Jerry Hawkins

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Comment by Joe Joiner on November 14, 2009 at 3:22am

Mark, Larry Beale was one of the fastest scrambles riders in Texas in the mid to late 50s and into the early to mid 60s. One of his most famous racing 'acts' to happen here locally was in 1969 at the Green Valley road races. Larry had been working for Kawasaki ( he had been a road rep for Yamaha for years previously) and brought an H1 500 Kaw triple to Green Valley to road race it. Much to the astonishment to all there that were watching the races, he had put his flat track steel shoe on and coming out of the left hand sweeper at the top of the hill (just before, and coming under the walkway at the drag strip start line) he would drag his steel shoe, sparks flying, and get the Kaw triple sideways, flat track style on the asphalt and haul ass exiting the sweeper, rear wheel spinning and engine screaming. I think me and you were there that day motocrossing, and I think I rode the 200 production classs at the road races too. Larry was a bad cigarette smoker, and the last 4-5 years he had been on oxygen. Lung cancer I think. Johnnie and I stopped by and saw him in Abilene in July 07 and he looked really bad. He later died and the funeral was in Nov 07 in Abilene. His brother Fred is (or was) fairly active in vintage flat track, along with Fred's life long Abilene friend Gary Corpian. Fred is an avid collector of vintage and classic British bikes. When I had my 55 BSA Gold Star scrambler, Fred tried to buy it, but we never agreed on a price. I wound up selling it to Barry Higgins in 92 or 93. Fred is a hell of a nice guy and still lives in Abilene. Their dad, Sam Beale was the Triumph dealer there in Abilene in the 50s. Larry Gene, was the star rider at the famous Cisco TT scrambles track in the late 50s and early 60s along with my brother, Johnnie. I still have a foto of them both coming off the line for the trophy dash at Cisco in 1958, both on 650 BSA Spitfire scramblers. I'll try to find the picture and post it.

Comment by Mark Moore on November 13, 2009 at 6:23pm

Joe, whatever happened to the brothers Fred and Larry Beale (spelling?) that were from Abilene? I think Ed Terrell grew up with them out there.

Comment by Joe Joiner on November 13, 2009 at 4:10pm

Mark, Gerald is a motorcycle racing icon. My brother remembers when Jessup was a scrambles star in the 50s, racing all around Texas, Louisana, Okla, etc. He has been a hot rod British bike engine builder for decades also. When Robert E. Lee beat me in the 250 class at the Texas State Championship Scrambles at Mansfield in July 68, he was on a 250BSA that Jessup had built. I wondered how his BSA could pull my 2 pipe CZ so bad coming out of the corners. 30 years later I am talkin to Jessup and mentioned that BSA, (not telling him that I raced against it) and he laughed and said that the motor in that thing was about 320cc. Don't know if he was kidding or not, but I did not pursue the conversation any further. Jessup is a living legend in Texas motorcycle racing. I have seen the articles and also some pictures of him and the salt bike in Cycle World in a couple of Bonneville articles. I think he is, or at least was, active in the Vintage flat track scene here around Texas as well. Several years ago, I was at Devils Bowl and he rode a Vintage flat track event on an A10 650 BSA that was very fast and sounded awsome. If anyone ever starts a Texas hall of fame for motorcycle racers, Jessup will surely be one of the first inductees. A real nice guy too. Friendly and humble.

Comment by Mark Moore on November 13, 2009 at 11:52am

Joe, there is a guy over here in Tyler by the name of Gerald Jessup who is about 71 years young, who has gone to the Flats on an old Triumph and set a record. He has had several good articals written about him in the Tyler paper.

Comment by Joe Joiner on November 10, 2009 at 11:35pm

One has to have seen the Movie "Worlds Fastest Indian" to even start to appreciate Jerry Hawkins dedication, perserverance, determination and tenacity to build and ride his Bonneville bike. Built in the front room of Jerry's humble 2 bedroom frame house right here in NW Ft Worth, Jerry's bike took shape and was built on the burning desire to go to Bonneville and race, much the same as Burt Munro, years earlier. Jerry has took his bike to Bonneville a total of 8 times, from 2000 to 2007. The first 3-4 years he went, something on the bike broke. Jerry making the 1000+ mile trek back to Texas disappointed and dejected. The first year the gearbox broke, then the next year, the bike ate a Turbo charger. Then the 1000 dollar Falacon crank and rods failed. There were piston failures along the way too. When it finally looked like Jerry had all his mechanical woes cured, the bike got sideways at 165 MPH, Jerry having to hang off to the side and drag his toe to try to get er straightened back out, which it finally did as he reached 130-120 MPH. Jerrys past dirt bike racing skills came in handy to survive the harrowing ride. Jerry came home and immediately completely dis-assembled the bike in his front room and kitchen. I went over to his house and parts were everywhere, coffee table, kitchen table, floor, EVERYWHERE. (Jerry is single, so no wife to complain!) Jerry replaced the frame backbone with a 2" 4130 piece of tubing in place of the previous 1" tube. This is a 1600cc, alcohol and nitro burning, Hilborn mechanical fuel injected and turbo charged motorcycle. Jerry is contemplating taking the bike to the Texas Flying Mile in south Texas soon. Wish him luck. O by the way, Jerry is 67 years old now. A living testament to the old saying that you're never too old to chase your dreams.