Nimbus (motorcycle)
Encyclopedia
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The Nimbus was a Danish motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
produced from 1919 to 1960 by Fisker and Nielsen of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, also manufacturers of "Nilfisk" brand vacuum cleaners (now Nilfisk-Advance
Nilfisk-Advance
Nilfisk-Advance is one of the world's leading suppliers of professional cleaning equipment.The company is headquartered in Denmark, with sales companies in 43 countries and manufacturing facilities in Brazil, China, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Mexico and the United States. It has approximately 5000...
). Two basic models were produced, both with a 750 cc four-cylinder engine.
History
In partnership with H.M. Nielsen, Peder Andersen Fisker produced electric motors and, from around 1910, the first vacuum cleanerVacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner, commonly referred to as a "vacuum," is a device that uses an air pump to create a partial vacuum to suck up dust and dirt, usually from floors, and optionally from other surfaces as well. The dirt is collected by either a dustbag or a cyclone for later disposal...
s in Europe. Fisker believed he could develop a motorcycle that had its own form, and in late 1918 decided to construct a prototype to his own design.
"Stovepipe"
It had an four-cylinder inline engineStraight engine
Usually found in four- and six-cylinder configurations, the straight engine, or inline engine is an internal-combustion engine with all cylinders aligned in one row, with no offset...
of 746 cc capacity, which drove the rear wheel through a shaft drive rather than the chain usually used at that time, and a power output of approximately 10 hp. Its top speed was around 85 km/h (52.8 mph) with a sidecar
Sidecar
A sidecar is a one-wheeled device attached to the side of a motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle, producing a three-wheeled vehicle.-History:A sidecar appeared in a cartoon by George Moore in the January 7, 1903, issue of the British newspaper Motor Cycling. Three weeks later, a provisional patent was...
fitted. It had both front and rear wheel suspension, and soon acquired the nickname of Kakkelovnsrør ("Stovepipe") due to the thick, round pipe between the saddle and handlebars which as well as forming part of the bike’s chassis contained the petrol tank. Two more machines were constructed in 1919, but mass production did not begin until 'Fisker & Nielsen' became a limited liability company in 1920.
Disappointed by poor sales, Fisker began entering the Stovepipe in all the races that he could, often with a sidecar attached, and built up a good reputation for the machine. However, the introduction of a sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
on motorcycles in 1924 and an economic recession resulted in production being phased out from 1926 on after 1,300 machines had been produced.
Type C
With his son Anders, Fisker started designing a new machine in 1932 and in 1934 they demonstrated a new Nimbus motorcycle, the Type C. It retained the shaft drive, a completely redesigned ohv and ohc engine of 18 (later 22) hp, and a frame made from steel strips riveted together, which were shaped to go around the gas tank much like on the pressed steel frames on several other motorcycles of the period. It was also the first production motorcycle to have a telescopic fork, a year before the BMW R12. (However, the BMW fork had hydraulic damping from the outset, while the Nimbus only had that from 1939 on). Its distinctive humming exhaust note led to it being nicknamed Humlebien ("Bumblebee").The first customer received his Type C in the summer of 1934, and the Bumblebee soon became the best-selling motorcycle in Denmark, sold by an efficient dealer network. The Danish Post Office, Army, and Police became customers. In 1939, as World War II loomed, the Danish government spent DKK 50 million on motorising the army - which bought many Type Cs.
During the occupation by German forces from 1940 to 1945 it was difficult for Fisker & Nielsen to obtain the materials needed for motorcycle production and only about 600 machines were made during the period.
Right after WW2
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
a much improved ohv engine was built and tested. Seeing, however, that the factory had no trouble selling every motorcycle built, it was decided not to make any major investments in new tooling. Instead more minor improvements were made to the existing models, usually making it possible to upgrade older models.
The Danish Army bought around 20% of Fisker & Nielsen's total production, while the Postal Service also bought many, using them as late as 1972. The Danish police was also a large customer, but phased out their Nimbuses much earlier in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when it became too slow to keep up with modern cars and motorcycles; the top speed of a stock solo bike was only 120 km/h (74.6 mph), and that for brief bursts only. Few were exported.
In the 1950s some further prototypes were built, like a four-cylinder with a rotary valve and carbon seals (!) as well as a two-cylinder model with rear suspension, neither of which reached production. Several prototypes with rear suspension and an Earles front fork were also built.
Innumerable details of "The Bumblebee" were changed during its lifespan, the few major ones being a switch from hand to foot gear change, larger brakes and an improved front fork. Still, the basic design was never updated and, as interest in motorcycles declined in the late 1950s as a consequence of the availability of cheap cars such as the Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
, production ceased in 1960, when the last contract from the army was delivered.
Surviving examples
Of around 12,000 "Bumblebees" produced, today more than 4,000 are registered and running in Denmark alone, and likely a few hundreds are used outside of Denmark, mainly in Germany and the US. An estimated further 4,000 or so also exist, either in museums or otherwise not currently registered.Even today most spare parts are readily available as well as relatively inexpensive. Thanks to the design's inherent reliability, using a Nimbus on a daily basis is still considered easy and economical. Nevertheless (and with some notable exceptions), today most Nimbus owners rarely ride more than a few thousand kilometers a year. Also, as the Nimbus often came from the factory with a sidecar attached, many of the ones on the road have recently been fitted with such.