Fifty for Phoenix

South Australia’s Phoenix Motorcycle Club clocks up its half century this year and club president Rick Dowsett is attempting to contact as many people as possible to help celebrate the milestone. “In the early 1960’s a group of about 50 motorcyclists frequented a cafe in what used to be Tavistock Street in Adelaide. After a highly publicised trip to Mannum, it was suggested that becoming a ‘legitimate’ club would take away some of the unwanted attention from the police on their Sunday rides. As some members were interested in racing, they also affiliated with the local controlling body so they could race under the club’s banner. Starting with 82 members in 1964, the club swelled to 200 in the mid 1980s and became Adelaide’s premier road racing club with most of the State’s top riders in its ranks. Phoenix also promoted the SA round of the Australian Road Race Championships for many years. The club’s strength was in its road presence. Their Sunday rides through the Adelaide hills to Lobethal were a training ground for many future road racers and helped attract young people to the club. During the peak years, crowds of over 80 people regularly packed the hotel at their fortnightly meetings and over the last 50 years an estimated 1,500 members have passed through the club. Contact Rick 0403 386788 or rick5564@internode.on.net