Stan Johnson, Man with a Red Panther

Stan Johnson, Man with a Red Panther
by Shannon Lee Mannion

Stan Johnson indicates a photograph on the wall of the comfortable bungalow he shares with his wife and three children, “That’s me and my Panther setting out for a vintage motorcycle show in 1994 in the rain,” he observes with a shudder, recalling the cold and damp. Nonetheless, thousands of Red Panther owners the world over trust their bikes in wet conditions. They are known for their superb handling and, after all, being from England, most of them have run more in the rain than the sun.

tan never has qualms taking his 64-year-old motorcycle anywhere, any distance. In his Yorkshire accent undiminished from 30 years in Canada, he declares, “The old Panther has never let me down.”

He turns to his youngest daughter and says, “Tell us about the Panther, Leigh-Anne.” The eleven-year-old thinks for a moment, “It’s like Dad to drive that kind of thing. He’s so English. He loves his tea.” Stan pauses at the counter, pondering what she has said. He is brewing a cup of tea with bags labelled ‘Strong Yorkshire.’

The 250 Red Panther was a child of the depression manufactured from 1932 to the outbreak of WWII by Phelon & Moore, Ltd. Their small factory was located in Cleckheaton, Yorkshire, one town over from where Stan grew up in Brighouse, famous for its world-champion brass band, Brighouse & Rastrick.

They were sold by Pride and Clarke Ltd., a large motorcycle retail store in London who were the sole agents. Light weight at 225 pounds, and selling for a mere 29£, they were billed in sales literature as ‘the Greatest Motorcycle Value in the World.’

Growing up in the English countryside, Stan noted Panthers, especially the larger ones, “I’d see the 600s clogging along, usually driven by an older guy who couldn’t afford to buy a car. They often had a double-adult sidecar and some more eccentric ones pulled caravans behind them when they went on holidays”

Stan’s Red Panther is the 250 cc Model 20. It features an eleven horse power, single-port engine that he describes as “firing once a lamp post, ticking over at 500 revs.” An exceptionally large flywheel means that the engine revs low with a throaty, muted thump, thump. If the two-gallon gas tank seems inadequate, consumption is only one gallon to every 115 miles, so this is one vehicle that does pass the gas station.

Despite its age, the 250 cc Red Panther offers sports-type performance with good braking coming from large hub-brakes, easy handling and a high degree of comfort from the solo saddle seat. Other features include well-placed controls and a detachable rear fender for easier tire repair. Additionally, the handlebars and footrests are adjustable, as is the lubrication system.

Stan, a long-time member of the Canadian Vintage Motorcycle Group, Norton Owners Group and the Ottawa chapter of the Society of Velocette Owners, especially appreciate his Red Panther’s “beautiful-looking long-stroke engine.” He winks and reminds me, “A real motorcycle is one that you can see through.”

Is this the only Panther you’ve owned?
No, in the sixties, an old codger around the corner had a Panther outfit he’d been running for few years. It was an old slogger from 1950. I bought it for 12 quid and kept it for six months, using it to go to and from work. I wouldn’t be seen dead on it otherwise and had a 500 Triumph Tiger that I was rebuilding. I sold it for 15 pounds.
How did you come by your current Red Panther?
About ten years ago, I went to buy a 650 BSA from a guy out in the country. The owner pulled some wraps off the Panther. I hadn’t seen one since I moved to Canada. Someone else ended up buying it. But a while later, I offered to swap him a couple of bikes for it. He chose a Commando, my Victor Special, a 650 BSA and a 500 BSA.
I am astounded that you swapped all those bikes for a 250 Panther. Why did you do that?
You can pick up a Commando or a 650 BSA anywhere but you can’t pick up a Red Panther every day. And this one’s bog-stock original. I really like it. It’s the bike I’ve owned the longest.
You’ve owned countless motorcycles. Can you comment on what is it about collecting vintage bikes?
There’s more opportunity living in Canada to collect vintage motorcycles. In Britain now, anyone who has three children like I do, has to be fairly well-off to have the bikes that I have. This being said, there are fewer motorcycles to be had these days. People from Europe have come here and bought up a lot of bikes and shipped them back. English bikes now are getting rare and they are costly.
What sort of response do you get from the public to your Red Panther?
Here’s a story for you. I took the Panther to the Montreal Rally last year and did the reliability run (100 miles.) I was bringing the bike back through the States when a young lady at customs asked if I’d bought any parts or modified it in any way. I said to her, ‘If you know of any place around here where I can get Panther parts, let me know. Do you see anything on the bike that looks modified?’ We had a good laugh over this.