TONI SHARPLESS AND KATHLEEN COBURN: THE TWO CANADIANS IN THE MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAME

DETERMINED, TENACIOUS, READY TO OVERCOME ANY LIMIT. ALTHOUGH THEY ARE NOT WELL KNOWN IN ITALY, KATHLEEN COBURN AND TONI SHARPLESS ARE TWO RIDERS WHO MADE HISTORY IN WOMEN’S MOTORCYCLING.BOTH BORN IN CANADA, THEY HAVE BEEN INDUCTED INTO THE MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAME, THE RIGHT TRIBUTE TO TWO SUCCESSFUL CAREERS.
TONI SHARPLESS: THE FIRST WOMAN TO WIN A CMA CHAMPIONSHIP (CANADIAN MOTORCYCLE ASSOCIATION).
Toni was born and raised in a family of motorcyclists. Her father had a 22-year career in which he competed in many disciplines.
“My father, Bill, excelled as a rider and organizer in many motorcycle disciplines, including trial, road racing, enduro and scrambler. He opened a motorcycle dealership called Sonic Motorcycles in Scarborough, Ontario, when I was six years old. Soon after, my brothers Blair and Todd and I found minibikes under the Christmas tree to learn what sharing meant… or at least that’s what my mother was told!”
So Toni followed in her father’s footsteps, starting to run on ice when she was just 10 years old and became a national Junior class champion.
“When I was 9 years old, I raced in my first competition. We used studded tires on our dirt bikes to race in ovals on a frozen lake. I remember instantly enjoying the speed and the feeling of freedom when I raced on a motorcycle.”
She also competed on flat track, reaching the senior level with a number of wins and podiums.
When she was 22, Toni’s persistence and perseverance were rewarded with a fifth place finish on her debut in road racing.The following year, she received the famous Kaye Don Trophy award from the British Empire Motor Club, for “the most deserving high-speed performance on a motorcycle.”
In 1984, Toni won the RACE Amateur of the Year award, thanks to her seventh place overall in the Amateur 600 class (Castrol Road Race series).
Toni Sharpless was really tough. She excelled not only on the road but also in dirt, ice and short track races. In the following years, she won the podium in the Amateur Superbike in Mosport and Shannonville, as well as a tenth place overall in theAMA CCS Race of Champions in Daytona. After becoming a professional, she also achieved three top-10 finishes in the Canadian Castrol Series.
“THERE’S NOTHING MORE REWARDING THAN WINNING A CHALLENGE AND GOING FASTER!”

KATHLEEN COBURN: THE FIRST WOMAN TO WIN A FINAL OF THE RACE SERIES
Kathleen became passionate about the world of motorcycling in 1983 in a quite different way from Toni’s.
“I went with friends to Mosport (now Canadian Tire Motorsport Park) to watch a motorcycle race. This was my first ever motorcycle experience and it changed my life! Something clicked inside me and I had to try it.”
She then decided to attend the Norm Sheppard’s racing school and then bought her motorcycle: a Yamaha RD350LC. Not having the same family support as Toni, it wasn’t easy for Kathleen. Fortunately, her father always believed in her and accompanied her on long trips, being there for her in all the races.
Kathleen Coburn became famous on the Canadian road racing scene in 1985, becoming the first woman to win a RACE series final.
In 1986 she also became the first woman to earn points in the Camel Pro series for the American Motorcyclist Association national championship with a 14th place in the Formula 1 class on the fast Road Atlanta circuit in Georgia. Then at another high-speed circuit, in Brainerd, Minnesota, she finished second in a 500 km pro race.