All sorts grow old disgracefully with Ulysses

LOVE TO RIDE: Members of the Ulysses Motorcycle Club ride many different types of vehicle -- not just Harleys.

Biker Tony Allen is proud to be "growing old disgracefully" -- and seeing a fair bit of the New Zealand countryside in the process.

Greytown's Mr Allen is a committee member of the Wairarapa branch of the Ulysses Motorcycle Club, one of the largest of its kind in the region.

Active since 1999 with a more than 50-strong membership, the club organises regular group rides, ranging in distance to just over the Rimutaka Hill to the length of the South Island, social events and charity fundraisers.

Originating in Australia and later becoming popular in New Zealand, Ulysses caters to riders and motorcycle enthusiasts aged 40 plus, and has the motto "Growing Old Disgracefully".

While motorcycles are commonly associated with youthful rebellion, NZTA data shows the vast majority of motorcycle licence holders (around 80 per cent) are over the age of 40, Mr Allen said.

"Most of our Wairarapa members would be over 50, but we've got a few 'young' guys," Mr Allen said.

"Some of our guys are well into their 80s, and are still going.

"Our older members have slowed down a bit, but we give them lots of support and treat them like any other human being.

"It's a great social thing for them to do."

Mr Allen said the club's 55 members, both male and female, have varying levels of experience, and prefer a range of different "rides" -- from slick cruiser bikes, to powerful sports models, to well-worn off-road vehicle.

"It's not all about Harley Davidsons.

"We've got the people who are really experienced and have clocked up hundreds of thousands of kilometres, to people who have just got their learner's licence.

"Some of the women would come to social events with their partners, and then they went and got their learner's as well."

Club members take part in group sides every Sunday on both short and long ventures -- either "around the corner" to the Hutt Valley, or as far as Wanganui or Taupo.

Mr Allen and some fellow members have even spent as much as 15 hours on the road travelling, for example, from Lake Ferry to Cape Reinga, and Picton to Bluff, in one sitting.

"But a lot of the guys aren't so keen on that, and just like the small day trips."

The club also does regular gymkhanas, social outings, such as dinners out and lakeside barbecues at sunrise, and charity rides with funds going to the Life Education Trust and St John Ambulance.

Members also do flag marshalling at cycle races throughout Wairarapa.

Mr Allen said motorcyclists often get bad press -- but Ulysses firmly discourages reckless behaviour on the road.

"We don't speed -- we keep it regular.

"If our members lag behind, we stop and wait for them. There's no pressure for people to go faster than they're comfortable with. It makes a big story whenever someone crashes and dies, but we're just a group of people who love bikes and enjoy each other's company."