I just bought a 2005 YFZ450 as my first quad and I just need to know what I should do for maintenance , Im a diesel mechanic but still have lots to learn about bikes,.. I just have a few questions,

- What to watch for on these bikes
- What to do for daily maintenance, after and before rides
- What type of oil is recomended
- Any other info you can give me :)

I was looking at parts to start buying for it, I dont want to touch the engine yet until I get used to the power. I plan on buying
DG Front Bumper
DG Grab Bar
DG Alloy Nerf Bars
Pro Taper Handle Bar
Acerbis Hand Guards
Razr Tires for the rear
K&N Filter (yes or no?)
DG Skid Plate
FX Gripper Seat

Heres a Pic http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/ronniemegaw/yfz1.jpg

Nice YFZ450. I'm sure your going to love it. I still have the same one since 2004.


1 Clean your filter often - buy a couple of spares
2 I personally like Amsoil. However, I'm sure other people are having good luck with other brands.
3 Change your oil every other ride. Be safe than sorry.
KBM-Website

If you need anything (Parts or Advice) send us a private message.

Take Care
Kenneth

looks like a clean machine, NICE!

maintenance wise, just change the oil every few rides, depending on how long and hard you ride it. i have had good luck with MAXIMA oils in the past, but everyone uses different stuff.

that parts list looks solid! dont get a K&N, its paper and you want foam. go with UNI or No Toil.

have fun and be safe!

your first machine?

i say you can never have enough power lol

i run Lucas Oil 10W-30 all year round, even in the -30C we get up here

like said before, change oil often, learn to check and adjust valves (dealer can do em in about an hour), no K&N: i regret buying mine, go with a UNI or Twin Air. Cam-mod, awesome trick, good power increase and free.

Go out and have fun, know your limits!

If you want to know anything about it: maintenance, any problems you might have, come on here and i guarantee one if us will know what you are talkin about and can help you out.

So only real maintenance I have to do is oil changes,.. How often should I check/adjust valves every spring? Before I go out should I check tension on chain and adjust? How often should I clean out the carb, etc etc ..What about suspension, any maint procedures I should do?

I dont know when the last time this bike had a tune up so Id like to go over everything to make sure its top notch before I take it out, it looks like it hasnt been driven very much but w00ter doesnt seem to work that well if it sits for a long time, I work on army trucks I get that everyday..

At the bare minimum im going to change oil/filter, get a new air filter, grease all nipples, lube the chain, tighten chain if needed, lube up anything else that moves. Ill take it to the dealer saturday morning probably and have them do a tune up.

very smart idea

For the valves, they say every 20 hours. Invest in a Manual, not the one that comes with it but an advanced one. I have had my YFZ for just over a year now and i have not had to do anything with the carb, depending on the year. An 04 or 05 right?

suspension: you may have to get new seals. Judging by the picture it is very clean and looks brand new. Like i said before i have had mine for just over a year and i have not yet had to get my seals done, but they do sag more then they are supposed to so i am going to get them done.

I reccomend an oil filter swap after every oil change, it keps things lasting longer and gives me alot more confidence, up to you for that.

Get into a habit of going over everything bofre every ride, i do it while its warming up. Check for cracks, oil leaks, coolant leaks, etc. Check your chain every ride or 2 and lube if necessary.

sorry for being all over in subjects but im just sayin it as it comes in my head.

Invest in a feeler guage that can measure .004 to .01 in. A shim kit is recomended but i just get them from the dealer when i need them ($10 a shim is a lil pricey lol but whatevs)

i will add more when i can think of it but congrats on buying an awesome machine, you will be completely satisfied if you keep your maintenece regular and take care of it. When you take care of her, she takes care of you lol

I hope this helped

A lot of good advice already stated.

I am paranoid about keeping my beloved YFZ in tip top condition. General regular maintenance for me can be boiled down to these simple things:-

Regular oil change
Yamalube is fine. AMSOIL is scientifically proven more superior but is more expensive. Your YFZ will thank you for Yamalube but will love you forever if you feed it AMSOIL. Science and info here: (http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/mct.aspx).

If you ride a lot of trails/dust/sand change at least every 20 hours. You don't have to change the filter every time but why not? It takes 2 minutes and they cost next to nothing.

Regular air filter clean/replacement
I clean mine after every ride and reseal with foam oil. I use Silkolene foam filter cleaner.

Chain slack/lubrication
Chain slack should be between 25 and 35mm. If it is over 35mm it needs adjusting. I am anal about my chain. I clean it after every ride with a powered plastic brush (from Walmart: $10) and soap and water. You can use Kerosene (Yamaha approved) but soap and water is fine. Dry and lubricate with chain lube before you rest it. I wipe it off and then lube it again before I ride.

Spark Arrester cleaning (exhaust).
Go to Yamaha on line and view the user manual (you can save it but not print it). You need page 8-28. I clean about every 60 hours or so.

Pre-ride checks
Tire pressures (amazing how much difference it makes and how they change so much depending on weather from one week to the next)
Coolant level (visual)
Brake fluid level (visual)
Brakes

These are the big ticket items and not intended to be all inclusive. However, do these as a minimum and your YFZ will look after you as much as you look after it. Have fun!!!

Thank you all for the info it was a great heads up.. I bought the bike on friday and so far heres a list of mods I did to it;

AMSOIL Synthetic Oil
After Market Oil Filter
PJ1 Chain Lube'd
UNI Air Filter
21" Razr Front
20" Razr Rear
AC Front Bumper
Pro Taper Bar
Smith Grips
New Battery
PowerMadd Hand Guards
DG Grap Bar (Ordered)
DG Swingarm Skid Plate (Ordered)

Now the only thing bothering me about the bike is coolant leaking, I don't know if they are known for this or not my friend has the same problem with his yfz450 same year. When I start the bike up, and I think only when its warming up I get a slight coolant leak from under the water pump, its not coming from the water pump but underneath it,.. can anyone tell me why or whats causing this?

Heres some pictures from tonight, lighting sucks in my garage..

its your water pump seals (commen problem). pretty easy fix their is a right up on here in maintanence . and since you have to take the side cover off u might want to look into the oil injector mod. just did this stuff to my 05 yfz

when its time for more power get an FCI intake. way worth the money. a couple of foam filters retro fit this intake aswell if you dont like the 8ply kn that it somes with. the list being Prodesign UNI replacement filter, or a Sparks filter.

i dont think id get the DG nerfs either, not as much heel movement as you could get with other nerfs. like Rath or unless you get the double net version.

You guys know this post is almost a year old already??