Raoul Kahn sits astride his Depeche Mode styled Thruxton before the start of The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride (SF). Photo: Alex Washburn / Element.ly
A Distinguished Gentleman puffs a cigar before the start of the ride in San Francisco. Photo: Alex Washburn / Element.ly
Several ride participants check out a (mostly) Honda cb450 that was chopped up and put together by Daniel Pon. He used three rust buckets to create the finished bike. Photo: Alex Washburn / Element.ly
Daniel Pon used leather straps from a 1940's German bag to accent the tank of his (mostly) Honda cb 450 he created from three separate bikes. Photo: Alex Washburn / Element.ly
A mostly Honda cb450 that was chopped up and put together by Daniel Pon sits gleaming on Pier 30. Pon used three rust buckets to create the finished bike. Photo: Alex Washburn / Element.ly
Relaxing on Pier 30.
Nathaniel Chaney and the rest of The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride participants roll out of Pier 30 in San Francisco to start their ride. Photo: Alex Washburn / Element.ly
Running coolant through alcohol bottles is a popular trend in the bobber community. Photo: Nathaniel Chaney / Element.ly
Distinguished Gentleman's ride participants hang out on Pier 30 before the start of the ride in San Francisco. Photo: Alex Washburn / Element.ly
The first of three stops along The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride (SF) was Fort Mason. Photo: Nathaniel Chaney / Element.ly
The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride San Francisco made a big chunk of their ride through the city the Great Highway along Ocean Beach. Photo: Alex Washburn / Element.ly
The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride (SF) attracted riders of all ages from every bike manufacturer imaginable. Photo: Alex Washburn / Element.ly
The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride San Francisco made a big chunk of their ride through the city the Great Highway along Ocean Beach. Photo: Alex Washburn / Element.ly
At least three people brought their dogs to the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride who rode shotgun through the city in Russian made Urals. Photo: Alex Washburn / Element.ly
Wool, mustaches, vests - all considered Distinguished Gentleman's Ride staples. Photo: Alex Washburn / Element.ly
What do you think of when I say bike culture? Does your mind go to the backs of beer soaked bars where the smell of gun oil, cigarette smoke, and urine mix to form a gag inducing musk only the manliest of man can stomach? Or do you think of men born with wrenches in hand who ride out of the womb on ear-busting hogs clad all in black, who piss straight octane and have 20w-50 running through their veins? Sunday’s Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride in San Francisco couldn’t have been further from these archaic images of the rough and tumble biker.
Formed only three years ago, the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, or DGR to those in the know, aims to bring together classic motorcycle enthusiasts with a penchant for dapper threads all while raising money for prostate cancer. Sure, everyone pulls out the checkbook for Susun G. Koman and the cute pink ribbons. But co-workers will give you a slightly less energetic look when you say you are collecting money for a motorcycle ride in support of this less publicized type of cancer that centers around a man’s private parts.
On Sunday, an eclectic mix of motorcycles and an even more varied mix of riders rumbled into the parking lot at Pier 30 in San Francisco with the usual biker nonchalance. Before long there were over 150 riders on everything from Royal Enfields to Ural’s with sidecars and homemade junkers running coolant through Jack Daniels Old No. 7 bottles. There were true vintage, refurbished vintage, modern classics and some had put blood, sweet, and tears into every bolt, while others had left such matters to a well-paid mechanic.
I myself was riding a 2013 Triumph Scrambler 900 and wearing a newly acquired Austin Reed suit with a Union Jack helmet and goggles. I had been worried that those hip bastards in San Francisco would bring their A-game and spent the previous day frantically scouring the Haight in search of the proper attire for a gentleman’s ride. As I sauntered around the parking lot watching more and more riders arrive, I soon realized the crazier the better. From three-piece suits to a mechanic onesie, all of us did our best to look like we were traveling back to the days of smoking on airplanes and old fashions for breakfast.
I hadn’t known what to expect, and wondered how many people would turn up and whether they would be as enthusiastic as I was. What I found was an incredible gathering of men and woman who were as passionate about bikes as any ‘true’ biker I have ever met. There was also an easygoing sense where all the riders were eager to share their passion and not afraid to poke fun at the conventional stereotype of the biker community.
Sometimes the biker spirt is defied by that leather-clad, beard sporting, Harley driving guy. However, sometimes the spirit is also found in that suit-wearing skinny kid who just spent the last two years building his dream Honda 450 from four spare bikes so he could get out and help fight prostate cancer.
The world is a weird place. Ride it!