Who are we?
The Ulysses Club is a social club for motorcyclists over the age of 40 years. We are proud of being the largest social club in Australia.
Membership
Membership of the Club is open to any person who holds a current motorcycle licence.* We also welcome applications for membership from the spouse or regular partner who might not hold a motorcycle licence (also aged 40 years and over) of a member.
There is only one kind of membership, full individual membership. However, riders with a Learners Permit will be accepted although conditions apply. We do welcome all types of bikes, in fact Trike Riders from a State that allows a Trike to be ridden on a car license, are also welcome to apply for membership. We also have club plate schemes in most states, for those historic bikes that so many members treasure.
A once off Joining Fee of $45 and a three year fee of $120 or one year fee of $45 is all it cost to join a fun loving group of people.
For an application for membership which is an exception to the above membership criteria, please contact the National Secretary via email to secretary@ulysses.org.au
*It is important to note that all membership applications are subject to the approval of the National Committee.
What we're all about
By joining the club, a member can choose to attend any branch or a number of branches, branch rides and functions. If you travel overseas, there are also Ulysses Clubs in New Zealand, South Africa, Germany, France, Great Britain, Norway, Namibia, The Netherlands, Thailand, Switzerland, Sweden, Zimbabwe, Cuba and Botswana.
The Ulysses Club has around 130 branches right throughout Australia, so opportunity exists to make new friends as you travel around. Join in a local ride, or attend a social meeting in a different location just for fun and to meet new people!
As a benefit to being a member, you will receive the quality e-magazine, Riding On, which contains information about what we all love - bikes and bike related topics. Riding On is published on a quarterly basis, and is available for download from the Riding On page. Members who have provided a current email address will be sent an email link. Ultimately we are a social club so the Riding On is an important reference for all kinds of information for members. This main website and the Facebook page provide up to date information about rides, Odysseys, rallies, Toy Runs, Branch BBQs, best bikes to ride – you name it! We also have a Facebook page for classified ads, for members.
Join the journey - each year, club members from all around Australia, as well as some from overseas, travel to the chosen location for the club’s Annual General Meeting and the National Rally which has grown from a camp over, meeting and meal of the early days, to a major event spanning 7 days, incorporating involvement by major motorcycle manufacturers and suppliers who provide trade displays and even test rides of the latest machinery. There is also a Grand Parade through the town or city, several nights of great entertainment, Weeknight and Saturday night social get togethers, a church service and of course the official meetings and ceremonies.
Throughout the year, members raise the club banner at rallies and odysseys around the country as a focal point where members and their friends can join in good companionship. Our "Old Man" logo, which has been preserved from its original hand drawn form as our registered trademark, is recognisable throughout the country and club members wear the logo with pride. Many members put effort into living our logo – “Grow Old Disgracefully”!
Rides
With one of the purposes of the Club being to enable members to come together for companionship and mutual support, there are many organised rides to participate in, led by the local Branch. Coffee mornings, visits to the local Bakery, overnight stays to the coast or into the mountains, mid week rides - the list is endless with a variety of ride lengths, degree of difficulty, and times.
Why the name Ulysses?
"Ulysses" describes the spark for adventure which you seek through riding motorcycles. The name comes from a poem of the same title by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. It tells the tale of the great Greek hero Ulysses, now middle-aged and securely in charge of his kingdom of Ithaca, who is becoming bored in retirement and longs to go adventuring again with his shipmates of old. Sound familiar? It describes very well the sort of person who still has enough spark to go on riding into middle and later years.
The aims of the club
- To provide ways in which older motorcyclists can get together for companionship and mutual support.
- To show by example that motorcycling can be an enjoyable and practical activity for riders of all ages.
- To draw the attention of public and private institutions to the needs and views of riders over the age of 40.
The story
How did Ulysses Club begin?
Ulysses Club Inc. is a social club for motorcyclists over the age of 40 however the original suggestion for the club was for over 40's motorcyclists and was put forward in a letter by Stephen Dearnley published in the August 1983 issue of Bike Australia.
Stephen had initially responded to some comments by 'Wrench McTaggart', aka Grant Roff, who had suggested to an over 50's rider; "Hasn't anyone ever told you about growing old gracefully ..."
This drew two significant responses: one from Rob Hall, a reader at Albion Park NSW, who suggested the present name and motto for the club: the other from Peter Thoeming, then the editor of Bike Australia who sketched the logo and offered support from his magazine if Stephen could get the club off the ground. This was done at an inaugural meeting in Sydney on 6th December, 1983 when the five founding members approved a basic constitution and the Ulysses Club was duly formed.
The concept of over 50's only lasted three short months and from that point on Ulysses Club became a social club for motorcyclists over the age of 40. From that tenuous beginning it has never looked back and the club now boasts a large and extensive network of members throughout Australia and Internationally.
Vintage or historic bikes
For Ulysses Club’s historic plates and members with vintage or historic bikes. We have local contacts, see below.
NSW: Phil Whitton #3431
phone: 0404 322 139
email: ducatiwhitton@gmail.com
QLD: Eric Madjeric #30671
phone: 0406 128 355
email: madjeric@tpg.com.au
Victoria: Paul Butler #17758
phone: 0438 551 450
email: ulyssescps@gmail.com
S.A: Rob Ryan (Hobbit) #30738
phone: 0404 478 741
email: hobbitfjr@gmail.com
W.A.: Lionel Camm #41078
phone: 0412 662 657
email: billycamm@hotmail.com
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