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Motorex Power Clean Spray

7
£11.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Effective degreaser that's kind to seals and other sensitive bike parts
Potent and generally effective
Not the cheapest option
Weight: 
459g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Motorex Power Clean Spray is a fast-acting degreaser designed to quickly dismiss impacted dirt and grime. It's effective too – more so than some bike-specific blends I've used.

In the most literal sense, you can simply shake the aerosol, aim and blast away. However, this isn't the most cost-efficient way of getting the absolute best from it. For best results, deploy the Power Clean to soften the worst of it, then follow with a rag or brush. I should also mention this Motorex solvent lingers longer than some, thus having more impact.

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Bear in mind it will also strip adhesives, so 'helicopter tape' – and indeed, unsealed decals – may lift and peel more easily.

In common with formulas such as Weldtite Jet Blast Degreaser, Muc Off High-Pressure Quick Drying Degreaser Chain & Cassette and indeed Tru-Tension Cycle Drivetrain Cleaner, it tends to visibly melt, rather than demolish wet or waxy lubricants.

You still need a bit of scrubbing to really get everything out of a gunky cassette, for instance, but overall performance is good to above average for this kind of spray.

Testing head-to-head, I found it faster-acting and more effective than the Muc-Off, and level pegging with the Tru-Tension and Weldtite's Jet Blast. I also found a five second blast (left for 20 seconds) enough to strip chains, cassettes and rings of bog-standard PTFE lubes.

Talking of PTFE, heavy-duty maintenance sprays can eventually clog up cables and mechanisms, and a blast of Power Clean does better to strip it out than something like GT85 (although a quick follow up shot keeps everything slick and mobile).

> Beginner's guide to bike tools - get all the vital gear for basic bike maintenance

It can deal with lithium and polymer greases just fine, and will also get a disc rotor back up to scratch in a couple of shots – in fact, it seems better than many rotor-specific blends I've used.

Value

£11.99 is a little bit more than many similar aerosol degreasers. The Tru-Tension Cycle Drivetrain Degreaser is bicycle-specific at £10 for 500ml, Muc-Off Quick Drying Degreaser is £14.99 for 750ml (effectively a tenner for 500ml too), and Weldtite Jet Blast Degreaser is £8 for 500ml.

Summary

Motorex Power Clean Spray is a very useful workshop staple that works on most bits of your bike, doesn't damage anything and generally earns its slight premium.

Verdict

Effective degreaser that's kind to seals and other sensitive bike parts

road.cc test report

Make and model: Motorex Power Clean Spray

Size tested: 500ml

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?

Motorex says: "This powerful cleaner degreases and cleans disc brakes and drive-systems without leaving any residue.

"Reliably dissolves and removes oil, grease, tar, brake fluid, dirt, etc. Does not attack rubber, plastic or paint. Safe for rubber, plastic and varnish."

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

Motorex says:

Application

Do not apply to cold surfaces.

Advantages

*cleaning

*Contact Cleaner

*dielectric

Notes

Shake can before use

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10

Good – and a bit better than some supposed master-blaster aerosols I've tested.

Rate the product for durability:
 
6/10

If used to accelerate cleaning, then a little will go surprisingly far. However, in common with similar products, if you are hoping to blitz things without brushing/scrubbing you'll get through it pretty quickly.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

It's a few pounds more than many, but it's generally more effective too.

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

It's good, and a bit better than some.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Versatile, effective and seemingly kind to all surfaces.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing really.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

£11.99 is a little bit more than many aerosol degreasers. The Tru-Tension Cycle Drivetrain Degreaser is bicycle-specific at £10 for 500ml, Muc-Off Quick Drying Degreaser is £14.99 for 750ml (effectively a tenner for 500ml too), and Weldtite Jet Blast Degreaser is £8 for 500ml.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

This is an effective degreaser that's kind to seals and other sensitive bike parts, and it lasts as well as anything. It's good.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 47  Height: 1m 81cm  Weight: 70kg

I usually ride: Rough Stuff Tourer Based around 4130 Univega mtb Frameset  My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,

Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)

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