New classically styled EV to bring back historic Danish motorcycle brand.
The history of motorcycle manufacturing in Denmark is not particularly rich, but from 1919 to 1960, one company, Nimbus, produced exotic-looking motorcycles with inline four-cylinder engines, flying the Danish flag. For an electric motorcycle project that mimics the look of its gas-powered predecessors, the Nimbus name is currently being revived.
When Danish vacuum cleaner pioneers Fisker and Nielsen (whose business today is industrial cleaner manufacturer Nilfisk) decided to enter the nascent motorcycle market in 1919, the resulting Nimbus models were born. The first model was the 750cc “Stovepipe,” carrying an advanced-for-the-era inline four-cylinder engine longitudinally mounted in its frame, rather like the During that time, four-cylinder Excelsior-Henderson engines were produced in the United States. The Type C, a newly designed version of the Nimbus, debuted in 1934 with a new overhead cam engine in the same configuration and a telescopic fork. It remained the only Nimbus model available until 1959, when production of the Type C came to an end. No follow-up was produced as motorcycles were replaced as the entry-level mode of transportation in Europe by a new generation of affordable, mass-produced cars.
Claus Clausen is bringing back the Nimbus brand, this time as a producer of electric bikes, with a projected production date of 2025, while keeping the styling of the previous Type C in a new model called the Type E. Clausen began work on the project in 2020 after obtaining a license from Nilfisk to use the name Nimbus. The company has since released computer renderings of the intended motorcycle as well as an accompanying e-bike that will go into production.
The company started a share offering in July to raise money for the project with the goal of amassing between 8 and 10 million Danish kroner ($1.17 to $1.46 million) that will pay for both the production of the e-bike and the creation and testing of a motorcycle prototype. This is planned to happen in the summer of 2024, leading up to the official unveiling of the bike in late 2024 in anticipation of the start of production in the spring of 2025.
The images depict a bike with a chassis that is meant to resemble the hardtail frame of the original Nimbus models, but in reality has a hidden swingarm and a rear monoshock underneath the tractor-style saddle. Technical details have not yet been made public. A sizable battery and electronics pack are placed where the engine would typically be, and a direct-drive motor is placed behind it, its spindle being concentric with the swingarm pivot and driving the rear wheel with a final drive belt.
The overall design features an intriguing fusion of old and new with a TFT instrument panel perched on top of an unusual-looking set of broad, low-set bars. It won’t appeal to everyone, but as electric bikes become more prevalent, it will become harder for manufacturers to differentiate their products from one another. For this reason, a unique appearance will be more crucial than ever.
Although Denmark has a relatively small motorcycle heritage, it has one of the highest rates of electric vehicle adoption in Europe. A large number of factors, including those that are currently unknown, will determine whether the Nimbus succeeds or fails. The Nimbus Type C is something of an icon in its native country, so when you add both of those factors together, the resurrected brand may be in good shape.
Reference: www.cycleworld.com
