The 2017 Perth Edition of The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride or ‘The DGR’ was coinciding with our stay in Perth and there was no way we were not going to attend it, after all The DGR is one of the biggest motorcycling events worldwide and it would be a great chance to meet fellow bikers in this part of the world.
There was one problem though. Our saddlebag shaped wardrobe lacked the outfit that would make us eligible to be a part of the ride because all that we were carrying with us in the name of clothing was our Dainese 2 piece leather suit along with Dainese boots and a couple of tees and a denim pant. So a visit to the local shopping center was on top of our agenda the previous evening. Sunny bought himself the necessary paraphernalia, namely a shirt, a pair of formal leather boots, trousers, a wrist watch, and a sling bag to go with. And I thought that it would be best to stick with ‘a safe biker is the well-dressed biker’ philosophy.
So we were right there at the venue – McCallum Park – a sharp few minutes later than we were supposed to be there. By that time a couple of hundreds bikers had already gathered at the park, with all bikes neatly lined up. There were all sorts of bikes and colorful and handsomely dressed bikers all around. A few food stalls stood in the corner while a band of musicians played at the other end of the park near the stage. A couple of bikers soon climbed onto the stage to address the gathering. Their address included a note of thanks to all the participants, including a special note of thanks to all those who donated for the cause. The latter part of the speech included instructions for the ride, the route details, the necessary do’s and don’ts of the ride. The part where they announced that there will be someone to pick up the bikes that refused to crank up and move was the most reassuring part of the speech for few.
We did ride with the pack for roughly 90% of the entire planned ride before breaking out to complete the #powerTrip360 agenda. Couldn’t have thought of a better Sunday morning than this. We wish DGR more success in the years to come.
About DGR
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride was founded in Sydney by Mark Hawwa after he was inspired by television series Mad Men’s character Don Draper riding a classic bike wearing his finest suit. He thought that a themed ride would be a great way to combat the often-negative stereotype of men on motorcycles, whilst connecting niche motorcycle communities together.
So the first DGR happened in 2012 that brought together over 2,500 riders across 64 cities. The success of the event encouraged the founder to consider how it could be used to support a worthy cause.
The event usually takes place on the last Sunday in September each year. The event is free of cost and there is no participation fee, though participants are encouraged to donate for the cause associated with the ride.
As per the DGR’s website,
- In 2013, over 11,000 participants in 145 cities around the world raised over $277k (USD) for prostate cancer research.
- In 2014, over 20,000 participants in 257 cities in 58 countries raised over $1.5M (USD) for prostate cancer research.
- In 2015, over 37,000 participants in 410 cities in 79 countries raised over $2.3M (USD) for prostate cancer research.
- In 2016, over 56,000 participants in 505 cities in 90 countries raised over $3.6M (USD) for prostate cancer research & men’s mental health programs in partnership with the Movember Foundation.
Now, the funding of men’s mental health programs is a Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride focus, in addition to prostate cancer.
