Nimbus (motorcycle manufacturer)
| nimbus | |
|---|---|
| legal form | Fisker & Nielsen A / S (Aktiengesellschaft) later Nilfisk / today under NKT Holding |
| founding | 1906 (motorcycle production 1919) |
| resolution | (1957 motorcycle production) |
| Seat | Copenhagen , Denmark |
| Branch | Motorcycle manufacturer |
Nimbus is a former Danish motorcycle brand of Fisker & Nielsen A / S, founded in 1906, a manufacturer of industrial cleaning machines and vacuum cleaners. After the Second World War the company was changed to Nilfisk .
history
Nimbus "stovepipe"
In order to counteract the slump in sales - caused by the First World War - the company founder Peder Andersen Fisker constructed a motorcycle as a second basis for his company from 1914, which was sold as Type A from 1919. The large diameter of the upper frame tube, in which the tank was integrated, quickly gave the motorcycle the popular name "stovepipe" (Danish "Kakkelovnrør"). The magnetically ignited engine with four sack cylinders, which was installed lengthways in the frame, initially developed 7 hp from a displacement of 746 cc and later 10 hp. The rear wheel was driven by a cardan shaft. The maximum speed in trailer operation was 85 km / h. After 499 motorcycles were produced, the model changed to Type B in 1923, from which a further 753 motorcycles were built until production was discontinued in 1928.
Chassis numbers, engine numbers and years of construction
The chassis and engine numbers were identical.
| Construction year | Type | From No. | to no. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1919/20 | A. | 1 | 10 |
| 1921 | A. | 11 | 60 |
| 1922 | A. | 61 | 220 |
| 1923 | B. | 221 | 500 |
| 1924 | B. | 501 | 700 |
| 1925 | B. | 701 | 890 |
| 1926 | B. | 891 | 1030 |
| 1927 | B. | 1031 | 1200 |
| 1928 | B. | 1201 | 1252 |
Nimbus "Bumblebee"
A few years later, Anders Fisker, the motorcycle enthusiast son of the company founder who had meanwhile joined the company, was able to convince his father and the co-shareholders of the joint stock company to produce a motorcycle again. From 1932, father and son Fisker constructed a model of the new Nimbus in the cellar of the family villa in Richsvej in Frederiksberg. Its prototype was presented to the public the following year. The first Nimbus Type C were delivered in June 1934. Probably because of its driving noise, this model was quickly called "Hummel" (Danish "Humlebi").
Technology and models
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The "Hummel" had a cold-riveted flat steel double loop frame, in which the now one-piece four-cylinder cast iron block with also longitudinal cylinders was suspended. Depending on the pistons used, the OHC-controlled engine with open valves developed 18 or 22 hp (13 or 16 kW). The power was transmitted to the unsprung rear wheel via the three-speed gearbox, which was switched on the foot or behind the tank, and a cardan shaft. Depending on the model, the single-disc dry clutch could be operated using a hand lever or a hand lever-pedal combination. The camshaft was driven by the vertical shaft of the alternator, which was positioned vertically in front of the engine block and initially designed as a three-phase and later as a direct current variant. The junction box was housed in the front part of the camshaft housing. The ignition was adjusted as a function of the engine speed using flyweights in the ring gear of the camshaft. The ignition coil for the battery ignition system was also designed as a distributor cap. The front wheel was suspended via an upside-down telescopic fork. The initial 150 mm drum brakes turned out to be undersized with the gradually increasing volume of traffic, so that they were replaced by 180 mm drum brakes from 1937 on the rear wheel and from 1939 also on the front wheel. The Nimbus C underwent another major change from 1948 onwards with the introduction of a "standard telescopic fork" and the resulting change in the front fender. From 1950 the barrel spring saddle suspension was changed to a rubber-cushioned variant.
In contrast to the "stovepipes", which are mainly sold to private individuals domestically, a large part of the Nimbus-C production was delivered to the Danish military, the post office and the police. Even for business people, the not cheap, but very stable and reliable Nimbus was a popular motorcycle for customer visits and delivery. About 80 motorcycles were exported worldwide.
With one exception, the different model names only related to the colors. Only until 1947 was it possible to deduce the increased engine power of the only blue model, the “Sport”, thanks to pistons with a curved piston crown. In addition, the sports model had a raised, chrome-plated exhaust and a front fender that was kept shorter on the side panels. From 1948 onwards all engines were equipped with domed pistons and developed 22 HP.
Vehicles delivered to authorities received further changes such as: B. - an oversized side stand and partially camouflaged lighting in military models, - a power throttle and a second silencer insert in vehicles for emptying mailboxes at the post office or - higher compression cylinder heads when used in the police force.
Attempts to equip the engines with encapsulated valves as standard from the mid-1950s, to design a twin-cylinder engine of the same construction or a rear wheel suspension, as well as to develop a rotary valve-supported gas exchange control up to series maturity, were uneconomical and therefore discontinued due to the sharp decline in sales.
All design changes were tested on the 1933 prototype that was in the factory, so that when production was discontinued in 1959, it was the oldest, but also the most modern Nimbus.
- Years of construction and chassis and engine number
The chassis and engine numbers from No. 1301, the first Nimbus Model C, to No. 13572 from March 1956 were identical. While the engine number continued to be counted, the chassis number began to be counted from S-15999 on April 1, 1956. Further production information such as color and original model can be determined using the chassis number in the stock books at DANMARKS NIMBUS TOURING (DNT).
| Construction year | From No. | to no. |
|---|---|---|
| 1934 | 1301 | 1500 |
| 1935 | 1501 | 2014 |
| 1936 | 2015 | 2646 |
| 1937 | 2647 | 3489 |
| 1938 | 3490 | 4426 |
| 1939 | 4427 | 5512 |
| 1940-1944 | 5513 | 6150 |
| 1945 | 6151 | 6406 |
| 1946 | 6407 | 7064 |
| 1947 | 7065 | 7500 |
| 1948 | 7501 | 8000 |
| 1949 | 8001 | 8825 |
| 1950 | 8826 | 9704 |
| 1951 | 9705 | 10399 |
| 1952 | 10400 | 11420 |
| 1953 | 11421 | 12178 |
| 12180 | 12190 | |
| 12212 | 12223 | |
| 1954 | 12719 | |
| 12191 | 12211 | |
| 12224 | 13009 | |
| 1955 | 13010 | 13572 |
| 1956 | 13573 | 13769 |
| 13775 | 13777 | |
| 13801 | 13854 | |
| 1957 | 13770 | 13774 |
| 13778 | 13800 | |
| 13855 | 13900 | |
| 1958 | 13901 | 13953 |
| 1959 | 13901 | 14015 |
Sidecar
All Nimbus motorcycles are unrestrictedly suitable for sidecars at the factory. Assembly is possible within a few minutes. In addition to the braked and unbraked sidecar frames and superstructures for passenger or goods transport manufactured by Fisker & Nielsen, other manufacturers such as B. ACAP, Bender, Cyclebørsen, Engstrøm, Diana, Master and Star self-produced superstructures on partially self-produced frames. Sidecars from other manufacturers can also be easily flanged to the motorcycle using the appropriate clamps.
Spare parts supply and support
Supply contracts with the authorities forced Fisker & Nielsen to maintain the supply of spare parts for up to fifteen years after delivery. The last official journey of an authority machine was undertaken with a postal team on September 20, 1976. The vehicle was then handed over to the Museum of Post and Telegraphy, today's Enigma Museum in Copenhagen. When motorcycles were discarded after this period, large quantities of spare parts, mostly stored by the military, were superfluous and given away. These spare parts in turn were bought up by Danish Nimbus dealers and can continue to supply the Nimbus drivers with them. Outgoing parts are reproduced in small series by the dealers. Engine blocks, cylinder heads and exhaust manifolds are cast in gray cast iron by DNT, who owns the original molds for these components and a large part of the in-house design drawings.
The worldwide stock of Danish motorcycles is estimated at around 7,300 pieces. In the home country of Nimbus, the Nimbus Club, founded in 1925, takes care of stove pipe owners. The owners of the Nimbus C are organized in DANMARKS NIMBUS TOURING, which was founded in 1974 and currently has around 1500 members, and its regional clubs that exist around the world. In German-speaking countries, around 260 Humlebi drivers are currently organized in the INTERESSENGEMEINSCHAFT NIMBUS-FREUNDE, founded in 1978.
Probably the greatest proof of the reliability of the Nimbus was provided by the two Norwegians Klaus Ulvestad and Tormod Amlien. From 2009 to 2011 they drove about 70,000 km around the world on their two 1937 Nimbus sidecars. A double-digit number of Nimbus owners on their trips to the North Cape provides further evidence each year, where the oldest driver is honored with the trophy awarded by the DNT. The distance from Copenhagen to the North Cape and back is around 5000 km.
The Nimbus Museum, housed in a former coal shed on the grounds of the Danish Industrial Museum in Horsens and supported by DANMARKS NIMBUS TOURING, shows the complete motorcycle history of the Nimbus from 1914 to 1960 with annually changing exhibits on weekends during the summer months.
literature
- Villy Poulsen: NIMBUS - Danmarks Motorcykle. Classic Forlaget, 1990, ISBN 87-89792-64-5 .
- Jens Bisbjerg Andersen: NIMBUS - Model C 1934. Forlaget Notabene, 1996, ISBN 87-7490-327-6 .
- Knud Jørgensen: NIMBUS - teknisk udvikling, 2. udgave. Forlaget Motorploven, 2003, ISBN 87-91427-05-3 .
- Knud Jørgensen: NIMBUS - with Sidevogn. Forlaget Notabene, 1991, ISBN 87-7490-314-4 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Fisker & Nielsen (as of February 6, 2017)
- ↑ dvm.dk p. 13.