Preface
What comes to your mind when you think of who a bikerlady might be? We might not be what you imagine. We are mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, grandmothers, executives, farmers, artists, entrepreneurs, waitresses, chefs, school teachers, journalists, and moreriding the open roads from all walks of life and bonding together as one giant goddess in the wind. We ride alone or in groups, bonding with each other's shared passion for the sport and learning from the easy riding freedom experienced on two wheels. Our personal journeys reveal a rainbow of reasons why we love to ride and how we decided to purchase our own motorcycles. We wear our emotions not on our sleeves, but strung as pearls around our handlebars. We uniquely characterize an inner strength and confidence by virtue of our glorious femininity and passion for motorcycling. We portray what it means to experience our beautiful freedom . . .and we gotta roarrr!
In 1910, it was taboo for a woman to wear pants, taboo for her to vote, and definitely taboo for a lady to drive a motorcycle. But societys frowns didnt stop pretty Clara Wagner from joyously hiking up her long, swirly skirt and straddling a motorcycle to compete in a 365-mile endurance run from Chicago to Indianapolis. The young woman discovered a divine independence and a unique two-wheeled form of empowerment kindred to unearthing a rare gem. The feeling was priceless, the liberty indescribable. The adventure of motorcycle riding became contagious among women, rousing the feminine spirit and beautifully freeing our individuality in a way no other experience could offer. Thus the motorcycle contributed to the forward motion of womens social and dress reform.
"You can still be a lady and ride," declared the late Dot Robinson, former president of the first women's motorcycle club, The Motor Maids, founded in the 1940s. Born into motorcycling, she was the femme fatale who powdered her nose, smoothed her skirt, and promptly took on the American Motorcycle Associations (AMA) rule that barred women from participating in competitions. Through a petitioning effort, Dot won AMAs approval to compete and went on to win race after race, becoming an icon in womens motorcycling. Dainty and mighty Dot, a wife and mother, proudly displayed her femininity whether competing or riding cross-country. She wore pink, painted her Harleys pink, and had lipstick holders bolted to the handlebars for quick touch-ups. Ive always tried to project the best image from a motorcycle, said Dot. This impeccably dressed biker lady owned thirty-five Harleys and rode more than one and a half million miles during her lifetime.
Motorcycling is a way in to yourself and a way out, wrote Melissa Holbrook Pierson in her 1997 book, The Perfect Vehicle. The way out of yourself that motorcycles provide is towards life. Tales from biker ladies around the world describe mysterious healings and soulfully enriching experiences gained from cruising hundreds of silent windy miles or by tearing up racetrack asphalt. Motorcycling is a journey within that not only inspires peace, but summons lost dreams to surface, encourages healing from illnesses, gives strength to overcome abusive relationships, helps us to reclaim our inner beauty, and bonds us together as a sisterhood. Motorcycles entice our wild femininity to be free, to be beautiful.
Bessie Stringfield, an African-American, crossed the country at nineteen years old during the 1930s, despite racial oppression. She was spunky and petite--an individualist who chipped away at social barriers by virtue of her motorcycle lifestyle. Fearless Bessie surprised everyone she met during her thousands of miles in the saddle touring around and as a motorcycle dispatcher for the army. I was never afraid on the road because I had the Man Upstairs with me, she said. This legendary Motorcycle Queen of Miami owned twenty-seven motorcycles in her lifetime and became a symbol of strength and independence. The AMA recently named an award after Bessie for her extreme pioneering efforts, which have paved the way for todays women motorcyclists.
As a well-known female motorcycle journalist and spokesperson, I have been photographing and interviewing women riders for years. Their road tales and experiences are inspiring to the point of being phenomenal. Women of all ages and from various cultural backgrounds, nationalities, and lifestyles jump on their motorcycles and ride off, returning with extraordinary tales of accomplishment, self-discovery, and empowerment. These tales break down barriers and encourage community, enlightening and inspiring even the most dispirited woman. Throughout this book, I have provided profiles of sister bikerladies, in their own words. To find out more information about these ladies and others, including motorcycle resources and information, you can visit my website at www.bikerlady.com.
The experience of motorcycling is
a pure and organic rapture with the wind that provides us with the freedom to
discover and become the powerful women we were meant to be.
Sexy, beautiful and free define the bikerlady and the feminine spirit.
