Keeping the bike always clean is a good thing. While you are at it , you can check loose / missing fasteners, oil / fluid leak, etc.
Everyone has his / her own favorite way to wash / clean the bike, so this is just "my" way of doing it.
( Also, as the title says, this thread is about how to keep the bike clean, NOT how to clean up extremely dirty bike. That requires a little bit different approach. And,I believe you don't let your precious Ducati get that dirty .)
Anyway, here's how it goes ...
*Before you start ...*
If possible, pick up the mild weather day / overcast day without strong wind blast.
Avoid washing the bike in the direct sunlight, in the middle of hot summer day.
First, I put the bike up on the maintenance stand.
Spray on wheel cleaner, and start from cleaning the wheel.
"What ? Isn't that supposed to be the other way 'round ? Washing from top to bottom is the right way to wash the vehicle, right?"
Um,... let me explain why I start from washing wheel. I normally don't hose down water on the bike, at all. Water in spray bottle and plexus (or something similar) for tank, fairing, frame,etc, rubbing alcohol + microfiber towel for wheels, WD40 and cotton rugs for hard parts (exhaust, swing arm, around foot control, etc), that's it. Only every once in a while (maybe once in every 3 - 4 months) I "wash" with hose.
Even then, I don't wash like car washing. And if you don't follow standard "car wash" procedure, you don't have to follow "top to bottom" theory either.
I have white wheels, and I don't like dirty white wheels. Wheels, brake parts, underside of the engine are the places that get dirty and require more energy (and time) to clean up nicely. (top half of the bike is relatively easy.)
That's why I start from the bottom of the bike (do the hardest part while i still have energy ...)
If you use garden hose with shower nozzle, set it to "shower" and avoid pointing it wheel bearing area.
Don't set it to "jet" or something like that, don't use high pressure.
Be careful about wave rotors, you can easily cut your hand with their edge.
I use this one for cleaning lower half of the bike.
Extreme Simple Green Aircraft & Precision Cleaner (safe on painted surface, carbon fiber and aluminum)
http://gsa.simplegreen.com/gsa_products_extreme.php
spay it on brake caliper ...
... scrub with tooth brush ...
then hose down (with shower setting + low pressure). Check if there's any sign of brake fluid leak.
The head of the horizontal cylinder, oil cooler are, crank case , all cleaned in the same way.
Check oil leak. Anything damaged under side of the engine? Oil cooler line ?
Rotate wheels and check tires, too.
The other side ...
Can you tell what I am doing?
You don't want to leave your bike wet, you want to wipe it dry as soon as you finish rinsing.
If you have a compressor, using air gun and blow wet area is the quickest and most effective way.
I don't have a compressor (well, I do, but it's for air-brushing. Too wimpy for this task), so I used garden sprayer to blow air ... (use towels , too.)
Now, moving to "upper half" of the bike.
First, blowing foreign object off of the surface of the tank, fairing, etc ...
... then, spray fine mist of water ...
... then, apply your favorite cleaner / polisher / wax / whatever ...
(I'm using KLASSE in this photo, but I also use Plexus a lot. And mirror glaze for wind screen .)
Don't use Windex. (Windex contains ammonia)
... getting close to twilight time. What am I going to eat tonight ?
Change microfiber towel often. Don't be stingy ...
Remove the seat and clean underneath. Check wiring / condition of the connector at the same time.
... keep cleaning... the sun is going down ...
Good stuff for protecting carbon fiber bits from nasty UV rays.
Lube brake pedal pivot, shift linkage etc. Oh, and side stand pivot, too.
Good stuff.
DONE. Time for coffee ...
