Hose, Wash Bucket, Wash Mitt, WD-40, Clear-Coat Safe Tar and Bug Remover (optional), Armor-All (optional), Soft Cotton Rags, Chrome Polish (optional), Aluminum Polish, Cleaner Wax (optional), Regular Wax and Wax Applicator Pads.

Detailing your bike is easy- but it takes a while. You can achieve professional results with a little bit of time and attention to detail. Plus, it's practically free!

Step 1:
The first step to any detailing job is a good wash. But, the problem with washing your bike is that there are so many 'no-zones' for water-electricals, brakes, fuel tank, etc. This is what I do: I take a bucket of soapy water and just start lightly coating the paint with it and kind of brushing it down the side so that all the dirt slides off. I avoid all areas that I don't want water, such as the engine, gauges, underseat area, etc. You also don't need to grind the paint with the soapy mitt- the wax will take care of any caked on or stubborn crud. This is just a rinse to get rid of the loose dirt. I also take a plastic baggie and place it over my K&N crankcase breather (not necessary on bikes with emissions equipment still on). Once I've attacked all the painted surfaces, wheels, and tires, I move on to the rinse.

The rinse is even harder because you have less control over the water going everywhere. I use just a little trickle and carefully wash away all the soap residue. Don't spray the water into any crevices or
the exhaust either.

Drying stage one consists of drying off the entire bike with a clean cotton towel. The key when drying is to be gentle- you
don't want to try to buff off stubborn crud with a dry towel — that is what the cleaner wax is for.


Step 2:
Stage two is very important- use compressed air (or if you don't have a compressor use one of those compressed air cans for computers) to blow out all the water lurking in the cracks and crevices. Pay special attention to the brakes, engine, and gauge/throttle area.



Step 3:
Then comes drying stage three. Soak up all the water you just sprayed out with a clean cotton towel. Make sure you get in the fuel tank filler area- water loves to hide in there. Also get all the water from the throttle area, etc.

Now to the detailing: these are the tools of the trade. You'll need brake parts cleaner, wax (Turtle Wax is good), cleaner wax (Mother's is good), tire shine (optional, I prfer not to use it on my bike, but if you want to be sure to only use it on the sidewall that doesn't contact the ground- it's slippery and can cause a crash), tar and bug remover (be sure it's safe for clear coats), aluminum polish (Mother's works best), WD-40, spray polish (such as Honda Pro Polish), polishing rags, paper towels, chrome polish, and a wax applicator.

Step 4:
I start by taking care of the windshield with a little Honda polish. It's not as abrasive as the wax, but you still need to be gentle or scratching will occur. Sometimes I skip the windhsield if there's no bugs on it. Just spray it on a clean cloth and wipe the windshield clean. It usually doesn't require buffing.

I start by taking care of the windshield with a little Honda polish. It's not as abrasive as the wax, but you still need to be gentle or scratching will occur. Sometimes I skip the windhsield if there's no bugs on it. Just spray it on a clean cloth and wipe the windshield clean. It usually doesn't require buffing.

I usually need to hit the fork legs and headlight with tar and bug remover to remove the pesky insects. Avoid contact with painted surfaces, and if it gets on any you should wax it or rinse it off (that's why I wait to wax it). It shouldn't harm the paint, but there is a warning that it shouldn't be left on for long periods without rinsing it off.

Then I'll hit the headlight bezel with the chrome polish. Put it on a rag and massage it into the chrome. Wait for it to dry and then buff it with a clean rag.

Every once in a while I'll take some Mother's polish to the fork legs and other aluminum areas on the bike. It won't make a huge difference if the bike is cleaned regularly, but on a neglected bike it will make the metal shine like new. Just work it into the metal, wait for it to dry then buff off.



Step 5:
I then take some WD-40 and clean off any grease from the engine. WD-40 is a good chemical for this because it won't stain the
surfaces and it's not harsh, yet it cleans well.

I'll also take care of the wheels with some WD-40. It takes the gunk right off.



Step 6:
Now for the waxing. If there's any stubborn stains or anything, I'll use some Mother's cleaner wax. It works wonders for removing oxidation, paint overspray, grease and tar stains, etc. Apply it to the rag (NEVER directly to the paint or it will leave faint stains where you applied it), and work it into the paint in a backward/forward motion. Don't believe the Karate Kid movies- you don't want to apply it in circles. Wax is an abbrasive and if applied in circles it can leave circle
scratch marks (especially if there is a renegade piece of dirt embedded in the cloth). It's best to apply the wax (cleaner or otherwise) in a motion that matches the windflow so as not to create added swirl marks.

Once the wax is dry, take your clean polishing rag and buff it off, again in a front to back (windflow) motion.

After the trouble spots are tackled, you should take the normal wax and again apply it into the paint in a front to back motion along the length of the surface. Don't grind the wax in, but give it a little 'polishing' action until it dries.

Once dry, you can buff it off using your clean polishing rag. Keep turning the rag as it builds up with wax. Again, go
from front to back to negate any swirling of the paint.



Step 7:
Fianlly, you take the brake parts cleaner and clean off any wax, WD-40, or polishing residue from the brake rotors.
That stuff gets everywhere, which is why this is the last step. Place the paper towel behind the rotor and spray it on,
being careful not to touch ANYYTHING else with the cleaner. Talk about corrosive.



After that finsihed, you're done. The key to a great looking bike is a little patience. Be gentle with the paint and careful with where you get the water and everything should fine.

Original text: http://www.ducatisuite.com/