NEWS
Sisters’ Centennial Motorcycle Ride ON INDEPENDENCE DAY 1916,
with the United States about to enter World War I, Adeline and Augusta Van Buren set off on motorcycles on a transcontinental journey. The sisters made history with their successful coast-to-coast ride, becoming the first two women to cross the continental U.S., each on her own motorcycle. Their mission was to prove that women were capable of serving as dispatch riders, thereby freeing up men to serve on the front lines of the war. 2016 marks the 100th anniversary
of the Van Buren Sisters’ accomplish- ment, and this year riders have an opportunity to recognize their achievement by participating in the Sisters' Centennial Motorcycle Ride. Though the event celebrates motor- cycle women’s remarkable achieve- ments, men and women alike are invited to participate in the
cross-country ride scheduled for July 3-24, 2016. “The 1916 ride was a phenomenal
accomplishment by two courageous women at a time when few roads were paved, post-Victorian attitudes were in full flare and women did not yet have the right to vote,” said event organizer and MOA member Alisa Clickenger.
"The 2016 event is
intended to honor their achievement and promote the growth of modern- day women motorcyclists and the motorcycling community." Adeline and Augusta were small
women at just over five feet tall and little more than 100 pounds each, and they rode 1000cc Indian Powerplus motorcycles from coast to coast. It was Indian’s top-of-the line model at the time, with a chain transferring power to the rear wheel instead of the leather belt some manufacturers used
Adeline and August Van Buren rode their 1000cc Indian Powerplus motorcycles
from coast to coast in 1916. Photographs courtesy Van Buren Legacy, LLC.
at the time. Selling for a base price of $275, the Powerplus had a 3-speed transmission and a foot-operated clutch, with standard 28” wheels. The motorcycles were capable of speeds reaching 60 miles per hour, if a road smooth enough to handle that speed could be found at the time. The sisters were the first women to ride
to the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak on motorcycles. Literally and figuratively for the sisters, Pikes Peak was the high point of their trip. West of Colorado Springs the determined sisters encountered many problems, including mechanical break- downs and nearly dying in Utah after run- ning out of water. It’s here where the Sisters’ ride will deviate from the Van Buren’s course most significantly, traveling to the south and through Zion and Bryce National Parks rather than through Salt Lake City. Champion BMW rider and 2014 AMA
Female Racer of the Year Erin Sills, will be joining the Sisters’ Ride from Colorado Springs to San Francisco, where she will emcee our Grand Finale celebration. Sills is
44 BMW OWNERS NEWS March 2016
NEWS
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