Check Out the Beautiful Bikes and People of the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 2024

Think of it as the prom for motorcyclists.

“The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride unites classic and vintage styled motorcycle riders from all over the world to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer research and men’s mental health,” the DGR says.

The Ride was founded in Sydney, Australia, by Mark Hawwa and some friends. Hawwa and company used to go on motorcycle excursions around Sydney just for fun. Then he saw a photo, possibly in an advertisement, of Mad Men’s Don Draper sitting on a classic motorcycle wearing a suit.

Hawwa liked that imagery and he and his friends decided a similarly themed ride would be a great way of connecting niche motorcycle enthusiasts and communities while raising funds to support men’s health issues.

First it was just for health issues like prostate cancer. But then a member of the original Sydney group, a longtime friend, took his own life, and the group realized men don’t often reach out when they need a little support. So the ride’s charitable efforts expanded to include suicide prevention.

The charity grew, city by city, until Distinguished Gentlemen were riding all around the world. Last Saturday, May 19, was this year’s DGR global ride, with events stretching from Syndey to New York and from Frankfurt to Los Angeles. What you see here is the L.A. chapter of the DGR. Each rider had signed up sponsors and raised money.

When all 600 bikes from the L.A. group roared off from their starting point on the Santa Monica Pier and wound through the city last Saturday, they had already raised $185,000, their part in a worldwide charitable effort that has so far raised millions of dollars.

In a local impetus for Los Angeles riders, anyone who raised over $3,000 was eligible to win a Triumph Speed 400 donated by local mega-moto-dealer Southern California Motorcycles in Brea.

“I’ve had five guys I could call my brothers hit with cancer,” said Southern California Motorcycles owner Tom Hicks. “Three have died recently. I had to do something.”

In addition to donating the Triumph Speed 400, Hicks’ dealership has been donating $25 from each sale for the past several weeks to the DGR.

To make sure the funds raised get to the right causes, the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride has partnered with Movember, which supports more than 1,250 men’s health projects across 23 countries over the last 18 years.

“Anyone who needs help, we’re here for them,” said Tim Gnaneswaran, executive director for Movember.

The group puts on, among other things, small support groups to help their fellow men who may be having a tough time. The hope is to identify those at risk for suicide, among other risks. They meet sometimes in person, sometimes by Zoom, lead by an experienced moderator, and the groups are always accessible.

“After every session you hear someone say, ‘I didn’t know I needed that,’” said Gnaneswaran.

Often men in trouble don’t want to reach out to friends or to anyone for fear of a perceived stigma, a weakness. All resources for them are available through movember.com, Gnaneswaran said.

And then all 600 bikes fired up and roared off into the city, spreading the word.

You can still donate if you want. Check out gentlemansride.com.

And look out for each other, both on the road and among your own circle of friends.