Iron Man Stan Dishong
Stan the Iron Man Dishong was a true motorcycle legend here on the West coast.
He bought his first Harley in 1944 at age 16. He first raced on the salt flats of Bonneville in 1951 setting a short lived land speed record of 156 mph. This was the first year the Southern California Timing Association invited motorcycles and Stan was one of only 10 riders asked to participate.
He originally opened Stan’s Cycle in Vallejo as a BSA dealership in 1953 but he worked more with Harleys and Indians. Stan and Jackie’s house was three doors down from the shop and at some point the street was officially renamed Dishong St.
It was during this period that Stan raced his reputedly undefeated 1937 Indian Scout drag bike.
One of his many innovations was the first racing slick on a drag bike. He had the Pope Tire co. vulcanize a flat strip of rubber onto the rear tire of his Indian in July 1953.
He was probably best known for the Panhead engine he converted to overhead cam in the late 50’s.
He successfully raced this engine in a bike he called the “Hog”. Stan raced at Lions Drag Strip in Long Beach, Kingdon in Lodi and the Nationals at Vaca Valley raceway in Vacaville to name a few.
Here’s an early version of the Hog at Kingdon drag strip, Lodi, 1957
Here’s a more recent version of the Hog.
In addition to Stan’s Cycle, he operated Dishong Manufacturing, a facility that made after-market parts for motorcycles.
Stan’s Cycle was filled with rare motorcycles and related memorabilia. He not only displayed the racing bikes he had built and raced, he also had some extremely rare antique bikes, originals and restorations of many different makes and models.
One of Stan’s customers in Vallejo was another racing legend; Burt Munro from New Zealand whose record setting runs at Bonneville were made into the movie “The World’s Fastest Indian”.
In 1987 he closed Stan’s Cycle in Vallejo and moved to Port Orford Oregon where they bought a 13 acre ranch and, for the next 15 years, Stan and Jackie restored many of his antique motorcycles.
Jackie passed away in 2002 so, together with his daughter Jeanette, he sold the ranch and opened the Antique Motorcycle and Auto Museum in August 2003.
Along with a few antique cars, guns and early electronics, Stan displayed 33 motorcycles. The oldest was one of the first motorcycles ever built in the United States; a 1896 Marks, built in San Francisco with serial #1, originally purchased as a basket case for $100.
Another rare bike was his 1934 Harley Speedway. Only 20 were originally built and only three or four remain in existence today.
Also on display, in no particular order; a 1903 Indian, 1911 Pope, 1914 Indian 8 valve Board Track Racer,. 1920 Indian Hill Climber, 1926 Indian Prince, and a 1928 Harley Factory Hill Climber.
In June 2006 Stan closed the museum in Port Orford and, due to declining health, moved to a suburb of Boise Idaho to be near his family.
A motorcycle collector/investor bought Stan’s motorcycles and sold many of them at the annual Mid-America Vintage Motorcycle Auction in Las Vegas the following January.
Stan Dishong passed away in January 2008. He not only preserved motorcycle history, he made motorcycle history.
This has been a welcomed guest post by Perry from the West Coast. Perry’s 1957 Pan was a featured Readers Ride on this site back in November of 2009.
Thanks Perry!
