We have performed spin transport measurements in metallic Bi/Ni nanowires using the spin absorption method in a lateral spin valve structure. Although Bi has a strong spin–orbit interaction, the spin Hall angle obtained for Bi/Ni nanowires is about 0.008. The magnitude and sign of the spin Hall angle are much smaller than and opposite to those of Cu–Bi alloys, where skew scattering at Bi impurities is dominant. The estimated spin diffusion length (3 nm) of Bi/Ni nanowires is shorter than that of thin Bi films, which indicates that Bi/Ni bilayers have different spin properties from Bi alone.