The countdown is on! One Week To Go for Auckland’s Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 2026, and I’m riding it! In our Tarmac effort to attend as many events as possible in 2026, one of the most special ones is just around the corner. This weekend, I’ll be buttoning up a jacket, putting on a peak hat (if I can find one), swinging a leg over a very special motorcycle, and joining hundreds of other riders across Auckland for the 2026 edition of the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride.
If you read my piece last month, you’ll know this isn’t just another random motorcycle ride. I’m no stranger to bike events where horsepower, chrome, rockabilly bands, or who has the best moustache are the main attractions.
But the DGR is about something bigger. It brings together riders from over 1,000 cities worldwide, all dressed in their finest, all riding classic or vintage inspired machinery, and all united by one mission: raising money and awareness for men’s mental health and prostate cancer research through Movember.
And next Sunday, I’ll join thousands of riders worldwide to be part of that movement right here in Auckland, riding the Lead Host’s personal bike, an amazing honour, especially considering the message that goes behind that machine – don’t worry, you’ll read more about it here at Tarmac very soon.
Motorcycles have always been brilliant at bringing people together, but the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride does something even better. It gets men talking. Talking about health, talking about mates who are doing it tough, talking about fathers, brothers, sons, and friends. Talking about conversations that, too often, happen too late.
This year’s Auckland ride is already building serious momentum, with more than 300 riders signed up. The streets will be filled with everything from British twins to Italian exotica, Japanese retro machines, and probably a few beautifully questionable custom builds that only Kiwi ingenuity can offer.
I genuinely can’t wait. And if you think that riding dapper on a vintage motorbike is the only way to participate, think again. What you can do is help me turn this ride into something bigger than a Sunday morning cruise.
If you’d like to support my ride, and more importantly, support the work being done for men’s mental health and prostate cancer research, please consider donating to my fundraising page. Even the price of a flat white helps.
And if you’re in Auckland next Sunday, come out. Wave, take photos, share it around. Bring the kids, and make a morning of it! You’ll hear us before you see us. And hopefully, long after the engines go quiet, the message will still be louder.
See you on the ride!
Support my page:
https://gentlemansride.com/fundraiser/henrique-perachi-de-souza
Want to ride?
Register for The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride
Auckland DGR photos credits to Aaron Staples Photography.
