Motul is a powerhouse in the moto world, and we have been suitably impressed with its wet lube, but how does its bike cleaner stack up against the already well-established bike-specific cleaning brands? As it's been the wettest winter in years here in the north of England, I've had plenty of time to put the French brand's offering through its paces.
Design and specifications
The frame cleaner is part of a wider cleaning range and comes in a 500ml bottle made of fully recycled and recyclable plastic. The cleaner itself is water-based, VOC-free (Volatile Organic Compounds), and is said to be an eco-friendly product made with natural active ingredients that are naturally biodegradable.
At $10.79 / £10.00 for 500ml, it is expensive compared to other similar products. For example, Peaty's Loam Foam is $15.99 / £10.00, and Muc-Off Nano Tech cleaner is $16.99 / £12.00 – both come in bottles twice the size of the Motul cleaner. They are both also available in more cost-effective concentrated versions that you can mix at home. These versions usually work out cheaper and lower the number of single-use plastic bottles.
Performance
Motul's instructions on cleaning vary somewhat from how we would usually suggest you clean your bike. On the bottle I had it suggests you should let it soak on the bike for five to ten minutes after an initial pre-wash or rinse with a hose. However, the videos on Motul's site suggest a more sensible three to five minutes. After talking to the UK distributor, it appears I had a pre-production bottle, and subsequent versions have the correct instructions. It's not the end of the world, but it's worth double-checking. Once it has been left for a sufficient amount of time, simply scrub or agitate the dirt with a sponge or brush and then spray it off. As a rule of thumb, I try to ensure I don't let any frame cleaner dry, as some products can fade colors and accelerate wear if left on for too long.
There were no issues here with the cleaner drying out or causing damage or fading. Presumably, the biodegradable and natural ingredients are much kinder to delicate finishes, though I quickly reverted to my usual method of spraying the worst of the mud off before applying and leaving for a minute before a scrub and final rinse, which got great results without any more effort or waiting. The trigger works well, making it easy to get decent coverage. It's not as foamy as offerings from Peaty's and Muc-Off but did work well and appeared to work better on stubborn dirt like brake dust build-ups near calipers and dried mud in the webbing on the back of suspension fork arches.
Eco-friendly products, especially ones designed for cleaning, often lack the punch of harsher chemicals and struggle to work as well. This product strikes the balance between dirt removal and green credentials well, offering just enough performance without causing damage or leaving any odd residues on polished and matt surfaces as well as anodized components.
The bottle is smaller than similar offerings, and currently, there's no concentrated solution either, which is a shame as with other brands I like to mix the cleaner myself and just keep one bottle. This is not only more eco-friendly but also saves space in the workshop or your bike cleaning area. The smaller bottle is handy, though, for when you're traveling with the bike, perfect for post-trail center or bike race cleaning sessions before putting your pride and joy back in your vehicle.
Verdict
Motul's Frame Clean works well, has good eco credentials, and leaves no marks or weird residues, which is all you really need from a cleaner.
The small size and lack of a concentrated version might put high-mileage users off, but aside from that, it's a solid offering that performs as well as other mainstream offerings but at a high price.
Tech specs: Motul Frame Clean
- Price: $10.79 / £10.00 / €10.90
- Spray bottle: Recycled and recyclable plastic
- Size: 500ml
