crest of the
hill if you cannot see clearly what is on the
other side – there could be another person, an
obstacle, or a sharp drop-off.
If you start to lose traction or momentum
when climbing, and decide you will be unable
to continue, use the brakes to stop. Do not at-
tempt to turn the vehicle around. With your
foot on the brake pedal, look behind you and
plan your descent. Press the clutch pedal and
shift the transmission into reverse so you can
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lease the brake and clutch, and then begin to
coast down the hill. Use engine braking as
much as possible, gently applying the brakes
when necessary.
Downhill
Check the terrain carefully before going
downhill. When possible, choose a path that
lets you drive your vehicle straight downhill.
Choose your path carefully and drive slowly
enough to be able to react to obstacles that
you encounter.
For more traction and control, before going
down steeper and/or rougher slopes, shift
into low gear and select “4WD” or “DIFF
LOCK”. Engine braking will help you go
downhill slowly. Go as slowly as possible. If
you begin to go too fast, apply the brakes
gently. Avoid hard application of the brakes,
which could cause the vehicle to slide.If you are sliding or skidding, try to steer in the
direction the vehicle is sliding, to regain con-
trol. For example, if you feel the back of the
vehicle start to slide to your right, steer to the
right.
If you must turn on the hill to avoid an obsta-
cle, do so slowly and carefully. If the vehicle
starts to tip, immediately steer in the downhill
direction if there are no obstacles in your
path. As you regain proper balance, gradually
steer again in the direction you want to go.
Rough terrain
Operation over rough terrain should be done
with caution.

Look for and avoid obstacles that could
cause damage to the vehicle or could lead
to a rollover or accident.
 Do not drive in a way that will get the vehicle
airborne, as injury, loss of control, and
damage to the vehicle could occur.UB5J7BE0.book Page 19 Tuesday, June 18, 2019 10:07 AM