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Australia - WHEN John Travolta tied on his black bandanna, slipped on his dark sunglasses and straddled his motorbike for a road trip across the US, his desire for "freedom" resonated with baby boomers the world over.

In fact, the grey-power biker movement is so strong it even has its own club, with an appropriate motto "Grow Old Disgracefully".

As motorcycling surges in popularity, the Ulysses Club, for over-40s riders and their partners, has become huge. There are 28,000 financial members nationally, with another 14 to 15 joining every day. Average age is 56.9 years . . . and climbing.

Queensland is a stronghold: almost 6000 members in 31 branches, from the Gold Coast to Cairns and west to Mount Isa.

According to Brisbane branch president Don Hewett, 49, a teacher, of Calamvale on the southside: "It's not a bike club, it's a social club.

"For me, it's a recreational thing, a way to mix with like-minded people and have fun on weekends."

The Ulysses Brisbane branch holds trivia nights, an annual bowls day and club members organise a special ride every Mother's Day.

Mr Hewett admitted his purchase of a 1300cc Honda Shadow in 2003 could be seen as a mid-life crisis.

"I'd never been on a bike before," he said.

"A lot of members started riding bikes when they were young, gave it away when they got a family, and now they've taken it up again.

"There's a feeling of freedom when you're riding a bike."

Ulysses Club members from all over Australia – about 3700 of them – are about to saddle up and ride to Townsville for the club's annual general meeting this month.

It will be the club's 25th AGM, the first in Queensland since 2001, and "Going Troppo" is its slogan.

"A lot of members use the AGM as the excuse for what amounts to an around-Australia trip," said event spokesman Christian Smith.

"Most will come on bikes, but some are in campervans and RVs (recreational vehicles) trailing the bikes behind them.

"Then there will be other members in their mid-80s who'll be flying up. The business part of the meeting takes a few hours, the social side stretches for a week."

Planning for the huge gathering, which starts on May 26, began four years ago and the highlight will be a grand parade through Townsville streets on May 31, expected to have 1000 to 1500 bikes taking part.

Mr Smith said a lot of effort had gone into explaining to the people of Townsville that they weren't being invaded by "your wild-bunch, run-amok, bikie-style club".

"It may be splitting hairs, but this is a social club for people interested in motorcycling, not a motorcycle club," he said.

"We strive to dissociate ourselves from the stereotypical bikie club."

Townsville travel agent Sandra Dematos, of Barrier Reef Dive Cruise and Travel, which is handling bookings for the AGM, said accommodation houses welcomed the thousands of motorcyclists heading north.

"They're the best fun band of people I've ever met," she said. "They've had no trouble getting accommodation."

About 700 will camp in a tent city being erected in the showgrounds and another 3000 will stay in everything from caravan parks and motels up to five-star hotels.

"Many are going touring around north Queensland after the meeting," she said.

Event organisers say the AGM will inject millions of dollars into the local economy. Townsville businesses are being issued with "Ulyssians Welcome Here" posters, balloons and streamers.

This is the socially acceptable, politically correct side of motorcycling. Last year's club AGM, with 6100 members at Coffs Harbour, won the NSW Tourism award for best festival and event, beating even the Tamworth Country Music Festival and the Elvis Festival at Parkes.

The club's success comes as the number of motorcyclists in Australia soars, now 500,000-plus compared with 300,000 a decade ago.

And while car sales are levelling off after several strong years, bike numbers continue to power ahead despite higher interest rates, stock market jitters and the real estate downturn.

"It's fuelled by the baby boomers," said Ulysses Club national vice-president Neville Gray.

"They have disposable income and look around and say, 'What can we do for the rest of our lives?'

"They've got the kids off their hands, and the house paid off."

The club suggests "returnee riders", many who have not used a motorcycle for decades, go back to school for an advanced riding course.

They find traffic has changed, their reflexes have slowed, their skills aren't what they used to be and their bones are more brittle, Mr Gray said.

"The number of old riders crashing is increasing, mainly because there are so many more of them on the road," he said.

BMW Australia motorcycle spokesman Alexander Corne tells how there has been a big surge in the number of people returning to motorcycles for leisure.

"Motorcycling is booming generally, and among the premium brands demand has been very, very strong in recent years," he said.

"Older, wealthier customers are coming in, people in their 40s and 50s with a much greater disposable income.

"It's a bit of the baby boomer effect. More people are taking their lifestyle seriously.

"There is a lot of money floating around and people are trying to enjoy themselves rather than devote their lives to work."

He pointed to the trend for bike clubs to hold mid-week rides for members.

"Plenty of people go along. Some will be retired, some will be self-employed people taking time off.

"In Australia we have this ability to look at life and say, 'I'm not going to put everything off until I retire'.

"These are people who may have used a bike for transportation as teenagers, then moved to cars. Now they're treating themselves to an enjoyment machine."

BMW bikes range from about $12,000 to $28,000. Mr Corne said the average buyer was in the mid-40s.

Brisbane motorcycle dealer Brad Wacker finds his typical customer is aged 45 to 50-plus.

"The house is paid off and the kids have grown up, so they're people looking for new hobbies," he said.

Mr Wacker, a managing director of Morgan and Wacker, which has dealerships in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast, said the bike market was "increasing remarkably".

"Queensland has been particularly strong in recent years. There has been the mining boom, real estate, the building industry going strong," he said.

Apparently longevity is something to be proud of in the bike business. Started in 1917, Morgan and Wacker is Australia's oldest motorcycle dealership and the longest-established Harley-Davidson dealership outside the US.

He said most Harley-Davidsons were in the $28,000 to $32,000 bracket.

"At the prestige end of the market, these bikes are used largely for leisure," he said. "The greater majority aren't ridden to work.

"With club events, it's as much about the social outing as the ride. They'll go to a country pub for a lunch and a good old chat."

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