Oxford OX653 Anti-Slip Blanket review

Using soft luggage on a motorcycle is usually hugely convenient. ‘Throw over’ panniers, tail bags or tank bags are not only cheaper than fixed hard luggage, they allow you to pack away from your bike before you then quickly and easily attach your bags without the need (and extra cost) of dedicated racks or attachment systems. 

But they also often come with problem of ensuring secure attachment. Even with numerous straps or elasticated bungees, panniers and tail packs can slide and move on your pillion seat and that can be even more true with tank bags on a hard, shiny fuel tank. Both scenarios are not only irritating and inconvenient they’re potentially hazardous, too. 

Which is why you sometimes see riders use old towels under their tank bags or rear luggage. This isn’t just to protect their bike’s paintwork, it’s also to provide a less slippery surface to prevent luggage slippage. 

But a far better solution is to use Oxford’s OX653 Anti-Slip blanket. It’s a purpose-designed roll of rubber mesh material which, being soft and sticky, both protects your paintwork and provides a secure, non-slip base for your luggage. 

As it comes in a 600mm x 900mm roll and is easily cut there is plenty of material to cover your tank and pillion area and you can also tailor it to the exact shape you need. While as a rubber, non-absorbent material, it doesn’t soak up rainwater as a towel would do, either. 

But perhaps best of all, at Machine Mart’s current price of just £13, Oxford’s Anti-Slip blanket is also so affordable you’ll wonder why you didn’t invest in it years ago. 

Nor is its use restricted to securing soft luggage. The Oxford Anti-Slip blanket has a variety of other applications, too, such as being used in tool cabinet trays to stop your tools sliding around. 

More info on the Oxford OX653 Anti-Slip blanket and other bike specific products can be found on Machine Mart’s official website.