1949 Nimbus 750cc Model C
Frame no. 13344 Engine no. 13344

Collectors' Motorcycles at the Barber Museum|5 October 2019, 12:00 CDT|Birmingham, Barber Motorsports Museum

1949 Nimbus 750cc Model C
Frame no. 13344
Engine no. 13344

The result of diversification by the Danish vacuum cleaner manufacturer, Fisker & Nielsen, the 4-cylinder Nimbus motorcycle first appeared in 1919. The unusual, advanced design used shaft final drive and pressed steel frames and they pioneered a telescopic front fork in the mid-1930s. The early models featured a distinctive tubular spine frame that doubled as the fuel tank, soon gaining the nickname 'stovepipe'. The low-compression Nimbus engine was noted for its smoothness and flexibility. In 1928, motorcycle production was suspended to enable greater producing of its Nilfisk vacuum cleaners, and when the new Nimbus appeared in 1934 it was with a power unit that showed strong car-industry influence with an integral cast iron crankcase/cylinder block and detachable alloy sump. The cast-iron one-piece cylinder head was topped by an alloy housing for the single overhead camshaft, which was driven by shaft-and-bevel gears. A single-plate clutch transmitted power to the 3-speed gearbox. The original 'stovepipe' frame had been superseded by one made from flat spring steel, while foot change for the gearbox, a beefier front fork, and larger brakes came by the end of the 1930s. Nimbus was ahead of its time, introducing its first telescopic front fork in 1934, and adopting closed-circuit crankcase ventilation long before the automobile industry. This Nimbus was last restored in 1991 but now, due to long term storage, it will need recommissioning before returning to the road.

Footnotes

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Saleroom notices

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