Their Stories and Their Impact on the Motorcycle World
Women riders are on the rise. According to a study by the American Motorcycle Industry Council, in 2003, only 10% of American bikers were women. Over the last 20 years, that number has doubled – meaning that one-fifth of all American motorcycle riders are women.
But even before there were statistics available to combat the stereotypes associated with a “typical biker,” there were all sorts of women trailblazing paths throughout the motorcycle world on all types of bikes.
From racers to record-breakers to long-distance riders, here are some impactful icons that paved the way for the future of women on wheels.
Sadie Mildred Grimm
Inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2017, Sadie Mildred Grimm was the first woman in Canada to win a motorcycling prize – in 1914, at the age of 19, in a competition that was open to men. The prize, offered by the Manitoba Motorcycle Club, was for the first motorcyclist who could make the nearly 100-km gruelling trip from Winnipeg to Winnipeg Beach, which Sadie completed before turning around and making the return trip via another route shortly after.
Beryl Swain
Beryl Swain was the first woman to complete a solo finish in a TT race, specifically, the notoriously difficult and dangerous Isle of Mann TT in 1962. Beryl faced constant sexism and discrimination, and unfortunately, her career was cut short the following year when the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) banned women from competing, citing safety concerns. (Despite Beryl filing a formal appeal, the ban would not be lifted until 1978.)
Kerry Kleid
In 1971, Kerry Kleid became the first woman to hold an American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) professional racing license. Having progressed from Novice to Expert within a year at the age of 21, Kerry applied for a license to enter an all-male competition. When she showed up to race for the first time, the AMA realized she was a woman and revoked her license. She filed a lawsuit and received a new license, going on to race in professional motocross competitions.
Adeline and Augusta Van Buren
These two sisters were the first women to make the 5,500 mile journey from New York to California on motorcycles – in 1916, before there were major highways and washouts, heavy rains, and mud were common, and before women had the right to vote. (They were arrested numerous times along the way for wearing men’s clothes.) The reason for their journey: to convince the US Army that they were capable of serving as motorcycle couriers. Unfortunately, the army rejected their application despite their incredible achievement.
Bessie Stringfield
Bessie Stringfield started riding motorcycles at the age of 16. Throughout the 1930s and 40s, she would go on to complete eight long-distance solo rides across the US, including through the Deep South. As a woman of colour, this was not something to be taken lightly; in an interview, Bessie said “If you had black skin you couldn’t get a place to stay. I knew the Lord would take care of me and He did. If I found black folks, I’d stay with them. If not, I’d sleep at filling stations on my motorcycle.” Bessie would go on to become a motorcycle courier on the homefront during World War II and founded the Iron Horse Motorcycle Club in the 1950s, becoming known as the “Motorcycle Queen of Miami”.
Dot Robinson
Dot Robinson paved the way for many women motorcyclists. In 1941, together with Linda Dugeau, she founded one of the first North American motorcycling organizations for women, Motor Maids. (The club continues to thrive to this day.) She also regularly competed in endurance races, persevering despite many attempts to prevent her from participating. She became the first woman to win an AMA national competition in 1940.
Toni Sharpless
The oldest of Canadian motorcycling legend Bill Sharpless’s three children, Toni Sharpless, got a minibike under the Christmas tree at age six… which she had to share with her two brothers. She started ice racing at age 10, and would go on to become the first woman to win a Canadian Motorcycle Association championship and win and compete in multiple flat track and road races. At the age of 23, she was awarded the British Empire Motor Club’s Kaye Don Trophy for “the most meritorious high-speed performance on a motorcycle.” In 1987, she became one of the first women to qualify for and finish the Daytona 200. She now runs a road racing school in Newmarket, Ontario and continues to work in the motorcycle industry.
These women represent just a handful of the many riders that made history simply by getting on a bike (and in many cases, refusing to get off it). Though the road to equality is long, the motorcycling community and industry have come a long way, in large part due to the efforts of these passionate and fearless riders. Here’s to continuing to pave the way!