Use very light pressure to...
Use very light pressure to gently brush the corn starch across the finish and polish out fine scratches.
I don't know about you, but when it comes to my motorcycle's paint work, I'm pretty picky. I go through a regular regime of cleaning, polishing and waxing, including using a fine scratch remover to prevent any swirls from appearing in the clearcoat.
Not too long ago I was whining over the high cost of commercial swirl removers when my buddy Pete suggested I use a little corn starch to remove the fine lines instead of the more expensive polish.
"Well, Pete," I said, "I've heard of doing that, but I've never actually tried it myself. What's the deal?"
"It's like this," he replied. "After the bike has been washed and buffed, you sprinkle a little cornstarch over the paint. Use a perfectly clean piece of toweling and very light pressure to gently brush the starch across the finish. The ultra-fine abrasiveness of the cornstarch will polish out the swirls in the clearcoat without actually cutting through it. Blow the residue off when you're done, then throw a little wax at her. She'll be swirl-free and shining like a new penny in no time."
A word to the wise: Try this on a hidden portion of the paint first just in case the results aren't what you expected.
For more articles on how to customize, maintain and modify your motorcycle, see the Tech & Custom section of MotorcycleCruiser.com.