The female motorcycle racers series is focused on outstanding female competitors, exploring women have have become iconic figures in the motorcycle industry.
As the racing scene is constantly seeing an influx of exceptional and talented female racers, the amount of women buying, owning and insuring bikes is now ever increasing – and the overall community continues to grow.
This time we’re looking back at the first woman ever to achieve a solo finish in a TT race, Beryl Swain.
A Passion Begins
Born in 1936 in Walthamstow, Beryl Tolman grew up to work as a senior secretary at P&O.
In 1959 she married Eddie Swain, a motorcycle repair shop owner, and it was then that her love for motorcycles quickly grew. She became a prominent member of numerous motorcycle clubs, and opportunities arose for her to start racing.
Her passion continued and it wasn’t long before she became a keen competitor in events at both Snetterton and Brands Hatch – eventually finding her ideal niche with the 50cc class, whilst also trying out 500cc bikes at Hackney Wick speedway.
An Iconic Upset
It was in 1962 that Beryl Swain would get the chance to make history – becoming the first solo female rider to compete in and complete the perilous Isle of Man Tourist Trophy course, which is still a rare occurrence to this day. The course was already infamous for claiming many lives and inflicted fearful injuries.
Swain rode on an Italian Itom 50cc racer, in the first year that the 50cc Ultra Lightweight class had been granted world championship status. Riding in a field of 25 other racers, she managed to negotiate the notorious mountain course, and after 37 miles of grit and determination she finished in 22nd place.
At the time, the upset shocked the male-dominated world of motorcycle racing and the historic finish only spurred Swain on – she announced her intentions to return the following year.
Thwarted Dreams
Unfortunately the sixties were a much more conservative time, and the Isle of Man TT was widely considered far too dangerous a race for solo female competitors.
The organisers were always concerned about a male racer getting badly injured or killed on the tough course, but they were not prepared to take the risk and possible public backlash of that happening to a woman.
As a sign of the times, the FIM, the sport’s governing body, took the decision to revoke Swain’s international licence. They introduced a minimum weight limit to enter the competition, a limit that she simply couldn’t meet. Putting a swift end to what should have been the start of an international career.
Legacy
Swain protested and campaigned against the decision, managing to gather a considerable amount of support for her cause.
Despite this, sadly her license was never reinstated and she eventually hung up her leathers for the last time.
Swain really was ahead of her time as a motorcycle rider, who no doubt would have had a successful and long lasting racing career. Although she didn’t succeed in breaking through the barriers of the time herself, the ban was eventually broken just a decade later and women began competing again in the TT race.
Her pioneering efforts may not have worked directly for her, but they no doubt paved the way for women’s future in the sport. Beryl Swain became a racer remembered for her resilience and ambition, and for helping to lay the foundations for aspiring future female motorcycle racers.
