Thousands of ageing motorcyclists have been ordered to remove badges from their jackets after a bikie gang threatened to harm them for crossing their turf in Canberra.

About 5,000 members of the Ulysses Club for veteran motorcyclists, aged from 40 to 91, have converged on the national capital for their annual general meeting - in the heart of Rebels Motorcycle Club territory.

The Rebels have threatened Ulysses Club members with violence unless they ditch their rockers - badges placed around the Ulysses logo of an old man in a motorbike helmet which makes the logo look more like a bikie patch.

Ulysses Club national president Rick Bedford has urged all members to get rid of their badges or warned the Rebels would "enlighten them".

The situation came to a head yesterday when the Ulysses and Rebels clubs met after Ulysses members complained of being subjected to threatening behaviour.

The Ulysses Club agreed to issue a directive to its members to remove their rockers.

"They (Rebels) object to the fact that people can join the Ulysses Club, pay a subscription fee and then go out and buy things and that put on stuff imitates a bikie colour patch," Mr Bedford told ABC radio.

"We had a meeting with the Rebels yesterday and they made their point to us.

"We've acceded to their requests and their demands in relation to that."

He said Ulysses was a social club for older motorcyclists and he found it frustrating some members wanted to appear they were gang members.

"We're not a motorcycle gang, we don't fit their lifestyle and why people in our club would want to emulate that by looking like them has got me confused," Mr Bedford said.

"We don't want to tread on their toes.

"We've issued a rule now, an instruction to our members not to wear the rockers, to remove them from their jackets, and that's an Australia-wide rule.

"Hopefully members will accede and there won't be any violence."

Mr Bedford said the Rebels had assured the Ulysses Club there would be no more trouble if members complied with the new rule.

"The Rebels have offered an open invitation to those members who don't want to comply with our instruction to go out to their clubhouse and talk to them and they'll explain what their lifestyle is about and perhaps enlighten them," he said.

"That's a choice members who don't want to comply can make." Mr Bedford had a final message for Ulysses members to protect their own
safety.

"Don't antagonise the situation, don't stand up on your high horse and think that your civil rights are infringed," he said.

"Just live with the situation and get on and enjoy the party."