July Is Women's Motorcycle Month

Troy Siahaan
by Troy Siahaan

In case you’ve been living under a rock, it’s hard not to notice the rising number of women getting into the sport of motorcycling. In fact, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), women riders increased by 34% between 1998 and 2003. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) also says women make up nearly 30% of students in its Basic RiderCourses program.

Just how many female riders are there? The MIC estimates there are nearly 4.5 million women riders on the road today, or about one out of every ten riders, and that number is climbing. These women tend to be affluent, mature and well educated, having taken the motorcycle safety course with a better completion rate than men.

To commemorate Women’s Motorcycle Month, let’s look back at the contributions of four female members of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

Adeline and Augusta Van Buren: In 1916, the Van Buren sisters rode a pair of Indian motorcycles from coast to coast to become the first women to ride across the continent. While American soldiers were fighting in World War One, the Van Buren sisters rode to convince the military to allow women to help as dispatch riders delivering messages between units on the warfront. Though the military remained unswayed by their demonstration, the Van Burens broke many of the early twentieth century’s stereotypes about women.

Bessie Stringfield: The Motorcycle Queen of Miami, Stringfield completed eight solo cross-country tours and served as a dispatch rider for the U.S. Army in the 30s and 40s. As an African American who journeyed through the racially tense southern states during her many tours, Stringfield broke both gender and racial barriers.

Dot Robinson: In 1939, Robinson co-founded Motor Maids of America, one of the oldest and successful women’s riding organizations in North America. As an Enduro racer, Robinson became the first woman to win in AMA national competition.

Are you a female rider, or know of an inspirational female rider? Tell us your story in the comments section below.

Troy Siahaan
Troy Siahaan

Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.

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