Triumph Motorcycles will continue as the main partner and supporter of the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride for five more years, having supported the charity motorcycle fundraiser since 2014. The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, or DGR, as it's also known, was initially founded to raise both funds and awareness for prostate cancer research and men's mental health. The DGR has gone on to become an iconic and stylish global event on the motorcycle charity calendar each year, uniting classic and vintage bike riders the world over on a single day event every year.
In 2014, the DGR raised a total of $1.5 million, taking place in 58 countries with around 20,000 riders dressing up to participate in the event. In 2019, the event grew to raise a record-breaking $6 million, with 1,16,000 riders participating across 104 countries. As the DGR's major sponsor since 2014, Triumph Motorcycles has supported DGR founder Mike Hawwa and his team in helping develop the DGR into a global event that it is today.
2017 Distinguished Gentleman's Ride in India, with former Triumph Motorcycles India MD Vimal Sumbly leading a group of riders.
"In 2014 when we first partnered with Triumph Motorcycles, I was incredibly excited. They are the only motorcycle manufacturer that I felt perfectly fit with The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride. We've done some wonderful things since then; together we have been able to reward some of our top and most dedicated fundraisers with brand new bikes from the modern classic range and built the custom one-of-one 2021 Triumph Thruxton RS. Today, 8 years later as we announce the 5-year continuation of this partnership, I am even more excited than I was in 2014 because, with the next 5 years, I know that we can do even more together with the goal of raising funds and awareness of men's health," said Mike Hawwa, Founder/Director of The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride.
The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic presented a challenge to organise the group ride event that the DGR is. Despite the difficulties and challenges, the DGR developed a new format that made it possible for riders to show their support and passion safely, with the Ride Solo Together event. The DGR community achieved its most global event ever in 2021, with 171 countries and 2,531 locations riding solo together, all connected together through social media.
