Turning Your Atv - Yamaha WOLVERINE 450 YFM45FXY Owner's Manual

Select a large, flat, unpaved area to become famil-
iar with your ATV. Make sure that this area is free
of obstacles and other riders. You should practice
control of the throttle, brakes, and turning tech-
niques in this area before trying more difficult ter-
rain. Always avoid riding on paved surfaces: the
ATV is designed for use on unpaved surfaces only,
and handling maneuvers are more difficult to per-
form on pavement.
Shift to the park position and follow the instruction
on page 6-1 to start the engine. Once it has
warmed up you are ready to begin riding your ATV.
Remember that the engine and exhaust pipe will
be hot when riding and afterwards; do not allow
skin or clothing to come in contact with these com-
ponents.
With the engine idling, return the starter (choke) to
the closed position, and shift the drive select lever
into the forward position. Apply the throttle slowly
and smoothly. The centrifugal clutch will engage
and you will start to accelerate. If the throttle is ap-
plied too abruptly, the front wheels may lift off the
ground, resulting in a loss of directional control.
Avoid higher speeds until you are thoroughly famil-
iar with the operation of your ATV.
When slowing down or stopping, release the throt-
tle and apply the brakes smoothly and evenly. Im-
proper use of the brakes can cause the tires to lose
traction, reducing control and increasing the possi-
bility of an accident.

TURNING YOUR ATV

To achieve maximum traction on unpaved surfac-
es, the two rear wheels are mounted solidly on one
axle and turn together at the same speed. There-
fore, unless the wheel on the inside of the turn is al-
lowed to slip or lose some traction, the ATV will
resist turning. A special turning technique must be
used to allow the ATV to make turns quickly and
easily. It is essential that this skill be learned first at
low speed.
7-12
7