Their 1930s Harleys were subjected to hills stretching
hundreds of feet in the air with the object of making it to the top without falling head
over heels and wheels over handlebars to the bottom. Scrambles were made up of heat races
over a brief track of sandy hills, twists, and turns. Fans gathered along the track to
catch a glimpse of the expertise racers showed while maneuvering their Harleys around the
track. The most grueling of the races were enduros. Riders sped their way through swamps,
over logs, through trees, into rivers, and over embankments for six to eight hours on
these twenty to sixty mile courses on their extremely heavy bikes designed for road use.
The Black Hawk Motorcycle Club’s competition riders were well known throughout Iowa
for their racing abilities at these events.
The racers needed support as they subjected their bikes and their bodies to these tracks. This is where the women of the Black Hawk Motorcycle Club came in. The women’s auxiliary was made up of wives and girlfriends of the male members. They elected their own officers and created their own events. Attending the races as supporting fans was important to the men as well as the women. Sometimes doctoring was needed on racing wounds, other times it was smiles and applause at the finish line. The friendships forged would last for decades.
