Leaving for a year and read lots of post's about fogging the cylinders and wiping WD-40 to the chrome. So being the guy I am, I called my local dealer and asked what their suggestions were.

Mine questions;
1. Never heard of fogging the motor nor knew what it was
2. WD-40 was "HUH"

Their suggestions were;
1. top off and add stabilizer
2. Elevate bike to prevent flat spots
3. Connect battery tender

I have my bike on carpet to prevent moisture from hitting the chrome and it will have a breathable cover on it. I have added stabilizer and am leaving the tender hooked up so it can trickle for a year.

Can you Fog a fuel injected bike, will WD-40 cause any damage on the chrome if on there for a year and if I leave the tender hooked up will it in time get the battery to hot and cause it to boil?

 

Before I left to Iraq I did this;

Filled tank, added Stabil.

Changed all fluids, so they were fresh.

Removed battery, because I knew I was buying a new one when I came home.

Parked bike on jiffy stand on a military wool blanket.

Covered it.

Came home after 6 months for a 14 day R&R. Rode the pig and refilled tank, added Stabil again. Covered her and left it for another 6 months.

No worries, over fill your tires by about 10 pounds, you'll be fine, don't worry about flatspots, etc..

 

Battery Tender is specifically made to trickle charge and then drop off when the battery reaches 14.6 volts. You could leave it on there for a decade if you wanted. All the other suggestions are solid. I wouldn't worry about fogging the inside of the cylinders unless your leaving it for over a year.

 

+1 Full tank of premium fuel with Stabil additive- that was ran through the system for a few miles to work the additive through the fuel system. Placed the bike on my lift jack and connected the battery tender. Also threw some thick blankets and sheets over it to protect from accidentally bumps while in the garage. Not heard anything about fogging the engine- seems unnecessary.

 

S100 Corrosion Protectant on the chrome. All the other suggestions are solid.

 

Hi,
I use a battery tender, keep a full tank of fuel without ethanol, and the bike sits on a scissor jack to relax the suspensions
But when there is a power glitch, the battery tender does not resume its function automatically so I have to do it manually. For a long absence I would ask someone to check every week or so.

 

+1. WD40 dries out pretty quick and may even assist the rusting process. I wouldn't use it.

 

If you are leaving to serve our country - God Bless!!


Straightleg

 

...I agree with the "no fogging" suggestions...It's not needed, and in my opinion is asking for trouble...some of these bikes sit for over a year from the time they are built...to the time they are sold...think about it...we don't see any dealers fogging engines...so why do it...

 

Stabil and battery tender. Any cover should be well vented so as not to trap moisture.
Check boating supply places, they have a device that controls moisture during storage (One brand may be called a "gold rod").
You could put a good coat of wax on polished aluminum (and chrome, if you wanted to).