I want to remove the paint from my wheels for a polished look

To polish the rims, use paint stripper in a spray can and about 2 boxes of Brillo pads. Put the bike on the centerstand, spray some stripper on the rims (being careful not the get it on the tires!), let it sit for 10 seconds, then scrub vigorously with a brillo pad. It takes about 30 mins. per wheel. The paint on the spokes and the other rough surfaces on the wheel isn't coming off without a fight! For this reason, most people strip only the lips; use a good quality masking tape to define a line around the wheel exposing only about the outermost inch of wheel. The finish is shiny and looks great.

Dave - nYc has written a comprehensive article on this procedure.

You can also perform this procedure on your gas cap.

Remove it from the tank by removing the seven allen bolts around the perimeter and one screw that is visible with the cap open - be careful not to drop that one in the tank! With the cap assembly removed from the tank you'll see two screws that allow you to remove the cap from the ring; do that, and then apply stripper to the ring as above.