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Mr Mutt full throttle at 90
AT an age when walking is a challenge for some people,
90-year-old biker John Shepperd is an inspiration.
Known fondly as Mr Mutt, he has taken the motto of mature-aged motorcycle group Ulysses – "Grow old disgracefully" – to heart.
"I think that's what keeps me mentally and physically fit; I go to bike rallies and act disgracefully," he said with a sly laugh.
Mr Mutt says he can't remember how he got his nickname.
"I've told so many lies about my nickname, I can't remember the true story now," he said.
But he may be reminded by one of the up to 500 motorcyclists expected to attend a Brisbane rally today to celebrate his 90th birthday.
"I think it's got something to do with dogs," Mr Mutt said. "I love animals. I have a certain rapport with them."
He also loves travel and since he retired from his purchasing job at the age of 71, he has ridden his motorcycle around Australia three times, been to Alice Springs four times and ridden to Tasmania five times.
"I love Tasmania," he said.
"The only places I haven't been to are Cape York and Birdsville. You need to have a trail bike and be a lot younger than me to go there on a bike."
Mr Mutt began riding a motorcycle in his 60s when he found the price of petrol too high.
"I used to cycle a lot, but cycling to work is hard in this heat, so I thought I'd try a motorcycle.
"But I soon found out it was entirely different to riding a pushbike."
Motorcycles soon became a passion and he was encouraged to join Ulysses.
Fellow Ulysses members and bikers will honour Mr Mutt, from Marsden, south of Brisbane, with a celebration at midday today at the Kuraby Hotel, in Underwood. This will be followed by a parade of bikes from the hotel at 2pm to the Yeronga Football Club for an "all-night party".
Brisbane Ulysses member Dail Wagner, who is organising today's rally, said riders were coming from as far as Tasmania to honour Mr Mutt and the public was welcome to watch the procession of machinery.
"He's an inspiration to older riders," Mr Wagner said. "He rode to Bunbury in Western Australia in his 80s and was doing 30,000 to 40,000km a year up to a few years ago. That's absolutely incredible."
