In an era dominated by the old faithful Girder Fork, the Nimbus was one of those brands that deviated from the norm with an outlandish and funky 4-cylinder motorcycle.
The foundations of the Nimbus date back to a small backyard workshop in Copenhagen, in 1906. A couple of clever chaps – Hans Marius Nielsen and Peder Andersen Fisker – were busy producing and finessing their very own electric motor. A few years later, the entrepreneurs spied an opportunity in the market to make best use of their unit, and set to work to create the first European vacuum cleaner – the Nilfisk. The contraption took the world by storm, but by 1919 Fisker and Nielsen had developed itchy feet and took a giant sideways step into the world of motorcycles.
The Fisker-Nielsen prototype was christened the NIMBUS, making mythological reference to the bright cloud surrounding gods or goddesses appearing on earth.
A pressed steel frame encased a thumping 746cc four-cylinder engine that spun a shaft drive to the rear wheel. It was ahead of the time and incorporated many features found on motor cars of the era. The front suspension was handled by leading link forks and the bike was characterised by a substantial round pipe sandwiched between the saddle and the bars, which doubled up as the chassis and petrol tank. The odd-looking, but advanced machine was soon dubbed the “Kakkelovnsrør” or the “stove pipe” and was quite a bike for the time. The first iterations became the Type A.
A Nimbus Type A. Photo credit: Duka Photographies
It was not until Fisker and Nielsen had become a limited liability company in 1920, that real commercial production started. At first, sales were somewhat muted, and so Fisker turned to the active and vibrant competition scene on a race-ready Stovepipe, often with sidecar in tow.
A Nimbus Model A. Photo credit: Carson Knudsen
The Nimbus got results, particularly in long distance events, and built up a reputation which inevitably boosted sales. “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday” – so the saying goes. In 1921, a Nimbus won the 1300km Paris to Copenhagen race, and another tuned example scored an emphatic first place in the 1922 Odense-Berlin-Odense race.
The Stovepipe was improved along the way, mainly in smaller detail, but also with front fork variations, which distinguished the Type A from the Type B. The Type B had leading-link front suspension.
A Type B Nimbus with leading link forks. Photo credit: Carl Schenk
The Stovepipe did, however, cost about as much as a Ford model T, so it never became the seller that Fisker and Nielsen may have had hoped for.
The halycon era was short lived, and with the introduction of a sales tax on motorcycles and the blow of an economic recession, the Stovepipe was put to bed in 1928, with 1252 machines having been produced.
A Nimbus Type B. Photo credit: Carson Knudsen
In 1932, there was some positivity back in the air, and so the Nimbus camp started to stir once again. Fisker and his son started to look at a new motorcycle, and by 1934 they had knocked up the Type C. The iconic Stovepipe tank had vanished; the new frame was constructed from flat steel sections rivetted together, and sculpted around the petrol tank. The sectioned frame was a particularly useful feature when dealing with accident damage, where pieces could simply be drilled out and replaced.
The Type C featured a completely reconfigured 746cc air-cooled SOHC inline four, but retained the shaft drive. Telescopic forks propped up the front – quite a novelty for the time, and the distinctive humming exhaust note led to the bike being nicknamed “Humlebien” or “The Bumblebee”. It was simple, clean, uncomplicated and functional, and the quirkiness and practical nature immediately drew in the crowds. In fact, it soon became the best-selling motorcycle in Denmark.
The Nimbus became the utilitarian bike for the people. It was a mode of transport for many, and a tool for others. The Danish Post Office, Army, and Police all became avid customers. The taxation of a pillion seat meant that many owners affixed a sidecar, which moved people, materials and tools all over Denmark.
In 1939, as the conflict loomed, the Danish government spent DKK 50 million on motorcycles to aid the armed forces, and many of those bikes included Type Cs. The occupation by Germany in 1940 however, put a strain on material supplies, and so Fisker & Nielsen were only able to deliver about 600 machines throughout the wartime period.
In the shadow of the war, Nimbus fought back and introduced an enhanced OHV motor. A number of minor modifications were made over the years and a series of prototypes were assembled (these included a four-cylinder motor with a rotary valve and carbon seals, as well as a two-cylinder model with rear suspension – neither of which reached production) until production ceased in 1960 when the last contract from the Danish Army was delivered.
It was the end of an era for Nimbus – a company that moved the masses in style, a company that was unafraid to push the boundaries and be that little bit different. It worked, and these eccentric bikes are still a blast to ride and stop many a biker in their tracks, asking “what on earth is that!?”.
an article by The Girder Club
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