| In recent years, the Motorcycle Safety | | | | hour. In WWII she became the first woman ever |
| Foundation has reported that almost half of | | | | to serve as a British military dispatch |
| the students in most new rider training | | | | rider. |
| classes are women. But history shows that | | | | |
| there have always been avid, expert female | | | | After the war, she moved to the U.S. where |
| motorcyclists. Here are five famous female | | | | she worked as a motorcycle mechanic, |
| riders who are truly "old school." | | | | eventually owning her own dealership. She |
| | | | wrote a popular motorcycle training manual, |
| 1.) Linda Dugeau - The original "Motor Maid" | | | | then moved to Phoenix where she operated a |
| | | | riding school. She helped found WIMA, the |
| In the '30s, there was an association of | | | | Women's International Motorcycle Association. |
| female aviators called the "Ninety-nine | | | | She never owned a car and rode until her |
| Club". This inspired Linda to form a similar | | | | eyesight failed at the age of 88. She died |
| association of female motorcyclists. She | | | | less than two years after giving up her |
| teamed up with Dot Robinson, a well-known | | | | beloved sport. |
| competition rider, to form a club called the | | | | |
| "Motor Maids." | | | | 4.) Bessie Stringfield - The Motorcycle Queen |
| | | | of Miami |
| It took Linda and Dot several years to find | | | | |
| the 50 members they needed to earn an AMA | | | | The American Motorcycle Association's "Bessie |
| charter, but the Motor Maids were soon known | | | | Stringfield Award" is given to women who |
| for their smart uniforms, complete with white | | | | distinguish themselves in the sport of |
| gloves. The club still exists, with branches | | | | motorcycling. |
| across the U.S. and in Eastern Canada. ( | | | | |
| | | | As an African-American woman in the '30s and |
| 2.) Dot Robinson - Sidecar champion | | | | '40s, Bessie made several well-publicized |
| | | | cross-country rides, fearlessly taking on |
| Dot's father, James Goulding, was the | | | | both racists and sexists. She was frequently |
| designer of a popular line of motorcycle | | | | denied accommodation and there are pictures |
| sidecars. When Dot's mother went into labor | | | | of her sleeping right on her motorcycle. |
| with her, Goulding took her to the hospital | | | | Once, she was run off the road. Those |
| in a sidecar. As an adult, Dot and her | | | | experiences didn't dim her patriotism however |
| husband were Harley-Davidson dealers in | | | | - during WWII she served as the U.S. |
| Detroit. | | | | military's first female dispatch rider. |
| | | | |
| When she won a Jack Pine enduro in the | | | | Bessie was truly a larger-than-life |
| sidecar class, she became the first woman | | | | character. She once disguised herself as a |
| ever to win an AMA national competition. She | | | | man to win a dirt track race. She said she'd |
| rode until she was well into her 80s, often | | | | owned 27 Harley-Davidsons and one Indian. She |
| in a pink riding suit that she adopted in the | | | | owned up to no less than six husbands, too. |
| 1950s, when the customary black leather | | | | |
| outfits became associated with outlaw gangs. | | | | 5.) Marjorie Cottle - Rode in motorcycling's |
| | | | real "Great Escape" |
| 3.) Linda Wallach and Florence Blenkiron - | | | | |
| Taking the Rugged Road | | | | Marjorie Cottle was one of the first female |
| | | | competitors in the International Six Day |
| Linda grew up in the 1930s, in the English | | | | Trial, which is often called "the Olympics of |
| midlands near the factories where BSAs and | | | | motorcycling." |
| Triumphs were manufactured. Despite her early | | | | |
| fascination with bikes and her obvious skill | | | | In 1939, the ISDT was held in Nazi-controlled |
| as a rider, she was never encouraged to | | | | Austria in the last few days before England |
| pursue such an unladylike sport. | | | | declared war on Germany. That year, Britain |
| | | | sent both a civilian and a military team to |
| Undeterred, she studied engineering and later | | | | compete. After four days, when it seemed that |
| took her friend Florence on an epic sidecar | | | | war could break out at any minute, British |
| journey across the Sahara and south all the | | | | officials told the civilian team to return to |
| way to Cape Town, South Africa. The women had | | | | England immediately. Cottle refused to leave |
| to argue their way past French Foreign Legion | | | | and competed on the fifth day alongside the |
| outposts and face man-eating lions (luckily | | | | British Army team. When they too were ordered |
| they weren't woman-eaters). They rebuilt | | | | to abandon competition, Cottle and the Army |
| their engine in mid-journey and once pushed | | | | team rode their motorcycles to neutral |
| their rig 25 miles. They told the whole story | | | | territory in Switzerland. |
| in a popular book titled, "The Rugged Road." | | | | |
| | | | Next week, we'll post the stories of five |
| Linda later became the first woman to earn a | | | | contemporary riders who lend a whole new |
| coveted "Gold Star" for lapping the | | | | meaning to the phrase "fast woman! |
| Brooklands race oval at over 100 miles an | | | | |