classic motorcycle forum

Those were the days - when the same machine was used for both going to work and competing at weekends. Only the well off would have transport to carry their machine and I suspect would ride a more expensive and faster machine than a 125 Tandon! Note the lack of cars/vans in the paddock on photo 4.
Lights would have been removed either at home or at the meeting depending whether it would be dark before the rider reached home! Excellent photos Dave.
I've had a look at Bruce Main-Smith's copies of the 1953 and 54 Tandon sales brochures and the machine is almost certainly a Tandon Superglid (presumably pronounced Superglide). It appears in the '53 brochure along with the 197 Superglid Supreme but was not in the '54 one.
The attached copy of the announcement in 'Motor Cycling of Sept '52 shows both the Kangaroo and Superglid.
The Superglid has the larger 2 gall tank, the Kangaroo tank held only 1 gallon. Everything apart from the non standard seat fits the bill - which would have been £121 7sh 9d in 1953. Cheaper than most of it's rivals.
I'm intrigued by the cylinder head. When I bought my Kangaroo, it came with a 12D engine like the one in photo and in the 'basket' was one of those non standard heads! Photo attached.
Does anyone know anything about them? Presumably it improved performance, kept cooler and could have 2 plugs in case of 'whiskering', although your photo 2 photo appears to show a cable so presumable it was for a decompressor to help the not so good brakes of the day.
Excellent theme. Let us know where you post the Norton Inter and the G3 Dave.

I came across a Tandon Kangaroo trials bike basket case about 8 years ago.
As a pre65 trials rider I was intrigued by the model. I searched the internet but couldn't find a great deal about it but here's what I have found out.
The mark1 Tandon Kangaroo was available for 1951/2 as esometisse says with the 10d 125cc engine and shown well on the link.
The rear suspension was by rubber tubular block in compression by cantilever from the swinging arm under the engine as used on a couple of Tandon road models.
The lack of damping no doubt led to it being named the Kangaroo! Front suspension was by pogo forks of the period.
For 1953, the Mk2 Kangaroo replaced the mk1 and was given 'conventional' rear suspension with girling type units.
The Mk2 was also available as the Tandon Kangaroo Supreme with a 6E 197cc Villiers engine.
I bought the Kangaroo that turned out to be a Mk2 registered in Jan 1953 with a 125cc engine with a view to riding it in the Vintage 2 stroke class with the Yorkshire Classic MCC.
Over the period I gradually sorted it out. First job was to widen the rear end to take a 400 back tyre to replace the 325 originally fitted. Pogo forks would be no good so a set of heavyweight AMC units were engineered to fit.
A 6E 197cc engine was fitted using electronic ignition followed later by a 4 speed Albion gearbox (Tandon never fitted one). The frame is reminiscent of modern trials bikes with the low centre frame allowing a low seat height.
Why it didn't sell at the price would be down to a combination of fashion, lack of comptition success, suspicion of a budget brand and perhaps racial prejudice. 
I think you'll agree that the attached photo shows what a bonnie little bike the Kangaroo was.
So far it has completed two Scottish pre65 2 day trials and is brought out regularly in YCMCC events and not doing too badly.
The only other Mk2 I know of is in California! It was taken there in the 50s with a shipment of British lightweights to see what the Americans made of them. Not much I suspect but the Kangaroo survived and is in the process of being restored.
I also know of a Mk1 near Pontefract and would be keen to hear of the whereabouts of any others.
Tandon did market a 'Scrambler' until the company went bust. It sold reasonably well and had some success in Ireland I'm told.
SLR