Distinguished Gentleman’s
Ride 2017
Words: Peter Elliott
Photos: Jason Haselden/Alpha Imagery
The DGR was founded by Mark
Hawwa in Sydney in 2012 - inspired
by a photo of Mad Men’s Don Draper
astride a classic bike, wearing
his finest suit.
I
t’s 7am on the first day of daylight saving,
September 24, in Auckland. I am rapidly
reminded that Spring comes out of Winter, as I
fire up my trusty T120 Bonnie. I’m clad in a blue
velvet smoking jacket, Elliott tartan waistcoat,
a shirt, and DGR tie. My brain is thinking it is
6am, and that it’s fecking freezing on the 10k ride
to the assembly point at Glover Park, St Heliers.
But it’s worth it, The Distinguished Gentleman’s
Ride is a locked-in date on the calendar for
myself and many others here in New Zealand.
In fact, every year tens of thousands of
motorcyclists in hundreds of cities worldwide
iron shirts, don cravats or ties, wax moustaches
and beards, chuck on their best bib and tucker,
and clamber on to their classic, modified,
bobbed, or pimped motorcycles to raise
funds and awareness for prostate cancer
research and men’s mental health.
The DGR was founded by Mark Hawwa in Sydney
in 2012 - inspired by a photo of Mad Men’s Don
Draper astride a classic bike, wearing his finest
suit. Mark reckoned a themed ride would help
combat negative stereotypes while doing some
real good in the community. That 2012 ride was
hugely successful, with over 2500 riders across
64 cities, growing to over 11,000 participants