Nimbuses in Woerden
My first link with Nimbus was in Woerden. The manager of the station bicycle parking facility had Nimbussen. And he just drove it. Well: It was more than forty years ago, but then the nimbuses were really classics anyway. The thing that stuck with me the most was the engine noise of those machines.
De Woerdenaar also had a boat tail Harley. One thing he bought because nobody wanted something so ugly ...
Nimbus so
Return to Peder Andersen Fisker. He started an electric motor factory in 1906 with his business partner Hans Marius Nielsen. They started producing electric motors and scaled up to vacuum cleaners and other household items. Their brand name is still legendary: Nilfisk. The first Nilfisk vacuum cleaner weighed only 17,5 kilos and could be handled by 1 person. The competition's vacuum cleaners needed a workforce of three or four people.
It seemed to be better for him
According to the stories, Fisker once saw a heavy motorcycle - the rumors speak of an FN - and he thought it could be better. The history then went into two parts: The first production period of the motorcycle developed by Peder Andersen Fisker ran from 1919 to 1928. The second production period started at the initiative of Fisker's son Anders in 1934 and ended in 1959.
How it could be better
In 1919 the time had come: the first Nimbus was built. The machine had the now characteristically thick frame tube (the “stovepipe”) that also functioned as a fuel tank between the headset and saddle and a pressed steel frame. The newly born was more modern in construction than most of his contemporaries. The 746cc four-cylinder in-line head / side valve engine with cardan drive was constructed as a block engine, with built-in gearbox. The block also had pressure lubrication and a suspension rear fork.
The open valve springs still had to be lubricated separately
But their dance was endearing to see. The front fork was a parallelogram fork, but it was only on Fisker's own motorcycle. The 'A' production model (from 1919 to 1924) was given the so-called 'six tube fork'. The "B" model (from 1924 to 1928) was given a short, drawn swing fork with one central spring. The control cables were concealed in the handlebars. The machine did not yet have a front brake or lighting. That luxury item was optional. There was a choice between a carbide lamp or (electrically developed by Fisker) electric lighting.
A great product. Maarrr…
At Nimbus, the focus was on quality. That resulted in a very stiff price tag. The sales therefore did not go wild. On the other hand, vacuum cleaner production went fine. At that time, only motorcycles were made when the production of vacuum cleaners allowed it. In 1028 it was decided to bet 100% on the vacuum cleaners.
But motorcycle production was started again in 1934
The new Nimbuses were equipped with head valve motors and telescopic front forks. And the Danish army became the largest customer of Nimbus. In 1959 the curtain finally fell. The last revival? In WWII, Nimbus was allowed to supply 500-600 motorcycles to the Wehrmacht.
And that was immediately the biggest export success of the brand, the production of which was largely sold domestically. Here in the Netherlands, the Groninger Rik Diephuis has taken a passion for the brand.
About 12.500 machines have been built and around 4.000 of these are still reported as surviving and functioning in the papers.
The last Nimbuses are made up of NOS components in 1960.
