Tandon motorcycles were the enterprise of a certain Devdutt Tandon and the first model, the Milemaster, was envisaged as a cheap rugged runabout for export to developing nations, particularly Devdutt's native India.
Like much in life Mr Tandon's export vision did not go to plan so he began to concentrate on machines for the home market of which the Superglid (yes, correct spelling) was the first. The Superglid was introduced in 1949 and was noteworthy amongst lightweights of the time for having rear suspension. The Superglid's rear suspension was of rather novel design and gave the machine a very distinctive profile. Rubber bands situated under the gearbox pulled by a bell crank connected to the swinging arm provided the suspension, rebound damping was controlled by a rubber block.
The Superglid's rear suspension borrowed from contemporary Italian designs but was unique amongst British machinery and in several respects ahead of its time. Tandons were never more than utility machines and the Superglid's Villiers 122cc engine was certainly not one to set the pulse racing but nowadays they stand out for their rarity and quirky design.
 |
| A pair of gents pose with a Tandon Superglid. |
No comments:
Post a Comment