One of the most prominent early female motorcyclists, Beryl Tolman Swain was born on January 22, 1936, in Walthamstow, England. She made history as the first woman to ever race in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, one of the most famous public road races in the world, as well as one of the most dangerous and deadly. On a tiny island in the Irish Sea, motorcyclists have been competing since 1907, racing across the full extent of the isle on roads that climb nearly 1,300 feet above sea level and pass through the mountains.
In 1958, Beryl married Edwin Swain, a racer who owned a motorcycle repair shop. What started as her helping him work on his bikes before his races changed when she herself tried to race. Enamoured with the sport and its speed, she joined the Ultra Lightweight class and raced at Brands Hatch and Snetterton astride 50cc motorcycles (though she tried 500cc bikes, too, through the help of her husband, who supported her racing career).
During the Isle of Man TT in 1962, the first time the race included a 50cc event, she rode her Italian Itom and averaged 48.3 miles per hour after the second lap, when her bike lost its top gear. She crossed the finish line 22nd out of the 25 entrants in her class, and enthusiastically announced her plans to return the following year.
Unfortunately, her plans were never realised. Other motorcyclists were upset by her participation, and the Federation of International Motorcycling, the governing body of motorcycle racing, led the fight to revoke her international license by setting a minimum weight limit that they knew she could not meet.
Their reasons were not entirely unjustified: at a time when men dominated the sport, organisers were worried about allowing women into a dangerous race. They were not prepared, they said, for an accident to happen to the fairer sex, not when some male competitors had already sustained injury or died in the TT race. The motion to effectively ban women who attempted to join that sort of sports competition gained support from the majority, and Beryl lost her racing license.
The result broke Beryl’s heart and ended her pioneering career, but she never lost hope. She even sought help from the Lieutenant Governor, but to no avail: her license was never reinstated. However, a decade after the weight limit came into effect, aspiring women entered the course again—Hilary Musson, the second woman to participate solo, entered in 1978.
We are left to wonder how many victories Beryl might have earned if she had been able to regain her license. She passed away on May 15, 2007, in Epping, England, at the age of 71—an unforgettable woman who helped pave the way for women who love speed as much as she did.
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Standing over six feet tall, she already had a commanding presence, but she shocked still further as a female motorcyclist and the first woman to sport a one-piece leather racing suit. She designed her own riding clothes, aided by Harro, a German manufacturer, and traces of those styles remain in women’s motorcycle apparel to this day.
She had three main careers in her lifetime. Aside from racing, she covered international motorcycle news as a journalist for France’s Moto Revue, Germany’s Das Motorrad, the USA’s Cycle World, and other magazines and publications around the world, including ones in Sweden, Japan, and Spain. For a time, she also worked at a U.S. Air Force base in Germany, teaching German to the children of American soldiers.
In 1956, she got a BMW R69, the fastest Bavarian flat-twin roadster of its time, able to top 100 miles per hour with ease. She fell for the bike’s charms and became an advocate of the marque, constantly wearing her pudding basin helmet with the letters ‘BMW’ on the front.
Although she apparently was never employed or sponsored by BMW, she had the opportunity to purchase one of the first six BMW R69S models produced in 1960. The model she bought, an excellent sports-touring bike, boasted 42 horsepower (capable of 110 miles per hour) and had the rare feature of a rearview mirror.
She competed in speed circuits and endurance races at Hockenheimring and Nurburgring, but because the sport excluded female participants in professional arenas, she was barred from competing at higher levels or in GP racing.
An influential woman of her time, she helped bring the Women’s International Motorcycle Association (WIMA) to Europe. WIMA, the first organisation to recognise all women in the sport, started in the USA in 1950, and Anke-Eve teamed up with nine other female motorcyclists to found the European branch.
Whatever the road conditions or the season, she was determined to tour, and even attended the Elephant Rally—a midwinter run through the snow in the Bavarian Forest—several times. Although she owned another BMW, the R75/5, in 1972 she acquired a MV Agusta 750S, a pricy, exclusive Italian hot rod prized by collectors today. By the end of the 1960s, Italian and Japanese motorcycles had become significantly faster than the BMWs she owned, even though she augmented her bikes to enhance their speed.
Despite her passionate love of motorcycling, she gave up the sport after one of her dear friends died in a riding accident. In the years that followed, she backpacked alone through remote Asian locations—Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, and the Sunda Islands—not long after the conclusion of the conflicts there. She lived a daring life, and although she has avoided interviews and biographies, perhaps one day even more stories will come to light about her incredible adventures.
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I was recently given the opportunity thanks to Yamaha Australia and the Foxy Fuelers to test ride the soon to be released XSR700 for a week.
I am head over heels for this bike and I am a die hard classic motorcycle fan. There aren't too many modern motorcycles that will turn my head but the XSR700 with it's take on retro styling had me at first sight.
It is incredibly easy to ride with a lightweight and well balanced chassis. Everything functions seamlessly.
This model in Australia has had a 655cc inline 2-cylinder engine installed which makes the Aussie XSR700, learner legal!
I put this motorcycle through its paces in the city and out on the motorway and it performed without falter in both environments. At high speeds on the motorway the bike is smooth, there was barely any noticeable vibration and it was quick to get up to speed with excellent power through to a high RPM. In the city I found it nimble enough to manoeuvre around traffic and with car drivers being as they are, ABS brakes are a great addition. A wide rear tyre also makes cornering very easy with a good feeling of traction. The bike weighs 186kg wet which might deter some women, but the XSR700 is really well balanced and does not feel heavy at all.
Aside from its obvious good looks (that green tank!), the thing I love most about this motorcycle is how easily customisable it is. Designed to be taken apart and modified with a great selection of XSR700 parts like seats, handlebars, engine covers and tool bags.
The seat hight for women could be a little high at 815mm and if I had to be picky I find the handlebars to be too wide but both could be easily fixed by picking up some new Yamaha accessories.
Overall, the Yamaha XSR700 is a perfect bike for learners and a very fun ride for the more experienced. And after having it for a week I was definitely reluctant to hand the keys back!
For more info, check out Yamaha specs online:
http://www.yamaha-motor.com.au/products/motorcycle/road/sport/16-xsr700
Photos by Bearded Images.