The German and traditionally Ulm-based company Liqui Moly has made a good name for itself in the automotive industry over the last 65 years. The white, blue and red branding immediately makes us petrolheads think of Formula 1 and Moto2. One thing we forget is that Liqui Moly has a wide range of products outside of the automotive industry too. With the automotive industry being just one facet of Liqui Moly’s arsenal, we introduce another, their “Bike” (bicycle) care range.
Liqui Moly has been transferring its knowledge from its auto side to its bicycle side for some time now—both for conventional bicycles and E-bikes. For this year the Bike Care series not only comes with a new look but also offers reliability for all types of bicycles with product innovations across the range.
Marketing spiel aside, we took a closer look at all 10 products within the range and made a shopping list to maintain our Husqvarna MC6 test bike.
After a muddy ride out at my local bike park Wolwespruit, the MC6 was looking pretty gritty and needed some care. From the range, I grabbed a bottle of Bike Cleaner, LM40 Multi-Purpose Spray, Bike Brake and Chain Cleaner, Bike Chain Oil Dry Lube and Bike Quick Detailer. The five products picked out of Liqui Moly’s line-up are similar to what I usually use on my bicycle and motorcycle—the go-to wash, shine and lube items.
Mountain bikes are naturally attracted to dirt and grub like bees are to pollen. With the MC6 being an E-bike there’s an extra level of wanting to keep the bike clean so it can keep looking and performing at its best, which means you’ll need to wash it regularly.
With an E-bike you can’t just crack out the pressure washer, actually never crack it out in the first place. These electric-assisted bikes have batteries, motors, air intakes and electronics, much like our motorcycles do. So, out with the traditional hosepipe, soap and sponge.
Liqui Moly gets the sponge soapy with their Bike Cleaner, which comes in a 1L adjustable valved bottle. I’ve always enjoyed using bottled bike cleaners as they eliminate getting dirty soap from a dirty bucket back onto the bike. I use a clean bucket of water to rinse the sponge and the cleaner to spray more soap onto the bike.
It’s pretty simple, just give the bike a good spray, let it sit for 2-3 minutes and then wash it off. After a quick shammy, you can see that there are no signs of any greasy residue. Personally, for me, this is awesome because this also allows you to not worry about destroying your braking performance with greasy pads and discs. The cleaner also works great for getting dirt off of your motor and carbon fibre parts.
The drive train gets some attention from the Bike Brake and Chain Cleaner and lube from Moly’s Bike Chain Oil Dry Lube—I like to wash my bike first before moving to the drivetrain and brakes. The chain and brake cleaner does exactly what it says on the bottle, it comes with a short nib and loads of ‘oomph’. The spray can go all over the place, so of course, if you’ve washed it already, use a dirty cloth to catch the excess spray.
Why dry lube and not wax or wet lube for the bad conditions? Well firstly, I like to experiment and secondly, I planned a normal urban coffee pedal for the following day. The dry lube works great for normal dry xc conditions and the urban run where you aren’t too bothered about mud and water.
Whereas, the dry lube comes in handy if you are looking for high creep, excellent wear and corrosion protection. I felt a noticeable reduction in friction with the dry lube which also made the drive train change gears and pedal smoother.
Before getting into detailing, I like to crack out the LM40 which has now replaced my Q20. The LM40 comes in a mini bottle that can be refiled and I enjoy using this product on just about everything. Sticky dropper post? LM40. Squeaky brake levers or shifters? LM40. Even under the bottom bracket where mud often gets caught in the hinge (where the E-bike battery sits). LM40.
It’s a can of universal use, which I’ve used mainly for squeaks and rust prevention. What makes it such an enjoyable product to overuse is that it can’t cause any damage to plastics, paint or metals. If there was one Liqui Moly product that does it all, it would be LM40, although washing your bike with it would get damn expensive. 😁
If you’ve got a fancy paint job that you’d like to show off at the bike park or if you’re a little OCD, then the last task you need to complete is to detail your bike with Liqui Moly Bike Detailer. The detailer works well on smooth paintwork, aluminium, carbon, and steel as well as bikes made of titanium. It removes light soiling such as dust or water spots and leaves a nice shine. One thing to note is that it doesn’t work on matt paint.
So, there you have it, if you want to keep your bike looking and working at its optimum, give these five easy-to-use bike care products from Liqui Moly’s Bike Care Range a try, and maybe you’ll find your perfect bike cleaning combo.
For more information on the Liqui Moly products featured in this article, click here
