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The Nimbus was manufactured by the firm of Fisker and Nielson of Copenhagen.

This company was formed in 1905 to manufacture electric motors and also the Nilfisk electric vacuum cleaner, a hugely successful product sold in many countries throughout the world.

Fisker believed he could develop a motorcycle that had its own form and in late 1918 decided to construct a prototype to his own design.

It had an inline four cylinder engine of 746cc (45.5 cu in) capacity which drove the rear wheel through a shaft drive, rather than the chain usually used at that time, with a power output of approximately 10 hp. Its top speed was around 100 km/h (62 mph).

The bike had both front and rear wheel suspension and soon acquired the iconic nickname ‘The Stovepipe’. It was a remarkable design since no steel tubing was used in the frame. Instead 2 flat steel strips were used with the long cylindrical petrol tank welded in place (hence the term Stovepipe).

Two more machines were constructed in 1919 but mass production did not begin until 1920. Disappointed with poor sales, Fisker began entering the Stovepipe in all the races he could often with a side chair attached, and built up a good reputation for the machine. However the introduction of a sales tax on motorcycles in 1924 and an economic recession resulted in production being phased out from 1926 after some 1,300 machines had been produced.

The decision was soon regretted and in 1934 a new building was commissioned, and the Nimbus 2 was introduced. 12,715 were produced between 1934 and 1959.

For this particular model production was from 1918 until 1928 with 1,252 bikes being produced.

This bike has been completely rebuilt by a gentleman referred to as “Peter the Dane” who at one stage owned the bike. It has undergone a full rebuild, rebore, new pistons, rings, bearings, new transmission bearings, new wheel bearings and wheels retried, plus a full repaint.

We have had it running and it is actually reasonably quiet.

Have a close look at it – then consider its year of manufacture, a very clever man this Mr Pedar Anderson Fisker.

This Nimbus was purchased from Auction in the States at a Mid-America Pebble Beach Auction in 2009.