Harley History: Motorcycling Legend Dot Robinson

Challenging Pioneer

Dot Robinson was a motorcyclist even before she was born. When Dot's mother, Mary Olive, went into labor on April 22, 1912, she was loaded into a sidecar and rushed to hospital by Dot's father, James Goulding. The ride did not end there. Robinson went on to become a pioneer for women riders and racers, challenging exclusionary rules and eventually winning.

First Sanctioned

Robinson was dubbed the 'First Lady of Motorcycling' for her lifelong contributions, a title now shared with the late Nancy Davidson. Among her many accomplishments, Robinson, along with Linda Dugeau, is best known as the co-founders of the Motor Maids. Chartered by the American Motorcyclist Association in 1941, the Motor Maids are America's first, all-women riding club.

Riding Inspiration

Dugeau and Robinson were avid Harley-Davidson enthusiasts, having completed many solo rides throughout Canada and the United States. By the mid-1930s, Dugeau began to envision a women's riding group, drawing inspiration from the Ninety-Nines—an organization of women pilots started by Amelia Earhart in 1929. Founded in Valley Stream, New York, the '99s' still operates today, with over 150 international chapters.

Preconceived Ideas

In 1939, Dugeau and Robinson set out in search of other women to join their fledgling club. At the time, there was a stigma against women riding alone, and some even considered it dangerous. The duo wanted to dispel these preconceived ideas and offer legitimacy to the practice. They succeeded in bringing fifty-one women together to form the first incarnation of the Motor Maids.

Community Addition

After its formation, Robinson served as president of the Motor Maids for twenty-five years. Arthur Davidson, one of the four original founders of Harley-Davidson, recognized the importance of the Motor Maids and lent his support to the organization. Today, the Motor Maids has more than 1,300 North American members who are involved in the community and charitable events, in addition to riding.

Settled Rig

In many ways, Robinson was primed to become an ambassador for women motorcyclists. Her father, James Goulding, was an Australian sidecar designer and amateur racer who was well known for the reliability of his rigs. In 1918, the Goulding family moved to the United States to make sidecars for Harley-Davidson. They eventually settled in Saginaw, Michigan, where the family purchased a motorcycle dealership.

Married Races

Robinson grew up around motorcycles and started riding at a young age. She met her future husband, Earl, while working at the family dealership. Story has it that Earl came in to buy oil and was so taken by Dot that he took to hanging around the shop until he was hired as a mechanic. Once married, the Robinsons competed in transcontinental motorcycle endurance races.

Hall of Fame

After a record cross-country race in 1935, Harley-Davidson approached the Robinsons with a dealership offer in Detroit, Michigan. They accepted and managed the dealership until 1971. As a woman ahead of her time, Dot Robinson was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998—the same year she stopped riding. Robinson passed away on October 8, 1999, at 87 years old.

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