The sixth annual ‘Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride’ will take place next month.

The event sees participants ride a vintage bike in their best attire to raise money for the Movember Foundation which raises awareness around prostate cancer and men’s mental health.

The event was first established in Australia in 2010, and now takes place in 130 countries and over 560 cities across the world.

Karl Millar brought the gentleman’s ride to the island in 2017.

He said: ‘People all over the world take part in the ride on the same day, dress up in their best outfits, dapper style, get on their classic or vintage motorcycles, and ride to spread the word for men’s mental health and prostate cancer.

‘I went to the event in Chester with a friend, I joined in and had a brilliant day and I thought out of all the places the Isle of Man is the motorcycle capital in the world, why aren’t we doing this?

‘The first year we did the ride, it was a great turnout, we had such a great response and feedback from people, and it has just snowballed from there.’

Mr Millar added: ‘It is a nice slow ride for everybody to get on their tweed, polish their boots, have a nostalgic ride on their motorcycles, like when people would ride a motorcycle with a flat cap and a pipe in your mouth.

‘We have had people turning up in kilts, right the way to plus fours and tweed jackets.‘

Last year, 115 participants took part in the island, and they raised £6,000 for the Movember Foundation.

This is the body that the bike ride is affiliated to, and the money raised is then split around the world.

The organisers are also hoping to raise money for Next Step, which is part of the island’s Mental Health Service.

It aims to help people enter or re-enter employment, after they have had an episode of mental illness, as well as helping restore lost skills and develop new ones.

Mr Millar said: ‘I have had friends who have suffered from mental illness to the point where they have been suicidal. The ride brings awareness to that, so people open up and talk to somebody, that is the importance of it and riding the bikes gets people talking about it.

‘If we save one life just by talking about it, it has been well worth it.’

There will be prizes in a range of categories, including highest fundraiser and best dressed.

RL360, a life assurance company, is sponsoring the event.

Organisers are expecting 150 ‘stylish and dapperly dressed gentlefolk’ to take part on Sunday, May 21.

The ride will set off from Murray’s Motorcycle Museum in Santon and end with lunch at Milntown in Ramsey.

At this year’s event organisers will handover a cheque to Manx Care during the lunch, with Dr Alex Allinson MHK and senior members of Manx Care in attendance

The island’s Rolls-Royce club has also been invited to join the ride.

To take part in the 2023 Gentleman’s Bike Ride, sign up at www.gentlemansride.com