The CT90 is so common/easy to find that I typically don’t feature many on this site. Yet I had no hesitation writing this one up because it’s one of the ~1,000 Suitcase Cycles that were built in the 60s and 70s.
The story of Suitcase Cycles begins in the ’60s, when the concept of “general aviation” began to take off. Average citizens could earn their pilot’s license and travel for business and/or pleasure. But once you got to an airport far from home, ground transportation could be a problem. A former United Airlines pilot, Lawrence Shapiro, saw a need that could be satisfied with motorcycles. Suitcase Cycles sold about 1,000 bikes before production came to an end – according to Shapiro this came due to product liability laws:
“This was a time when everyone began being sued for anything and everything. Plus, some of our suppliers were told by Honda and Suzuki not to sell motorcycles to us. They still did but I believe they suffered consequences from the big boys.”
For more information on Suitcase Cycle, check out this link from Check-Six, an aviation history site. I highly recommend you check out this page, which shows a few photos of a bike being loaded into a Cessna 172. Or, for photos specifically of a CT90 being broken down, check out this article on Hemmings.
This example (VIN: CT90210398) has 855 miles and it’s claimed to be original except for the battery, spark plug, and rectifier. The seller added a tail light on the back for better visibility. Find this CT90 Suitcase Cycle for sale here on Craigslist for $2,500 in Twisp, Washington.
This bike-uriousity brought to you by Nicole S!