Ulysses Motorcycle Club

Motorbike riders 'Grow Old Disgracefully' in Australia

The Ulysses motorcycle club is named after the Greek hero, Ulysses, who is an old man yet he travels the world seeking and finding adventure. The club motto is 'Grow Old Disgracefully', and members must be 50 years old or more and hold a valid motorcycle license to qualify. (Junior members may join once they hit age 40, and girlfriends and wives of the ageing bikers are also encouraged to take part in this social club.)

The Ulyssinians (as they are known) have regular motorcycle 'runs' during the week and publish a Ride Calendar on their website so members can decide which runs suit them. The rides have a responsible Ride Leader at the front and a helper who follows at the rear, just to make sure nobody in the group has a breakdown or becomes lost.

http://www.ulyssesclub.org

Hills Ulysses Club

Members of the Hills Ulysses club park their bikes outside Pirate Pete's cafe and burger bar at Round Corner, Dural, New South Wales, at around 9:30am most Saturdays.

The senior motorbike riders eat a late brekky (breakfast) and chat over mugs of coffee or tea before heading back to their respective homes to get started on their weekend chores.

While most of the riders are middle-aged males, it is not uncommon to see a Ulyssinian biker chick or two there as well. Often they are clad in leather pants — one indication of a serious (and well-heeled) bike rider.

The motorcycles on display range from US-built Harley-Davidsons, German-made BMWs, classic British bikes such as Triumph, Japanese motorbikes from Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha, and some Korean Hyosungs. Large cruisers, sports tourers and luxury bikes like the Honda Goldwing and classic Harleys are also popular with these boys and girls who are determined to live their lives to the full.

http://www.ulysseshills.com/