First Women Motorcyclists Across the USA

Bike: 1915 Harley-Davidson 11-F with Sidecar
ENGINE: 989cc inlet-over-exhaust V-twin
HORSEPOWER: 11hp
SPEED: 60mph with sidecar
WEIGHT: 600lbs with sidecar
FUEL CAPACITY: 1.875gal (plus spare cans)
RANGE: 120miles+

In 1915, Effie Hotchkiss bought a new 1915 Harley-Davidson and attached a sidecar to carry her mother Avis as a passenger. The pair then set out from Brooklyn to see the Panama Pacific International Exhibition in San Francisco. Avis had instilled confidence in her daughter, and when asked if she had fears about the arduous cross-country journey, she replied “I do not fear breakdowns, for Effie, being a most careful driver, is a good mechanic and does her own repairing with her own tools.” The pair were the first women to cross America by motorbike, at a time when the roads, where they existed, were simply horrendous. After visiting the Pacific coast, the pair rode back to Brooklyn, for an epic 9000-mile journey. Effie only used her pistol twice.