Most weekends, however, see him swap his suit and tie for a set of custom leathers as he, along with dozens of other aficionados, becomes one of the most passionate motorcyclists you will find.

You see, George is one of a growing band of people who love the freedom only a motorcycle can give and is a proud to be among the throng of weekend motorcyclists that is Ballarat Riders.

Being one of the original members 15 years ago, he has become a sort of unofficial leader and spokesman of the club. “The common bond between us is that bike,” George enthuses. 

“Members come from all walks of life and everyone and every type of bike is welcome.”

The group consists of council workers, paramedics, business professionals, truck drivers, students – you name it there’s a rider from that profession.

The common bond is the bike. Each weekend, between five and 30 riders head out on rides ranging from a short squirt up to Daylesford for lunch to an overnighter along the Great Ocean Road which entails some serious scratching along one of the world’s great roads.

It is such a loose group that there are no office bearers but rather riders who decide to take the lead on a particular ride – a sense of community between like-minded individuals. In a very egalitarian gesture, any rider can initiate a ride.

“It’s a matter of mailing out the information and whoever turns up is up to them,” George said.

It works pretty well and there are about a dozen riders who regularly initiate rides.

It is avowedly not a club. The sport and social aspects of the group are the most important things and George stresses that it is a loose collective of like-minded enthusiasts.

“People are free to join us as they want.”

With the recent attention on OMCG’s George is quick to point out that not all motorcyclists are bad and that is borne out by the enormous cross section of riders who regularly turn up for a dose of weekend adrenalin and camaraderie.

“It’s important for people to understand that not all bikers are hoons and that motorcycles are a legitimate form of transport,” he said.

They are also fun. George is especially keen to promote roadcraft, especially for Learners, as he takes pleasure in making inexperienced riders better, more confident and more responsible on the road.

Hoons are not welcome and over-exuberant displays of riding usually result in a tap on the shoulder from the more experienced riders in the group.

“People are self-correcting in a group and are more likely to do the right thing as they become very conscious of the group’s safety,” he said.

Ballarat Riders participate in nearly every charity run.

“There’s a huge sense of community. We regularly participate in Ride for the Grampians, for fallen police, toy runs and Pink Ribbon rides.”

It’s about doing good things and having fun at the same time.

You can combine worthwhile causes with having fun as well and we do a lot of that, so if there’s half a chance that there’s going to be a charity ride, then we’ll be on it Interested riders can find out about upcoming runs through the website www.ballaratriders.com or through their page on Facebook.