Tandon Motorcycles

[villiers]

Hi, i have just bought a Tandon motorcycle in trials/scrambles trim. Does anybody have any period photo's?
I know they made a scrambles but did they make a trials? Also unable to find a frame number, any idea where it might be stamped?
Any help apreciated, thanks.

[esometisse]

Roy Bacon doesn't list a trials Tandon model in his "Villiers singles and twins", only the 1954/1955 scrambler with the 8E 197cc engine. Unfortunately there is no picture.
But no doubt some of them would have been modified by their owners to participate in trials events.
There was in fact one works Tandon rider, John Babb, who used a modified 1954 Imp Supreme in scrambles and trials events.
I think the "Scrambler" model is derived from this machine.
You can find pictures of offroad Tandons on the internet but I think most of them have been modified in more recent times.

Cheers
Andy

[esometisse]

hold it, hold it! There was a trials model, the 1951/53 10D-engined 125cc Kangaroo with teles front and a rubber-sprung swingarm rear. Look here:
 http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FOaNp6XZ_1Q/SmjQuGpjNWI/AAAAAAAAAfY/b-77LszRrls/s400/tandonkanga.jpg
for 1952/53 it was joined by the Kangaroo Supreme with the 197cc 6E engine and a somewhat modified rear end - couldn't find a pic though.

Cheers
Andy

[cardan]

Nice one Andy - note the clever rubber rear swing arm suspension. Tandon has a two-page entry in Don Morley's book "Classic British Two-Stroke Trials Bikes" (Osprey 1987), but unfortunately no photo of the Kangaroo.
Villiers - does your bike have the rubber rear end?

Leon

[Stickinthemud]

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

[Rex]

Looks a nice little bike, but "racial prejudice"?   Don't see the connection....

[esometisse]

... "racial prejudice"?   Don't see the connection....

Tandon was founded and run by a gentleman of Indian descent but I doubt that many potential buyers at the time were aware of that.

Cheers
Andy

[JR]

Hi anyone with a Tandon or an interest......I recently brought the only official works Tandon which was ridden by John Babb quite successfully, on a good day he could get the better of Brian Stonebridge......I am certain that it is the correct bike as I had a photograph of myself riding at ARRINGTON in Cambridgeshire with John Babb leading Brian Stonebridge and myself....The Tandon is clearly shown in the picture with its distinctive differences that John made to this works bike, I remember John saying on one occasion when he rode, he was not a regular competitor, that the weight was to far forward so he moved the engine back in the frame.....The standard of the shelf scrambler was a very pretty little bike as ridden by Andrea Baldet and John Grose very competitively in the South Midland Centre and scored many success, as a young lad I had the chance to ride Andrea's bike on severial occasions but brought a DOT instead, on Andrea's advise,  which looked somewhat simular......Going back to John Babb, he was a very forceful rider and I remember spent a lot of his time in the air so the Tandon had to stand up to some heavy welly.....I am now looking forward to completing the restoration of John's bike and riding it this coming summer, you never know a Tandon might appear in the propgramme at a pre 65 meeting some 60 years after its birth......John Willis

[Bomber]

I sold a Tandon 3 or 4 years ago to Patrick Farrance's father (Patrick being ex sidecar world champ) and his dad is a real Tandon nut, if you could get in touch with him I'm sure he will tell you all you need to know

[JR]

Hi Bomber.....The thing that I have a doubt about is the exact colour of BEIGE that Tandon used if you have any idea or know someone who has I would love to know......With modern paints you can get every shade imagineable and I would like to get it right.......fastaweigh@aol.com......John Willis

[33d6]

I'd be grateful to know if there were any issues with fitting the four speed box to the 6E engine. Is it just a straight forward bolt on exercise or are there a few things to watch out for?
Cheers,

[JR]

It is quite easy I have done a couple recently to 8e engines and I think a 6e is  the same casings you do have to make a few alterations but they are quite easy.....Are you doing it on A TANDON as there may not be quite enough room in the frame, that is my next project.....If you want to contact me direct my email address is on a comment to bomber above.....John

[Stickinthemud]

I'd be grateful to know if there were any issues with fitting the four speed box to the 6E engine. Is it just a straight forward bolt on exercise or are there a few things to watch out for?
Cheers,

Hi - I take it you mean to use an Albion 4 speed box. One or two people have made 9E 4 speed boxes fit. Much better gearchange mechanism. I fitted an Albion box to my Kangaroo. It was not as straight forward as I expected.
1. It makes the engine/gearbox unit around half an inch longer so does involve alterations to the engine mountings.
2. The Albion box also hangs out the back and fouled the swinging arm so I had to move the whole unit forward by about an inch with new engine plates.
3. The 3 speed engine to gearbox mounts are in the same place but the top flywheel side stud is in the gearbox, not the crankcase so the crankcase stud thread has to be drilled out and the crankcases shaped to accept a small od nut on a shorter stud. Sadly my mod failed when this crankcase mount broke free. If you can find a pair of 4 speed crankcases I would recommend it.
4. The Albion gearchange is very poor and timing the mechanism correctly is essential. Mine still jumps past 3rd into a false neutral. I'll be trying to sort that soon.

The long term plan for me is to fit a 9E/4 box like the conversion Harry Stanistreet does. Anybody know what's Involved?

Good luck

[wink]

tandon. please bear with me ,first time on new computer. to JR ,my father is john babb, he says you must be the man on the AJS behind Stonebridge in our most treasured photo from his scrambling days.  Stick in the mud, I might live near you maybe meet? I will see if this reply works, then if it does I shall be up all night!   My dad says if you want to know about tandons phone him on 08432078352 .he is 88 years old, deaf and takes a while to get to the phone. PS if you want to talk about 1960·s sidecar sandracing he might remember that.

[JR]

Hi.....Just returned from the Far East to your message.....Would love to speak to your Dad for old times sake but I doubt wether he would remember me.....I live near Banbury and my email address is "fastaweigh@aol.com".....Somebody told me your Dad lives near Alicante in Spain, I go down near there on accasions to visit a cousin, is he up to visitors....Will give him a rind anyway......John Willis