A motorcycle wash is best as it's designed to remove the crap and not hurt anything. Wal Mart sells some in motorcycle dept next to auto dept. get two. Although any solution designed for Motorcycles will work.
A wash mit works great as you can get it into places a sponge won't.
A wheel brush ia also helpful. I get the loop kind and the long one shaped like a cone.

Follow directions on the bottle, But most importantly let what you spray on cool bike work before you go rinsing it off. I see too many people spray it on and rinse it right off. Do a section at a time. Sometimes like after my recent winter blizzard soaked in salt run, I had to do the routine more than once to be satisfied I got all the salt and grime off.

I do sections and when I am done I do the whole bike again. Be sure to do the underside as it's most important especially if you have ridden in any corrosive environment (salt, fertilizer, whatever, just more than whats obvious)

When I am done I dry it with a micro cloth to get the most water off, then I hit it with the leaf blower to get more off and then I hit it with an air blow tool with the extension tube. That is amazing blasting water out of very hard to get areas. I feel great knowing no water is hiding in there and causing rust, and, it spotlessly dries the bike.

Then, i use a quick detail er type product to keep the wax refreshed and kill any water spots. Or a good coat of wax.

Wal Mart also sells other bike cleaning products and I have used all of them. I go through the most of the Blackhawlk as it is great and i do mean great for on the run touch ups removing all bugs and can be used on anything and I do mean anything, Leather, chrome, plastic shields, anything! I never ride without it!

MC