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review
Lubrication
Motorex Wet Chain LubeMotorex Wet Lube

Motorex Wet Chain Lube

8
by David Arthur @davearthur
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Nov 15, 2013

6
£6.49

VERDICT:

8
10
Easy to apply and goes the distance, and performs well in wet weather and stays clean.
Weight: 
100g
Contact: 
www.raleigh.co.uk
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Motorex Wet Chain Lube stays put in the rain and doesn't attract excessive road crud.

Chain lubes are generally divided between dry and wet lubes, and at this time of year a wet lube is generally a better choice for coping with the adverse riding conditions. Motorex is a company with plenty of expertise in lubricants in other markets, and have applied that know-how to this chain lube and the result is a top-notch lube that stands up to challenging conditions and lasts well.

It's a fully synthetic lube and is complete biodegradable. The lube goes on easily, it's just the right consistency so that it pours from the flip-top bottle at a predictable rate, making application easy. It sticks to the chain with good tenacity and doesn't leave a puddle on the floor or ground - that's good if you're working on the bike in the kitchen.

Performance on the bike is impressive. The lube quietens even the noisiest drivetrain (if you've been bad and let it run dry) and provides around 200-300 miles between applications. It copes well in less than ideal conditions, in the rain or riding along roads caked in mud and drenched in water. I tend to wash my bikes very regularly and always give the chain and transmission a thorough degrease, before reapplying the Motorex Wet lube, to preserve the chain and cassette. Motorex also recommend applying the lube to a dry and clean chain, what you don't want to be doing is layering new lube on top of old lube.

Wet lube can attract dirt and grit onto the chain, but I didn't notice this happening dramatically while testing it, the chain remaining impressively clear of accumulated gunk and detritus. They claim it's good in wet weather, and my testing in the recent wet weather confirms this, it really holds onto the chain well even when there is effectively a jet washer on the bike from all the road spray.

You can buy it in four sizes but the 100ml bottle I've been testing has lasted ages, I won't be running out anytime soon. It's very comparable to Morgan Blue Race Oil (/content/review/94370-morgan-blue-race-oil) in terms of performance and intervals between reapplication, but the Motorex is a little cheaper and just nips over the line first in wet weather riding.

Verdict

Easy to apply and goes the distance, and performs well in wet weather and stays clean.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Motorex Wet Chain Lube

Size tested: 100ml

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Biodegradable, fully synthetic lubricant. The MOTOREX WET LUBE contains additives that allow it to penetrate quickly and deeply. Provides optimum lubrication and outstanding protection against corrosion. Specially developed for riding conditions where the lubricant has to adhere to the chain for extended periods. The lubricant is highly water repellent, making it ideal for damp and muddy conditions.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Apply product to dry, clean chain while turning pedals. Avoid contact with brakes – the product may impair brake action! Shake well before using.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Perfect for winter riding, lasts for ages and stays pretty clean.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Yup goes the distance, about 200-300 miles in testing.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

You need to invest in a high quality lube for the winter, and this one from Motorex is easy to apply, lasts the distance and doesn't attract dirt.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Lasts for ages and it's biodegradable

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Isn't really anything to dislike.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 31  Height: 180  Weight: 67

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, touring, mtb,

 

Wet lube
Motorex Wet Chain Lube
David Arthur @davearthur

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes. 

Add new comment

6 comments

Avatar
Metjas | 11 years ago
0 likes

motor oil, chain oil? And I thought we were the green brigade.

Avatar
massspike | 11 years ago
0 likes

Motor oil works really well but you need to mix it with mineral spirits (3:1 or 2:1) and soak the chain (at least overnight) so it will penetrate the pins/bushings. This is an old school pro-mechanic technique and it results in a "perfectly" lubed chain.

I used to do this but it is messy, doesn't last long, and you need to remove the chain each time. I also don't think I was saving money at the end of the day even re-using the oil/spirit mix.

P.S. I also used diesel to clean the chains (another old school trick) so my bike "shop" was probably violating multiple EU laws 3

Avatar
William Black | 11 years ago
0 likes

This stuff for winter mountain biking, should be easily good enough for road use:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/hp-146-chainsaw-oil-1ltr/27933

Cyclists clearly have "Blank Cheque" written on their forehead.

(Summer use where I prefer a cleaner dryer chain I use the Juice Lubes viking stays lubed for ages!)

Avatar
TomvanHalen replied to William Black | 11 years ago
0 likes
William Black wrote:

This stuff for winter mountain biking, should be easily good enough for road use:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/hp-146-chainsaw-oil-1ltr/27933

Cyclists clearly have "Blank Cheque" written on their forehead.

(Summer use where I prefer a cleaner dryer chain I use the Juice Lubes viking stays lubed for ages!)

I'd rather not have to deep clean my chain after every ride thanks, any kind of motor oil is way too thick and picks up so much filth.

I'm fond of the Squirt wax lube, especially for MTB. For the road the Motorex spray on wet lube seems to stay fairly clean.

Avatar
William Black replied to TomvanHalen | 11 years ago
0 likes
TomvanHalen wrote:
William Black wrote:

This stuff for winter mountain biking, should be easily good enough for road use:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/hp-146-chainsaw-oil-1ltr/27933

Cyclists clearly have "Blank Cheque" written on their forehead.

(Summer use where I prefer a cleaner dryer chain I use the Juice Lubes viking stays lubed for ages!)

I'd rather not have to deep clean my chain after every ride thanks, any kind of motor oil is way too thick and picks up so much filth.

I'm fond of the Squirt wax lube, especially for MTB. For the road the Motorex spray on wet lube seems to stay fairly clean.

Oh, I don't I just clean it again until spring...saves on all that mucky muck. wipe it down with a dirty rag after each ride and re apply a tiny amount at each joint.

Then when the weather cheers up Juice lubes Super Gnarrl in a park chain cleaner and ready to go till the summer bikes come out...cheap as chips.

Avatar
daviddb | 11 years ago
0 likes

Sounds like v.good stuff but here's the thing. At £6.49 for 100ml thats in round terms £324,00 for 5 litres.

Lidl sell 5litres of 15/40 oil for a tenner.

Is the Motorex stuff thirty-two times better?

Quite a bit better in biodegrable terms no doubt but overall are we not having our plonkers pulled with the price of chain oil.

7

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