As I sit and reflect on my motorcycle riding days, I channel myself into the life and times of Linda Dugeau, founder of Motor Maids of America (now Motor Maids, Inc.). How interesting her life had been tooling around on two-wheels for the pure love of motorcycling. She rode a motorcycle for the enjoyment as well as for the job she held! Motor Maids of America was formed from 51 ladies sharing the passion of riding a motorcycle. Linda placed ads in local newspapers searching for ladies riding motorcycles who might be interested in forming a group, a group similar to Amelia Earhart’s 99ers club. Of course, this club would come with rules… among the first was “You must operate your own motorcycle.” That’s a great rule to have for a motorcycle club! After all, you ride, don’t you???

There is story after story about ladies who toured the country alone on their motorcycles in the days when such an act required much daring; as well as articles about women motorcyclists in unconventional occupations. For instance, Linda Dugeau dashed around congested streets delivering blueprints on her red Harley-Davidson from 1950 to 1975 when she retired.

"I've fallen off every kind of way," Dugeau said about accidents on that job. To make herself more visible to motorists, Dugeau wore a red jacket and a long red scarf in her ponytail. Visible? Fast forward to present time, we wear neon green and orange for safety as well as reflective piping on our riding gear.

Linda Dugeau sold her motorcycle after she broke a wrist in a spill and decided her bones were getting too brittle to risk another fall. Dugeau did not attend the Motor Maids business convention that year because club rules say members have to arrive at venue on two wheels, and Dugeau now drives a VW bug. "I hate to give it up motorcycling," she said, "because that was the most fun I've had in my life."

Are you making memories to last a lifetime? Do you have a “Bucket List” of places to see by way of your motorcycle? My life was been an adventure since I first starting riding a motorcycle. I have some wonderful memories so far and hope to fulfill my “Bucket List” before I start driving around in a VW bug! ~

Sandy Reece,
North Carolina Motor Maid and Motorcycle Enthusiast