Two Wheel Tales

Women & The Art Of Motorcycle Riding: A Brief History

Now you may be wondering why a guy (me) would attempt this article. It's really rather simple, when I first started riding I met a lot of ladies who rode, and it was a natural curiosity as to why they started riding. The stories are many and varied, and parts will be included in this feature.

Recent studies show that women make up approximately twenty five percent of the motorcyclists registered. I first noticed this when I took the M2 exit course at Humber College in Toronto, in the spring of 2001. Some training schools are rumoured to treat women differently than the way they would treat the “boys”. In spite of all this, women are obtaining licenses and purchasing motorcycles in greater numbers than ever before. Most women who ride face challenges not shared by men. Ladies are often steered toward small bikes with smaller engines, by “helpful” male friends and dealers. Until recently many ladies had to make do with gear designed for men, although the times are changing as many companies and manufacturers recognize that lady riders are an untapped market waiting to be captured.

Today's lady riders come from a long line of women, who rode when motorcycling was in its infancy. They enjoy the mobility, and the freedom that comes with it, just as the ladies of the past did. Women have always played an active role in motorcycling, going back to the early days of the 20th century. In July of 1913 a convention attracting almost 400 bikes took place in Denver. Of that total, there were 11 women, with 6 arriving on their own machines. One such lady was the 17-year-old daughter, Inez, of the Federation of American Motorcyclists president Dr.E.J.Patterson. At the tender age of 17 Inez, had already taken two trips to New York from Kansas.

Early twentieth century motorcycling was not an easy sport in which to participate; as there were few maintained roads and the motorcycles were primitive, and at times temperamental. Riding a modern motorcycle, over long distances, requires physical stamina, even with today's highways and well-paved back roads. Just imagine what it was like almost 100 yrs ago.

In 1910 an eighteen-year-old women named Clara Wagner rode a four horsepower motorcycle in a 365-mile endurance race from Chicago to Indianapolis. Even plagued by inclement weather and roads buried in mud, Wagner achieved a perfect score, defeating most of the men. The Federation of American Motorcyclists declared Wagner's victory 'unofficial' and denied her a trophy. History shows numerous women; mother daughter teams, sisters, friends, and solo women; accomplishing long, arduous journeys over difficult terrain and thousands of miles.

Beginning with the Federation of American Motorcyclists' discounting of Clara Wagner's victory in the Chicago to Indianapolis endurance race, women motorcyclists have faced many challenges. They have been arrested for wearing men's “uniforms" while riding, run out of town, and viewed with suspicion because of negative associations attached to motorcycling itself. Women riders have had to negotiate their way through the sport in interesting ways.

Adeline and Augusta Van Buren are the first known women to have crossed the continental US on solo motorcycles. This was accomplished in 1916 and was used to prove to the U.S. military that women were fit to serve as dispatch riders. At a time when the nation was barely strung together by dirt roads, they left their home in Brooklyn, NY to take a circuitous, 5,500-mile journey to California on three-speed Indian motorcycles. Another interesting note is they were related to former US President Van Buren

The pre-W.W.II motorcycling era is one in which the motorcycle press and industry was friendly toward women riders. In 1916, when Harley Davidson began publication of its Enthusiast magazine, stories of women motorcyclists' exploits were featured. In 1929 a young woman named Vivian Bales wrote to Harley Davidson “detailing her dream of riding a five-thousand mile loop from her home in Georgia, up through the Midwest, and on to the Harley factory in Milwaukee, Wisconsin”. Even then, Harley Davidson knew the value in sponsoring such an event. Eventually Vivian was awarded a “Loving Cup” and nicknamed “The Enthusiast Girl” Newsreel companies picked up the story, characterizing her as a "flapper-on-wheels who sang Betty Boop songs at civic halls along her route"

Bessie Stringfield represents another notable figure in the history of motorcycling. Starting out in the late 1920s, Stringfield was a woman who “personified the strength and resiliency of a woman who refused to let barriers; either gender based or racial; keep her down.” She rode, alone, through an era and through areas where it was considered not just “unladylike” for a woman to ride a bike, but even shocking, perhaps, for a black woman. Stringfield set out on the first of her many solo cross-country tours in 1930. Bessie’s idea of planning a trip was to toss a penny into the air over a map. Wherever the penny landed was her next destination. Eventually settling in Miami, Florida, Stringfield joined the army's motorcycle dispatch unit following the outbreak of W.W.II. This job required her to perform intricate maneuvers on her Harley Davidson in a variety of hazardous conditions. This pioneering lady, with her last steel horse being a Harley Flathead, owned twenty-seven different motorcycles. Bessie’s contributions were such that in 2000, the American Motorcyclist Association decided to bestow an award in her honor. The Bessie Stringfield Award is targeted to individual women within the motorcycling community who have been instrumental in showing other women they can be active participants in the world of motorcycling.

Dot Robinson helped co-found the Motor Maids after traveling the US in 1939, looking for other lady riders, and had its charter started with the AMA in 1941. Dot was born to ride literally, with her mother being taken to the hospital in the sidecar of her husband’s motorcycle in 1912. A highly successful endurance racer, Dot began riding at a young age prior to W.W.II and raced in endurance races into the 50's. She made a religion out of projecting a “lady-like” image, but this lady was tough -- yet always in a polite way. She won her first trophy in 1930 at the Flint 100 Endurance Race. 1934 saw her enter her first Jack Pine National Endurance Championship, which she eventually won in 1940 and again in 1946, becoming the first woman to win an AMA event. After a trans-continental record setting run in 1936, Harley Davidson, offered Dot and her husband Earl a motorcycle dealership in the Detroit area. By the time she finished riding; Dot was 86 and estimated an accumulated total of one and a half million miles. When the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum was opened in 1998, Dot Robinson was rightfully one of the inaugural 124 inductees.

Becky Brown found herself traveling alone on Ohio’s highways in the mid seventies and decided to do something about it. Placing an ad in a local Ohio newspaper in 1979, the seed was planted for another ladies motorcycle organization. Women in the Wind was the result, as the ad attracted ten ladies, who would form the nucleus of the organization, which now has 50 chapters and has celebrated 24 years helping ladies in motorcycling.

Although Becky is the founder of the WITW, she prefers to serve as the international secretary and treasurer and spokesperson. WITW was created not as a personal fiefdom, but rather to promote a positive image, educate and unite women motorcyclists. Becky is truly an inspiration for women and was thus featured in the film “She Loves To Ride” by Alice Stone as well as in the book by Ann Ferrar “Hear me Roar: Women, Motorcycles, and the Rapture of the Road". Becky was inducted into the National Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame in Anamosa, Iowa in 2002 for her efforts encouraging and introducing women to the pleasures of two wheeled travel and is the 7th lady to be honoured thus far.

While this article is about the history of women in motorcycling, the next generation of women might not need to look so far into the past for inspiration. Misti Hurst is just the gal to inspire them, especially since she has accomplished plenty in a relatively short riding career so far. Until 2000, the then, 24yr old Misti was a passenger on motorcycles when she decided to take the plunge, get her license and be in control of her own destiny. Her first street machine was an older Honda CBR600 and she didn’t stop there moving up to a new Kawasaki ZX-6R. In 2001 Misti decided that she would like to race, after a trip to Seattle with a friend in January of that year. She achieved her novice license on July1st in Washington State, and then won her first race exactly one year later on an SV650. Not only did Misti win her first race, she won the 650 Supersport Twins Championship Title for the Westwood Motorcycle Racing Club in 2002. Along with her fellow road racers she formed Extremriderz which is a motorcycle stunt team. While wheelies and stoppies are not her strong suit Misti has perfected other tricks which make her a fan favourite, one of which is called the “Christ” which involves standing atop the gas tank as her bike heads down the straightaway. One thing about stunt riding is that it’s always done at a track on not on public streets, which is a good example to follow. When Misti started riding her inspiration came mainly from the men she rode/raced with & against. With numerous podium finishes (9 in total, along with 9 top 10 finishes) during the 2003 season, women spectators and racers are now approaching her for advice and information on how to get involved in motorcycling. Her goals include becoming a top competitive racer internationally, race at the different tracks around the world, and teach others about riding and racing and write of her experiences in motorcycling. Like many others (myself included) she feels her mind is clearest when astride her bike(s). It looks like the next generation of ladies in Canada will have a homegrown rider to look to for their inspiration.

Misti Hurst
Above Photos by Jack Herringer of Ignited Image in California
Photo By Dustin C. Hoffert		Photo By Lorn Vogt

Another thing I noticed, when I started riding in the spring of 2001, is the number of mature ladies who are taking up riding motorcycles. One lady is Susan Corrigan, whom I met my first riding season. Like many other ladies Susan started out riding pillion with a male friend in 1999 at the tender age of 54 and then decided that she would like to ride her own. This way she wouldn’t have to wait for someone to invite her and she could venture forth whenever she wanted to travel. So in the spring of 2001 she signed up for a course at a Centennial College and started her journey. While taking the course she injured her ankle when the bike fell on her and then failed the course to make things worse. Through perseverance, determination and with the help of private lessons from Lorraine Kenny of Riders Training Institute she passed her course late in the season with the RTI. Susan’s first bike was a Suzuki Marauder 250 recommended by a helpful male acquaintance. A minor incident in the summer of 2001 effectively put her season on hold due to some minor injuries. Realizing that the little Suzuki was not a bike to travel North America with, she traded it in on a BMW F650 GS during the winter of 2002. The GS while a better bike for traveling was a little intimidating at first until some modifications were performed to lower the bike, and thus took some time to get used to. It was only this past August while on a 5000km trip to South Dakota and back (half of it was a solo journey) did she finally realize her dream and gain the confidence she needed, to know she can now travel anywhere with a total of 16,000km for the season just recently ended. Why does she ride? For adventure, travel, exploring; for being right out there in wind, sun, rain and fresh air; for all the smells of clover, grass, horses, rain, flowers, farms; for the exhilaration of feeling of freedom; for the camaraderie of like-minded people from all walks of life; for the challenge of honing and refining her skills and sense of accomplishment; for FUN

Susan Corrigan
Photos By Anthony Stagliano Of Photogenix Photography

These ladies are all creating or have created a history for other ladies to follow. If you know a lady that would like to get involved, encourage her to do some research and find other ladies who have traveled the road less followed. Get out there and do it!

One of the nicest things anyone can say to you is that you are an inspiration to them. How do I know? I’ve been fortunate enough in my short riding career to have 4 people say that to me so far, two of whom were ladies. It would be nice if the ladies who ride tomorrow have other women to look up to; so get riding ladies and tell your stories too. You never know who might be listening and whom you’ll inspire with your exploits.

Ride Safely

Type @ ya'll later
Night_Wolf

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Information used to write this article was researched on the web, or though e-mail and personal conversations