I found out about "Liquid Glass" on this forum and am a total convert.  Expensive (around $20/can) but everything buffs right out with detailer mist and a microfiber cloth.  15 months and over 20,000 miles and the only dings in the finish are on the front fender from rocks.  Take the time to put about three coats on initially and it will really harden the clearcoat.  I add a couple of more coats every 6 months.  Really amazing stuff.

Here's what works for me.

I clean my bike with Meguiar's Detailers Mist and a microfiber cloth on a regular basis.  Takes about 10 minutes to wipe down every surface of the bike except the engine fins.

Every 6 months I put on 3 coats of the Liquid Glass Ultimate Auto Polish/Finish (gold can/ red vette as described above).  I might stretch it out over a week or so because I like to let each coat "cure" in the sun for at least half a day.  (I keep wiping down with Detailer mist between coats.)  The only part of my bike that scuffs on a regular basis is the triangular panel right in front of the seat (from my 3/4 length jacket).  I don't have a passenger on board much so I can't comment on the saddlebag scuffs.  After one coat of the Liquid Glass I can still see scuff marks.  After the second coat, they are gone.  The third coat is like a freshly buffed clearcoat and the Midnight Cherry metalflake absolutely jumps out at you.  It is literally nicer than the day I bought it because the clearcoats are so deep. 

The Liquid Glass truly thrives on the "thinner is better" principle.  Put just enough on to know it is there.  (I dab it on the cloth and apply with my index finger.)  Wipe it back and forth in straight lines.  Follow the lines of whatever panel you are polishing.  (Forget about the old-school swirly/polish method.)  It is all about long, straight lines of very thin wax.  By the time you have gone around the whole bike the starting point will have hazed over and you can wipe it off.  Again, just follow the lines of the bike.  You will undoubtedly get some polish on the plastic edges of the trunk or at the very front of the console, around the speakers or mirrors.  Just spray a dab of WD40 on a cloth and rub the wax off of the plastic.  (I just did coat #2 for my Springtime waxjob today.  Did the first coat last friday.)  I'm not a freak about show quality looks (I might touch the wheels once every three months) but the Liquid Glass base with the detailer mist makes it really easy to keep clean.

In short:  Use any good cleaner/detailer first.  Apply three coats of Liquid Glass but allow each to cure well between coats.  Prepare to be blown away.

Thanks for the props guys.  I'm not nearly into polishing as it may sound.  In fact I use the Meguiar's detailer mist and Liquid Glass because I don't want to waste a bunch of time doing it.  The detailer mist is literally an all in one product.  Plastic, metal, chrome, glass, vinyl cleaner.  I have never used chrome polish or anything else specifically designed for each surface.  (That's not to say I won't, I just haven't needed it yet.)  I like the mist because the bike doesn't feel "staticky" afterwards.

I used to be a hard-core carnuba wax guy but the soft clearcoat on the factory paint job had me looking at other options.  After checking into the Liquid Glass I dove in and took a chance on it.  It has totally exceeded my expectations.  If it only made the bike look nice that would be enough but it also leaves a much tougher surface on the bike and is noticeably harder than the original clearcoat. 

Here's a point of reference for you:  I wear size 12 boots and the paint in front of the floorboards (where the fairing curves upwards) looks brand new after 16 months and over 20,000 miles. 

There may be something better out there but I've never heard about it.