Yamaha XT350 Maintenance Schedule and Service Intervals
This is the maintenance schedule and associated service intervals for the Yamaha XT350, a single-cylinder air-cooled carburettor-fed dual sport that was kick-start only (but also very light!). It was made from 1991 until 2000, staying the same in the whole period. But many are still in service today, because they’re bulletproof.
The XT350 is powered by a 346cc single-cylinder engine with a gentle compression ratio of 9.0:1. Its dry weight is a featherweight 120kg, which means its 23kW of power (31 hp) gets it really far — it’ll even do highway time, if you’re brave!
After its retirement, the Yamaha XT350 was effectively discontinued. These days, the equivalent is the more advanced Yamaha XT250.
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Yamaha XT350 Service Intervals
Overall, the Yamaha XT350 has 4000 mile / 6000 km or 6-monthly service intervals. At every service, change the oil and adjust the valve clearances.
Every service, look over the list of items to check, adjust, or lubricate. Make sure the rubber parts stay in good condition.
Every second service, change the oil filter, clean the oil strainer, and change the spark plugs.
Aside from that, just maintain the chain and keep the fluids fresh, lubricate moving parts regularly, and bob’s your uncle.
What you need to service a Yamaha XT350
If you’re servicing a Yamaha XT350, you need to start with basic motorcycle maintenance tools.
After that, here are the basic consumables you need to service your XT350.
Your XT350 is a carburettor-fed, air-cooled motorcycle with a chain drive. It has a disc front brake, a drum rear brake, and… precious little else. Keep it lubed and hopefully it’ll go for a while (though not forever, some complain that the valves tend to fail after about 50K miles).
Part | Yamaha XT350 Spec |
---|---|
Oil | The XT350 isn’t a demanding bike — use a basic oil like Yamalube 10W-40. |
Oil filter | Hiflofiltro HF143 oil filter. |
Spark plug | Use an NGK D8EA spark plug. |
Air Filter | You need a Hiflofiltro HFF4019 foam air filter. Keep it maintained with Yamalube air filter oil |
Chain | Maintain your chain with a Motul chain care kit or Motul chain paste |
Grease | Keep external pivot points greased with lithium soap-based grease. |
Brake fluid | Use Castrol DOT 4 or similar |
Brake pads | Use EBC graphite brake pads, FA101X for the XT350. |
Yamaha XT350 Maintenance Schedule
Below is the maintenance schedule for the Yamaha XT350.
The original maintenance schedule for the Yamaha XT350 was broken into two sections: periodic maintenance for emission control systems, and general maintenance and lubrication. But these have been combined for simplicity.
Yamaha recommends you get a mechanic or dealer to service everything other than the chain, oil, and major lubrication points. (Not likely!!)
Notes:
- Beyond the end of the maintenance schedule, follow it in the pattern shown
- The break-in schedule is omitted as the XT350 is no longer sold new.
- The below maintenance schedule is for the US-delivered XT350. The European spec is a little different.
mi x 1000 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
km x 1000 | 7 | 13 | 19 | 25 | 31 | |
Months | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 | Every |
Drain and replace engine oil (Yamalube 10W-40) | X | X | X | X | X | |
Replace oil filter element (HF153) | X | X | ||||
Clean oil strainer, replace if damaged | X | X | ||||
Wash and dampen air filter with oil (Yamaha air filter oil) | X | X | X | X | X | |
Check and adjust valve clearances | X | X | X | X | X | |
Check spark plug condition. Adjust gap and clean | X | X | X | |||
Replace spark plugs (D8EA) | X | X | ||||
Replace brake fluid (Castrol DOT 4) and rubber parts of brake master cylinder / caliper | 2 years | |||||
Replace brake hoses | 4 years, or earlier if damaged | |||||
Adjust brake system free play. Check hoses for fluid leakage | X | X | X | X | X | |
Replace brake pads (front) or shoes (rear) if necessary | X | X | X | X | X | |
Adjust clutch free play | X | X | X | X | X | |
Check drive chain condition. Adjust and lubricate chain thoroughly (Motul chain paste) | 300 mi / 500 km or when chain gets dirty / wet | |||||
Lubricate control and meter cables thoroughly (Protect all cable life) | X | X | X | X | X | |
Grease rear arm pivot shaft and suspension link pivots (Lithium soap-based grease) | X | X | X | X | X | |
Lubricate brake lever, clutch lever, and brake pedal shafts lightly (Lithium soap-based grease) | X | X | X | X | X | |
Check sidestand operation and lubricate lightly | X | X | X | X | X | |
Check front fork operation and for leakage | X | X | X | X | X | |
Check steering bearing assembly for looseness | X | X | X | X | ||
Repair steering bearings with lithium soap-based grease | X | |||||
Check wheel bearing for smooth rotation | X | X | X | X | X | |
Check battery specific gravity, and that the breather pipe is working properly. | X | X | X | X | X | |
Check sidestand switch and clean or replace if necessary | X | X | X | X | X | |
Check crankcase ventilation hose for cracks or damage | X | X | X | |||
Check fuel hose for damage | X | X | X | X | X | |
Check exhaust for leakage. Retighten / replace gaskets as necessary | X | X | X | X | X | |
Clean spark arrester | X | X | X | X | X | |
Check and adjust engine idle speed, and adjust throttle cable freeplay | X | X | X | X | X | |
Check and adjust decomp cable free play | X | X | X | X | X | |
Check evap control system for damage. Replace if necessary | X | X |
About the Yamaha XT350
The Yamaha XT350 is a lightweight dual-purpose bike that packs plenty of usable punch for both occasional road hauls and off-road exploration. It’s exceptionally maneuverable and ready to tackle rough terrain.
The XT350’s single-cylinder air-cooled 4-stroke engine provides a broad range of torque, making it reassuring in pretty much any scenario. You may not want to cross the country on high-speed freeways on it… but you could… in the slow lane!
Thanks to the precise steering that the short wheelbase provides and convenient 5-speed transmission, the Yamaha XT350 is easy to ride, especially with quickly-adjustable suspensions to offer the best damping and compression for all kinds of surfaces.
Many people have a special place in their heart for the XT350. Even decades after the last one was made, there are lots to be found in people’s garages — though relatively few on the used market. It’s one of those bikes that people either regret selling, or know they’ll regret selling.
What’s quite impressive is that you can actually push the XT350 to some serious speed — north of 120 km/h (75 mph) or even 140 mph (90 mph) if you’re patient. Of course, riding the XT350 isn’t about getting to top speed — but it’ll do it if you need it to.
Manual for the Yamaha XT350
The above information was gleaned from the US owner’s manual for the 2000 Yamaha XT350.
You can download it from Yamaha’s website here.