I try to never get the bike dirty, but of course it happens.... mud and water all up inside the nether parts of the bike. I just don't ride if the roads aren't dry, but I occasionally encounter wet roads or even rain. What I do is let the bike cool down, then I take a garden hose and go everywhere that there is dirt...up under the fenders always, up under the bottom of the chain guard is another area that always gets dirty. I just use warm water in a bucket with some detergent and a sponge to clean in addition to the hose. Now, if the instrument panel didn't get dirty, I don't use the hose or sponge on that....just where mud got into or on the bike.Then I ride again to dry things out a bit. When I return, I often find some areas that I missed, so I repeat, ride again. Then I use my Metro Datavac which is a high-powered blower to get water out from around all the nooks and crannies, and dry with microfiber and even Q-tips to get all the water spots off. Takes me at least an hour. When the bike and chain are completely dry (often hours after it first got muddy, cause I wait until a dry sunny day to wash it), I re-lube the chain and finally polish the painted parts with Plexus polish. When I am done the bike is in showroom condition. It's such a hassle to get the bike completely clean, that I really avoid riding in bad weather. I have only been caught once with the FZ-07, so it has only had one bath. Several bikes I have owned never had a bath...they always got sponge baths, wheel grime removed with a little water on a microfiber cloth followed by Plexus shine. All my bikes look brand new.