Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Today in motorcycle history, April 1, 1970

  

  


 


  Aviation meets bikerdom, Lawrence Shapiro begins unpacking his luggage at Santa Monica Airport.  Suitcase Cycles is finally a reality.






  Born out of the need for ground transportation after flying his lightweight aircraft to remote areas of Mexico.  Lawrence Shapiro worked day and night designing parts and assembling, breaking down and then reassembling his Honda CT90 until it fit into the luggage compartment of a small plane.



  You fly to an uncharted island and need transportation?  You forgot a toolbox and there's no Professor to assist you?  Not a problem.  No tools were required, one push on a spring-loaded button and a guide pin removal and the entire handlebar assembly is removed.  The same quick-release design was put into the rear fender, utility rack, front and rear wheels and, on the CT90, the entire front suspension, thanks to an ingenious indexed coupler put in the frame's front down tube.



  Suitcase Cycles were available as Honda CT90 and Suzuki TS-90R models.  Though customs as big as a 360cc were made.  They came complete in a wheeled loading tray that easily fit into the luggage bins on small aircraft.






  Excuse me, do need to check this or will it fit in the overhead?