The history of the motorcycle begins in the second half of the 19th century. Motorcycles are descended from the “safety bicycle,” a bicycle with front and rear wheels of the same size and a pedal crank mechanism to drive the rear wheel.
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| Women posing with their motorcycles |
Despite some early landmarks in its development, the motorcycle lacks a rigid pedigree that can be traced back to a single idea or machine. Instead, the idea seems to have occurred to numerous engineers and inventors around Europe at around the same time.
At the turn of the 20th century the first major mass-production firms emerged. During this period, experimentation and innovation were driven by the popular new sport of motorcycle racing, with its powerful incentive to produce tough, fast, reliable machines. These enhancements quickly found their way to the public’s machines.
These cool photos were found by Vintage Cars & People that show women posing with their motorcycles in the past.
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| A young lady in a fur-trimmed coat posing in the saddle of an NSU 501 T Combination in an autumnal forest. The bike is registered in the city of Berlin, November 1929. |
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| A cheerful young lady posing in the saddle of an ancient motorcycle in front of a double-leaf door. The words "1 January 1930" are handwritten on reverse. The bike is registered in the city of Berlin. |
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| A fashionable lady posing in the saddle of an Ariel Model F 500 on a dirt road in the countryside. The bike is registered in the city of Vienna, circa 1930s. |
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| A stylish lady in a female suit posing with a sidecar motorcycle in the countryside, circa 1930s. |
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| Two cheerful ladies posing with a Opel Motoclub 500 combination on a dirt road in the countryside. The bike is registered in the administrative region of Düsseldorf, circa 1930s. |
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| A young lady in a dress and apron posing in the saddle of an ancient motorcycle. The print is dated "September 1931" on reverse, the bike is registered in the German state of Württemberg. |
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| A company of three posing with a AJS Sidecar Motorcycle on a dirt road in the countryside. The bike is registered in the city of Vienna, circa 1935. |
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| A lady in an elegant dress and a fellow in a leather coat posing with a BMW R 11 Combination on a gravel road in the countryside. The vehicle is registered in the city of Munich, circa 1935. |
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| A young brunette lady proudly posing with a Victoria KR 20 EN in summertime, circa 1938. |
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| Three cheerful young ladies posing enthusiastically with a Zündapp K500. The bike is registered in the German state of Württemberg, 1939. |
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| Three generations of an Austrian middle-class family posing with a Indian Chief combination on a gravel road in summertime. The sidecar motorcycle is registered in the city of Vienna, circa 1939. |
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| A cheerful young lady in a white sports coat posing in the saddle of a Harley-Davidson WL 750, circa 1948. |
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| A teenage girl posing in the saddle of an ancient motorcycle in the countryside. The location seems to be an olive grove, somewhere in rural Greece, circa 1950s. |
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| A young lady enthusiastically posing with an NSU Konsul in the countryside, circa 1950s. |
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| An elegant lady posing in the saddle of an NSU Konsul in the countryside, circa 1950s. |
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| A young lady with a scarf wrapped around her head posing in the saddle of a BMW R 51/3, May 17, 1952. |
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| A company of three cheerfully posing with a Puch 250 T in an autumnal forest. The bike is registered in the city of Vienna, circa 1955. |
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| A young lady with an ice cream cone in her hand posing in the saddle of a BMW R25/2. The bike is registered in the West German city of Cologne, circa 1956. |
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| A young lady wearing a white turtle-neck sweater, stirrup pants, and suede leather boots posing in the saddle of a BMW R50/2, circa 1965. |