Women Have Always Been Part of the Ride
The narrative that motorcycling is a men-only world has never been true. Women have been riding motorcycles since the machines were invented, breaking records, crossing continents, and building communities long before social media made it visible. From the early 1900s to today, female riders have consistently pushed the boundaries of what the motorcycle world considers possible.
This is not a list of women who rode on the back — these are the women who grabbed the handlebars, kicked the starters, and changed the game.
The Pioneers
Bessie Stringfield is often called the "Motorcycle Queen of Miami." In the 1930s and 1940s, she rode solo across the United States eight times — as a Black woman in the era of Jim Crow. She navigated segregation, slept on her bike at gas stations that would not serve her, and still logged more miles than most riders of any era. During World War II, she served as a civilian motorcycle dispatch rider for the U.S. Army. Her story is one of the most remarkable in all of motorsport.
Dot Robinson dominated competitive motorcycle events in the 1940s and was the first woman to win a national endurance run. She co-founded the Motor Maids, the oldest women's motorcycle organization in North America, which continues to thrive today.
Modern Trailblazers
Imogen Lehtonen has become one of the most recognizable faces in modern motorcycle culture. The Finnish-born rider and content creator has built a massive following by documenting her rides, her custom builds, and her unfiltered perspective on life on two wheels. What sets Lehtonen apart is her authenticity — she rides hard, wrenches on her own machines, and refuses to be reduced to a "biker chick" stereotype. Her influence has inspired thousands of women to start riding.
Laia Sanz crossed over from professional trials riding to become one of the most successful Dakar Rally competitors of either gender. With multiple top-20 finishes in the car category and a career full of enduro championships, Sanz has proven that skill on a motorcycle transcends gender.
The Community Grows
Today, women in motorcycling represent the fastest-growing demographic in the industry. Women-only riding groups, training programs, and gear lines have exploded in the past decade. Events like the Babes Ride Out festival — which draws thousands of female riders to the California desert — prove that the community is not just growing, it is thriving.
The barriers have not disappeared entirely. Women still face condescension at dealerships, unsolicited advice on the road, and underrepresentation in motorcycle media. But each generation of riders expands the space, and the women on this list made that expansion possible.
