Well, since you asked
I start with Meguiars NXT wash, and you don't just put some in a bucket and spray it with the hose. You measure it out. Why? If you use too much soap, well that is just a waste, too little and you won't have enough lube on your wash mit, which will cause micro-marring of the paint. This adds up over time and dulls the finish.
I dry with a nice waffle weave-microfiber towel. The old bath towels my wife gives me to use in the garage get her a "thanks honey", right before they hit the garbage can. I suggest a Sonus, der wonder drying towel. You will probably have to order it online, since there are limited distributors in the states.
Any residual bug guts need to be addressed as their little dead ***** will eat up your paint. Most alcohol based bug and tar removers are fine. I usually deal with these on a daily basis to protect the paint.
Next, you want to run your hand over your paint. If it isn't real smooth, you probably have some contaminates bonding to your clear coat that can't be removed by washing alone. For this you will need a detailing clay. I have used the Mother's California Gold with great success here. This is usually followed by another wash. The good part is claying will only need to be done once or twice a year.
For a world class shine you can use a product called Klasse all in one. This goes on and comes off pretty easy. After, follow it up with Klasse sealant glaze. This stuff should be applied as thin as possible. I buff this stuff off by hand with a Sonus, microfiber buffing towel. In my opinion, our bikes are too small to be using a porter cable or some other buffing machine. The sealant glaze has about a 12 hour cure time, so you will need to let it sit for a while. But it leaves a very hard acrylic shine that is second to none. You can put on two coats if you like, just let them both cure for the required time.
After all this, I usually follow it up with a carnauba wax topper. Meguiars is my wax of choice. Right now I am using the gold class, but will try the NXT when this bottle runs out. This is about the deepest, wettest shine possible on the factory paint.
Now, if you have used the Klasse twins, you have set yourself up pretty good for the rest of the summer. After your following washings, you can use Sonus, acrylic glaze after you wash, which will really make your shine pop again, without all the previous steps. Feel free to put another carnauba topper on it if you like.
For your tail lights, windsheild and headlights, Plexus as stated before. I use Mothers back to black for the black plastic around the instrument cluster, and rear view mirrors, but be careful with this stuff. If you put a heavy coat of it on, it can and will streak. Don't forget your rear wheel well too. All this work and a dirty wheel well looks like crap.
Some sites to try are detailcity.com or autopia.com if you want more tips and techniques.
If you can get your wife to do all that, you are my hero :king:
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