While other lubricant and oil companies primarily use motorsport as a marketing platform, Motul really came into its own through motorcycle racing before supplying other industries with its French products.
‘To this day, racing remains the pioneer for new products and developments,’ explains Sarah Petschel, who is responsible for motorsport partnerships and events at Motul Germany. "Only products that prove themselves in racing and under extreme and prolonged stress have a chance of being incorporated into the finished customer product. In all our sponsorship activities, the most important thing is the practical feedback on our products from the teams, drivers and partners, not the size of the logo on a jersey or bike decal." Motul has been a partner of the ADAC for around fifteen years, both in the off-road and road racing sectors. The brand not only strives for podium places in professional sport, but also supports young people from their very first metres on a motorbike, for example at the ADAC MX Academy powered by KTM, the ADAC Road Racing Academy and the ADAC Pocket Bike Cup. This strong partnership continues in the ADAC Mini Bike Cup, the ADAC MX Junior Cups 85 and 125, the ADAC MX Youngster Cup, the ADAC MX Masters and the ADAC race track training programme.
Quality and innovation for optimum performance
The company's involvement in motorcycling is no coincidence. Although Motul's roots date back to 1853, when the Swan & Finch Oil Corporation was founded to trade in whale oil for lamps, the company only really became well known and successful through its involvement in motorsport, when it became heavily involved in MotoGP in the mid-1980s. Unlike many other lubricant manufacturers, Motul gradually expanded its product range to include automobiles and heavy industry.
The Motul brand name was created in 1958 when Supra Penn, the importer of Swan & Finch oils in France, acquired all worldwide rights to the brand and its patents. From then on, the company was simply named after its main product: Motul, composed of the words motor and oil. As early as 1953, the company launched the world's first multigrade oil. Further innovations followed, with the first semi-synthetic engine oil being produced in 1966 and the first fully synthetic engine oil in 1971. To this day, Motul stands for high quality, which was already the company's guiding principle in 1853, and innovation.
‘In 1971, we launched the first fully synthetic ester-based 4-stroke engine oil under the name 300V, which stands for 300 Victories, and thus our most important product for motorsport. Today, 300V stands for our entire range of racing engine oils, which have been developed for extreme mechanical loads,’ says Petschel. ‘One piece of feedback I have often received from our motocross riders and teams is that, for example, with the heavy strain on the clutch that is common in MX, you can see a positive difference between our oils and other products, and the performance of the clutch and engine is still there at the end of the race.’
With the NGEN engine oil product line, MOTUL has improved the performance of its own proven core products. Designed for everyday use, NGEN 5 outperforms the 5100 series in terms of fuel consumption reduction, engine start-up and response, lower oil consumption and service life, and is just as good in terms of engine cleanliness and wear protection. NGEN 7 outperforms the 7100 line in terms of fuel consumption reduction, engine start-up and response, and oil life, and performs just as well in terms of engine cleanliness and wear protection. A positive side effect of the increased performance is that the production of the packaging and the oils is even more environmentally friendly.
Cyclists, mountain bikers and e-bikers can now also benefit from the expertise in lubricants and care products acquired in motorsport. The MOTUL Bike Care Range contains everything you need to clean and degrease, lubricate and prevent damage to your bike.
Sustainability and social responsibility
Motul proved early on that motorsport does not have to be incompatible with sustainability and environmental protection. To this day, sustainable raw material extraction and production, as well as the highest possible environmental compatibility, remain core elements of the products, alongside their superior quality and performance. The brand relentlessly strives to do more and be better than the minimum required by certain standards.
But cooperation, community and social responsibility also play an important role at Motul. That is why the Motul Corazón Foundation was established in 2011. With the motto ‘Tools for Life’, it supports the development of teenagers and young adults aged 14 to 22 who live in difficult conditions.
Great support for the German motorcycle racing scene
In the 2025 season, various teams such as VisuAlz Productions, Dörr Motorsport Triumph Racing powered by Krettek, Johannes Bikes Suzuki, Enduro Koch, KTM Sturm and more, athletes such as WMX riders Larissa Papenmeier and her team, Kim Irmgartz, Janina Lehmann, Luzi Knop and others, as well as the German national teams in enduro racing and events such as the Cross Finals and Enduro DM. In road racing, new partnerships have been entered into with Marcel Schröttert from Wepo Racing and Florian Alt from the Honda Holzhauer Racing Team in order to provide stronger support for the German scene there as well. At international level, Motul is working with five-time Motocross World Champion Tim Gajser and the HRC Team, as well as the SixtySeven Racing and F&H Racing teams in the MXGP. It is also an official partner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Dakar Rally, MotoGP, Superbike World Championship and many other legendary events.
Motul stands for a big heart for motorsport, strong commitment, premium quality products and an awareness of cooperation, social and environmental responsibility. If you would like to find out more about the products and brand, please visit the Motul website or social media channels.
Web: motul.com FB: facebook.com/motul.de Instagram: instagram.com/motuldeutschland
