5 Iconic Women Motorcycle Riders
While it’s often considered a male-dominated lifestyle and sport, women make up a fifth of all motorcycle riders on the road. When it comes to much-deserved recognition, there are a number of trailblazing legends in motorcycling who have been overlooked in the community but have contributed to the rich history of the motorcycle industry. Cycle Trader has five of the world’s most iconic women riders who have carved a place for themselves in motorcycle history.
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Maria Costello MBE
Not only is Maria Costello MBE the first woman to take the podium at the Isle of Man mountain course, but she is also the only female motorcycle racer to have earned the distinguished MBE title. This makes her a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. In the Senior Classic TT, Costello holds the female lap record in the Northwest 200. In 2004, Costello achieved the Guinness World Record for the fastest woman to lap the Snaefell mountain course of the Isle of Man TT races, reaching an average speed of 114.73 mph. As one of the sport’s top racers in the world, she has gone on to work as a mentor for young riders in the European Junior Cup and is also part of the Federation Internationale de Motorcyclist (FIM) Women in Motorcycling Commission.
Costello, who runs her own track in the UK, was still actively racing as of 2023 in the Sidecar TT under the Faye Ho female squad banner but was injured during a practice session. She will be heading into her 30th year of racing in 2025.
Laia Sanz
Spanish rider Laia Sanz holds the incredible record as a 14-time winner in the Women’s World Trial Championship as well as a 10-time winner in the European Championship. A Trial and Enduro superstar, Sanz is not only a multi-championship winner but also dominates the Dakar Rally, where she made her debut in the world’s toughest endurance race in 2011. Making her premiere as a top woman racer in her motorcycle class that year, Sanz would go on to repeat this feat the next two years, and in 2015, she would achieve her best ever finish, coming in ninth overall.
As of 2024, Sanz is still racing and is currently preparing for the 2025 Dakar Rally where she was the fastest woman on two wheels for 11 years in a row. Sanz is hoping to finish all 15 editions that she intends to enter.
Beryl Swain
British motorcyclist Beryl Swain first made a name for herself as an iconic racer in 1962 when she became the first solo woman motorcycle rider to compete in the Isle of Man TT, taking on the mountain course on a 50cc Itom Racer. She finished 22nd out of 25 riders in the Ultra Lightweight class before she was pulled from the racing circuit by the governing bodies who deemed it too dangerous for women to enter the TT racing circuit.
Luckily for women who wanted to compete, this setback was not enough to deter Swain from racing. She would continue to race in the UK at both the Brands Hatch and Snetterton events and would also get involved in speedway racing at Hackney Wick. Swain passed away in Epping, England in May of 2007 at the age of 71, leaving a legacy of racing for other women to follow.
Ashley Fiolek
Retired motocross rider and Michigan native Ashley Fiolek—who was born hearing impaired—is known for her impressive record as a championship rider with multiple titles. In 2008, Fiolek took first place in the WMA Pro National Championship. She would go on to take three more national championships, followed by two gold medals at the X Games in Women’s Moto X Super X in 2009 and 2010. After five years of professional racing, Fiolek retired at the age of 22 in 2013.
Since then, she has worked as an actress in several projects, and in 2014 she began her work as a motorcycle stunt performer for a touring Marvel Universe Live! show.
Jenny Tinmouth
British racer Jenny Tinmouth broke the record for the fastest lap for a woman rider during her first appearance at the Isle of Man TT course in 2009, gaining herself the Guinness World Record for the achievement in the process. In 2010, she came back and again broke records with an average lap speed of 119.945 mph. She is the first woman to compete in the British Superbike Championship, and her popularity within the motorcycle racing community has continued as a stunt rider.
Tinmouth has been featured as the stunt rider for actress Rebecca Ferguson in the Mission Impossible films, and has performed stunts in Black Widow and Batgirl.
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Breaking records and overcoming barriers, these are the names you need to know. The list goes on, but these standout women riders continue to make an impact in motorcycling. If you’re inspired to ride, then be sure to visit Cycle Trader for the nation’s largest selection of new and used motorcycles for sale.
Anna Cecilia Tozzi
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