HARLEY HISTORY-MAKERS

AVIS AND EFFIE HOTCHKISS

While they were certainly not the first women to ride a Harley, mother and daughter Avis and Effie Hotchkiss were the first with an ambitious plan that they successfully executed. It was to ride across America from New York to the San Francisco World Fair and back, which they did in 1915, two full years before women were even allowed to vote.

Mum, Avis, rode in the sidecar (aka “The Bathtub”) while Effie, 22 (and something of a speed demon), rode their brand-new Harley-Davidson V-Twin