“The Motolady’s book of Women Who Ride”
Motorcycle heroes, trailblazers and record-breakers. “Meet 74 of the most influential motorcyclists of the last century.” Author: Alicia Mariah Elfving Published by: Motorbooks, an imprint of the Quarto Group
Email: specialsales@quarto.com or www.QuartoKnows.com Available from specialist bookshops and Amazon. Hardback, 20 x 240mm (portrait); 184 pages with over 170 photographs and illustrations. ISBN 978-0-7603-6750-6 £22; $30 US; $40 CAD
Written and curated by Alicia Mariah Elfving, founder of themotolady.com and the Women’s Motorcycle Show,
“The Motolady’s Book of Women Who Ride” presents the remarkable stories of more than 70 pioneering women motorcyclists.
From the earliest days of motorcycling, women have played a central role in making two wheels a respectable form of transportation, recreation and motorsport. Featuring record-breaking racers, stunt riders, builders, world-circling adventurers, artists, motocross riders and more, Alicia Elfving links today’s influential women motorcyclists with historic trailblazers and, in the process, illustrates the empowerment represented by two wheels.
Effie Hotchkiss was a motorcycle fanatic who always dreamt of travelling. In 1915, aged 26, she made up her mind to ride the 9000 miles from her Brooklyn home to California on her Harley-Davidson outfit with her mother, Avis, in the chair “to keep an eye on her.”
In the summer of 1916, the wealthy and fearless Van Buren sisters decided to assert their independence by embarking on a cross-country solo motorcycle adventure, riding their Indian Powerplus machines on the Lincoln Highway from New York to San Francisco. However, nothing could prepare them for the primitive roads that lay ahead – the ‘highways’ were often unmetalled cart tracks. Suffering both hardship and prejudice – they were arrested outside of Chicago for wearing men’s leather breeches!
Fast forward to 1962 and we read of Beryl Swain – a modern pioneer in her own right – who became the first woman to race in the Isle of Man TT. Entered in the inaugural 50cc Ultra-Lightweight class, this plucky 26-year-old East Londoner coaxed her three-speed Itom Astor Competizione to a commendable 22nd place finish. Sadly for Beryl, after this race the FIM/ACU revoked all-female international licence holders.
After 1978, when this ruling was dropped, Northampton’s Maria Costello MBE, showed how to do it by becoming the first woman in Isle of Man racing history to achieve a podium finish for third place in the Ultra-Lightweight Manx Grand Prix and in 2004 became the then fastest woman rider, lapping the course at over 114mph.
Illustrated throughout with contemporary and historical photographs to further inspire, “The Motolady’s Book of Women Who Ride” is an important addition to motorcycle literature and a tribute to the women who have carved new paths for all riders.