A question that some of our customers have asked is regarding the design of the mounts.  Why is the mount designed that way?  Explain why the walls of the latch bracket fold inwards? How do we prevent the flexible nature of the case material from allowing the case to detach from the mounts?  How do we prevent the case from fatigue cracking?  I therefore thought I would take the time to explain how the mount works and why we call it a triangular mounting system – the image below is a hint.

This picture shows the Compression Latch Mount and the Latch Plate. The Latch Plate is designed to slip into the Compression Latch Mount at its widest point and is then pulled into the bracket by the Compression Latch. You will notice that the walls of the Compression Latch Mount fold inwards towards the top to form a triangular shape.  The reason for this shape is to limit the movement of the Latch Plate in the one plane.  The width of the Latch Plate is set so that the movement of the Case is again limited in the opposite plane.  The Latch Plate is therefore trapped when pulled inside the bracket.

The next picture shows the Cleats.  The fingers of these Cleats locate onto the Flange Bushings. Connecting the Cleats to the Compression Latch Bracket is a 3mm thick aluminium Backing Plate designed to rigidly maintain the locations of the three points of contact.  As you can see, this forms a triangular shape.

Sandwiching the case between the mounts and the backing plate provides a high degree of isolation for the case wall.  This aids in preventing the case wall from developing cracks over time due to the small movements that the case experiences while the motorcycle is riding down less than smooth roads.

Caribou Cases has used this design for mounting cases to adventure bikes since 2005. We have refined the design over the years as part of the continual development process that any good designer undertakes to ensure durability and survivability. Caribou customers have ridden literally millions of combined miles using this design, so you can be assured that it will hold up to the demands of the trail. The last thing any rider needs is a case mount failing in the middle of the countryside after a minor tumble. You therefore have a choice between choosing a latch design that is primarily made to a price or one that is priced based on how it is made – see below. If I was you, I would pick the one that will keep your cases attached to your motorcycle.