The Full Detail... 

I am assuming you have read the "Lazy Detail" detail section, so I won't be repeating certain things.
This section is by no means complete, I will be concentrating on paint care and restoration at first because of the requests I have recieved...

OK... there are a few must haves... first of all, if you don't have a shop manual for your bike, I strongly urge you to get one. Secondly, you will need the hand tools required to work on the bike (ie. a torque wrench) and third... if you are going to be doing any paint restoration, you will need a buffer or polishing machine like the "Ultimate Detailing Machine ".
I will be referring to settings related to the U.D.M. for the sake of this article so if you use a different machine, it will be up to you to find out the correct settings.

Alright... in the Full Detail we are going to partially disassemble the bike.
The depth of disassembly is up to you, but the main things I am focusing on are the painted sections, so if it is painted...  it comes off.

First remove the seat and the battery... scrub down the battery with baking soda and an old toothbrush, rinse it well and set it aside to dry.

Fairings and hard bags aside, we will start with the gas tank (refer to your shop manual for details)
Tip: Since you should be able to remove the gas tank at will, I have found it easier to remove the stock crimp clamps on the crossover line (if equiped) and main fuel line and replace them with fuel injector line clamps (the screw type) so I don't have to re-crimp new clamps each time I remove the tank. Some of the newer EFI bikes already have quick connect couplers so you can skip this step.
A short piece of fuel line works great for draining the gas into a gas can.
This is a good time to check your fuel screen and clean any gunk out of the tank.

Next... remove the fenders (see shop manual).

OK.. plug the vent hole at the front of the gas tank and any other openings and wash the tank and the fenders with Dawn (blue) dish detergent, rinse well and dry (see Lazy section) then place the parts on a blanket or sheet or some other protective surface.

It is quite common over time, that the vent nipple, on the front of the gas tank, will rust from the condensation that is constantly being released. If this is the case with your tank, you need to remove the rust the best you can, with a dremel and mini-wire wheel or sand paper and then get a small cup or bottle cap and fill it with metal prep or etching compound and submerge the nipple in it for approx. 3 minutes or as the directions on the bottle say. This stuff is acid that will eat the remaining rust, leaving you perfectly clean and prepared metal. Be careful not to get any on the rest of the tank. Once the metal prep has done it's job, rinse or soak the nipple in fresh water to neutralize the acid. Use a self etching primer to prime the bare metal but DO NOT plug up the vent hole with primer or paint.
After the primer has fully cured, you can touch up the paint (outside) with a color match paint.

Swirls & Scratches

Finally... the section most requested.
I've got good news and bad news... the good news is... swirls, spiderwebs and scratches can be removed.
The bad news is.... you can't permanently remove them with products like Scratch-X (unless they are very, very miniscule). Most hand applied products only mask the swirl or scratch, they don't remove them.

This is what a cross-cut view of scratches and swirls looks like...


It is actually the way that the light reflects off of the edge of the scratch that makes it so noticable and darker coloured base coats show it the most.
What most hand applied products do is fill the scratch to reduce the refractory level and thus make the scratch less noticeable but it is a temporary solution that requires frequent re-application.

Paint restoration is a completely different matter and looks 100% better. When done properly, the paint job will actually look better than when it rolled out of the factory.

So first things first... any scratches that go to the metal or even the primer will eventually rust (depending on where you live, up here in Canada, it will only take about a year), so we want to take care of those first. If there is already rust present, we have to get rid of it (friggin' cancerous stuff man), I like using a "Prep Pen" (available in autobody supply stores) to remove most of the rust, then follow it with metal prep (etching fluid) on a Q-Tip to remove the remaining rust... wash and rinse. 
If the scratch goes to the metal, put some self etching primer in a small container (bottle cap) and using a round, double pointed toothpick, just dip the end of the toothpick in the primer and without getting it on the surface of the paint (remove with thinner if you do) let gravity suck it into the hole onto the metal surface. The trick here is to have patience, don't try to rush this job. As long as the metal is covered with primer, you are good to go. A magnifying glass is an absolute asset when doing this, so if you don't have one, borrow Grandma's.
Let the primer cure and repeat the same steps with the base coat... DON'T FILL THE HOLE! You need room for the clear coat. Just use enough to cover the primer.
TIP: Keep the edges free from primer or base coat using a shop towel (blue) and thinner wrapped around a school type rectangular eraser to reduce sanding required.

Let dry and top with clear coat using the same method but this time, go just a hair over the top of the scratch. Let dry... follow directions on bottle for drying times.
You should now have a slight bump... sand this down using 2000 or higher wet sandpaper wrapped around a school type, rectangular eraser, until level.

If the scratch does not go to the primer or metal, give it the fingernail test... run your fingernail over the scratch... if you can feel the scratch at all, you will need to fill it using clear coat using the method above, however, you will clean the scratch with alcohol first to remove any contaminants. If you can't feel the scratch, then it will buff out so no further steps are required.

NOTE: The bottoms or underside of the fenders are most important... scratches hold dirt and smooth surfaces don't... ideally, the underside of your fenders will look at least as good as the topside.

Buffing

It's not an easy task buffing out a bike and the reason is that the parts are so small... so you have to think small... finding the smallest buffing pads for example. Another issue is supporting the work while working on it.. pro shops have support stands that the tank, fenders, etc. are bolted to, to secure the workpiece. Another alternative is to support the buffer (U.D.M.) and hold the workpiece, moving it over the buffer. A third and more likely scenario for the weekend detailer, is to set the workpiece in your lap while moving the buffer over it. (a little more dangerous - don't wear loose clothing or jewelry and don't wear your Sunday best either... this is a messy job)

Alright... paint's all dry and clean... wokpiece is supported firmly in your Grandmothers lap (chicken!)
First of all tell Grandma to close her eyes or wear safety goggles, then thank her for being cool enough to help you with this project and allowing you to use both hands on the machine... then prepare the machine by putting an "orange cutting pad" on it and applying some pad conditioner to the pad. Set the speed to "5". Now add about 3-4 blobs (dime size) of 

CGC-1 ULTRA LIGHT Compound MICRO SCRATCH REMOVER(1 Gal)  to the cutting pad,

or

CGC-2 MEDIUM Compound OXIDATION SCRATCH FIGHTER (1 Gal)  if the swirls or scratches are heavy, then work down to CGC-1.

Without turning the machine on, smoosh it all over the workpiece, now hold the pad against the workpiece and turn on the machine. (Don't be scared... it's not as violent as you think)
Gently move the pad over the workpiece until the compound is spread around and then start buffing out the scratches in an up down, then side to side fashion. You will continue this until the compound dissapears and the piece starts to look like a mirror... continue until the scratches are gone. It's really just that simple! If you are using the U.D.M. and CGC-1 it is almost impossible to screw up the paint... the CGC-2 is a little more abrasive but the U.D.M. is almost fool proof. If the scratches look like they are gone but the cutting compound still seems to be there.. let it haze up and buff it off... done!

Now remove the cutting pad, wipe the compound off of Grandma and put a "Polishing Pad" on the U.D.M.... condition the pad and put some WET MIRROR FINISH ULTRA SLICK NON-STICK GLOSS MAGNIFIER-Mirror Perfect Reflections (16 oz)   on the pad the same way. Turn the speed down on the U.D.M. to "2" and apply it the same way except this time don't buff until it is gone... just well covered.... use a hand applicator to get the parts you can't reach with the machine.... let it haze up and wipe it off with a microfiber towel or bonnet.

Now... change the pad to a "Finishing Pad", condition and repeat the step above with either Jet Seal or M-Seal... Done and DOUBLE BLING!

Before I started...


Ah Hem! After I'm finished...

This is not my bike... it's my truck... my bike is white pearl.
Much more dramatic on black or dark colours!
I wasn't kidding when I said mirror! Te hehehe!

This is my bike...

This was not buffed out, I just used the Crystal Glo Kit... not as dramatic but not bad for white... the bike is actually dirty in this picture.

More to come later...