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Mark Hinchliffe·
Clubs and groupsWhat's on/clubs
··4 Comments·2 min read

Ulysses Club offers plenty to young women

Kylie Sonter joins Bendigo Ulysses Club

The Ulysses Club may have a cartoon logo of an old man with a big nose, but the club also has plenty to offer younger female riders, says Kylie Sonter, 46, of Bendigo.

Kylie wrote to us in April telling us about her experience as a female riding a Kawasaki Ninja 250.

“Yes, it is possible to be female and ride a motorbike without coming across as a tough and ‘beer-sculling biker chick from hell’ type of image,” she said.

Kylie Sonter not one of your stereotypical biker chicks
Kylie and her Ninja 250

The single female rider joined her Bendigo Ulysses branch more than two years ago and recommends other women join up.

Join a Ulysses Club

In her own words, here is Kylie’s letter of encouragement to other women riders to join up:

Ulysses Club members welcome diversity and have been nothing but encouraging towards my Ninja Kawasaki 250 and there is always someone to buddy up with on a casual ride.

Through Ulysses I have camped solo at two overnight rallies and I have been on three organised group rides.

I wish I could go on more rides but my shift work keeps getting in the way.

With a social club like Ulysses they have heaps of social gatherings and the chance to sit around and exchange stories with like-minded people.

Kylie Sonter joins Bendigo Ulysses Club
Kylie Sonter joins Bendigo Ulysses Club ride

However, because I don’t know much about bikes, I’m limited when the conversation turns mechanical. 

Fishermen will talk about ‘the one that got away’ – bikers talk about ‘near misses’ they have with questionable drivers and when you’ve been riding for a while you will, unintentionally, earn ‘bragging rights’. 

Some of these could be – Who’s ridden through the worst weather/had luggage fall off (I lost a sleeping bag off the back of my bike) or had a ‘wee’ experience with a semi-trailer transporting livestock. 

Not sure I like the Ulysses ‘Old Man’ logo though, but hey, I’m open-minded and because of the demographical age (over 40) of Ulysses, I AM YOUNG. That boosts my ego no end. It shouldn’t, but it does.    

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4 Comments

  1. Good on Kylie… I’m the youngest member of our Sunshine Coast Qld Branch and they’re a wonderful bunch of people. That is, after all, what the Club is all about – the social dinners, the camping, the conversation, giving one another a hand… and we all happen to ride motorbikes too!
    If someone’s having a bad trot or, God forbid, ends up in hospital then the well wishers and visitors are plentiful and our Welfare Officer makes sure they get any help they need.
    A diverse, friendly bunch with just as diverse riding abilities – so we accommodate everyone. No hotheads or racers, just good rides and good coffee.

  2. I agree with Kylie & Craig, as recently my daughter passed her license and bought a near new 650cc LAMS approved Yamaha Star which she adores, and more importantly she loves the Ulysses family having been to camps with her partner as a side car passenger with his Harley Davidson unit in the past and last Tuesday she rode out with me with a sub group called the Old N Bold who consist of older riders who just want a relaxed ride for no longer than an hour and a half and end up at a good café for drinks , nibbles and chat. I was a very proud dad as I turn 77 this year and have held a continuous bike license since I was 15 and currently ride a CT 50 Suzuki Boulevard. My daughter enjoyed the ride, the friendship offered by our group and really enjoys the Tuesday night social get togethers. So regardless of age its the same wind that surrounds us as we live the 2 wheel dream.

  3. The Ulysses Club a social club who’s members have an interest in motorcycles, it’s not a motorcycle club.
    “Not sure I like the Ulysses ‘Old Man’ logo though”.
    Why is that ?
    The Club’s motto is “Growing old Disgracefully”…Ulysses was a man of Greek legend, the hero of Homer’s epic Iliad. Ancient sketches of Ulysses showed him with a beard which he used when the Golden Fleece was not available. He is thought to have had an enlarge proboscis which he used to sniff out Sirens. His nose is thought to have grown bigger and redder as he became more disgraceful and took to the retsina bottle on long sea voyages. Another true fallacy.
    So the logo depicting an old man with a beard and schnozzle, growing old disgracefully seems mightily appropriate to me.
    What say you ?
    JMB

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