Beautifully Running and Riding Antique 1946 Nimbus Model C

This postwar Danish overhead-camshaft 4-cylinder Nimbus is a coveted machine, being a rare European Four with a long production history and an enviable reputation for quality, reliability and fun. Nimbus was the product of a major vacuum cleaner manufacturer in Denmark, Fisker & Nielsen, which sought to diversify its product range in the Teens and introduced the Nimbus motorcycle in 1919. The new Nimbus was an inline four-cylinder motorcycle with shaft final drive, which had good performance and was extremely quiet and smooth, with a very flexible power band.
The company took a 6-year motorcycle hiatus from 1928 to develop its Nilfisk vacuum cleaner brand, but a new Nimbus Four appeared in 1934 with an advanced, overhead-camshaft motor. The crankcase casting now incorporated the cylinder block in one piece, and a deep aluminum casting was used for a wet sump, while the cylinder head was a one-piece cast-iron affair with a bolted-on alloy camshaft housing. The camshaft was driven from the crankshaft by a shaft-and-bevel arrangement with exposed valves and rockers, and a flywheel clutch transmitted power through a 3-speed gearbox. The chassis was unique in the motorcycle industry, being built up from flat steel strips, and the front fork was a telescopic unit. Larger brakes were added later in the '30s, and the Nimbus was widely used by the Danish military and post office for decades. The Nimbus was produced briefly while Denmark was under German occupation, but very few were produced as the workers continually sabotaged production.
This Nimbus is built from a mix of parts from various years, as befits a former military machine. The motor dates from 1946, the frame from early 1950, the fork is a mix of 1929 and 1934 parts, and the bike originally hauled a sidecar. It's a Nimbus with history and a beloved machine ready for further riding enjoyment.