Sunday, September 29, 2019

The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 2019


The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride unites classic and vintage style motorcycle riders all over the world to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer research and men’s mental health.

This is my first year riding in the DGR with Latte Bike.

I have done DGR in Boston, Paris and New York previously. 

To me, DGR is like a cosplay event. people come together dressed up to ride. You get to see a lot of fantastic bikes which comes out once or twice a year. 

There is a big community of people who ride, but the community of daily riders are getting smaller as motorcycles in Singapore keep getting more expensive dues to excessive taxes. The inspection is also getting ridiculuous stupid as you can fail inspection even when you pass all the tests, but your original exhausts do not have the right inscription on them. 

I had to put some other original exhausts that were much louder to pass inspection.

In Singapore, many old motorcycles will also be banned on the road from 2028, and the blanket rule of giving out money is making some people profit from their old and unreliable bikes, while those who love their classic bikes are screwed.

The DGR in Singapore is pretty big as well, the meeting place at the back of the National Museum is almost not big enough to fit all the motorcycles. I estimate that there are more than 500 motorcycles in the parking lot, with some parked outside. 

It was a great riding event and there was some funds raised for a good cause. 

Hope to be more of such rides.

-- Robin