1977 Beamer Road -- Spills and Thrills for Motorcyclists

You're driving down the road, glance out the corner of your eye, and perhaps see a motorcycle or two come roaring and flying by. Where could this be?

At the corner of Beamer and Hall Roads there is a dirt track that is a popular attraction for many young motorcyclists. 

The riders vary in age but most of them are between 13 and 16 years old. Some of htem ride up to four hours a day on the track. 

Most of the riders own dirt bikes having the names Yahama, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Elsinore and others. These machines are potent. They are equipped for racing and have a special frame and suspension. 

The bikes are powered by two cycle engines, are geared lower than street motorcycles, and are run on a special fuel mixture of gasoline and oil.

The majority of motorcycles, ridden on he track are small, usually no larger than 125 c.c.'s, however, larger bikes are occasionally seen on the track.

"The track runs right beside the road," said one rider, "and we come inches from cars going by. Occasionally we come off the track and go in the road, said another, "but so far no one has hit any cars."

James Chatham, 14, rides at the dirt track almost everyday for about four or five hours. "My parents would rather see me riding out here than in he streets," he said.

"We have races between a few people," said James, "and just the other say someone had a wreck and got their head run over by another motorcycle." The boy was wearing a helmet and was not seriously injured.

"You have to take care of your bike like it's part of your own family, " said 13 year old Donald Rogers.

"I had to put my bike in the shop because I blew a piston, rings, and points," he said, "but in the meantime a friend is letting me ride his bike."

15 year old Robert Calhoun thinks the track is tough handle because there are so many ruts and hills on it. "I don't come out here when it's wet because it only makes more ruts in the track," he said. "We probably get going around 45 miles per hour on the track. Some of the bikes have so much torque you're just shifting gears and don't really know how fast you're going."

Mike Woodfin, 15, rides on the track "whenever his bike is fixed," he said. "The police really don't care if we ride out here unless someone rides out into the street."

"There are never too many people riding out on the track, "said Allan Decker, 15. "That when it's fun," said Allan, "when a bunch of people are out here. Riding my motorcycle doesn't interfere with my homework, besides, I do most of it at school."

An unidentified man drove his white four door car slowly onto the dirt track shortly before noon Thursday, December 30. He unseated himself slowly from his car and mumbled that the property belonged to Harris County and that the motorcyclists shouldn't be riding here.

Equipped with pen and paper the man began to write down license plate numbers of the motorcycles. To his amazement there were no license plates. One motorcycle having license plates fled from the scene. The man did not ask for any names. 

We'll have the sheriff out here and we are going to put up signs saying "no riding" on the track, said the man, and slowly drove away off the track onto the street. 

"Do you think signs are going to stop us?" said a smiling kid sitting on a motorcycle.

(as soon as I someone comes forward with South Belt dirt bike footage, we'll swap it out!)