# Fuji Royale Info Needed



## Rum_Runner1

I own an early 80's Fuji Royale, with a Sugino crank (reads fuji line engraved on the crank arms), 12 Speed, Look seat, Nitto Olympiade 114 handle bars, Fuji Vx Rear Derailer, Suntour on the front, Christophe Special clips, and the tubing is 441 lugged Cro-moly. I was wondering if anyone else had one, or knew any info on it. It is still in riding condition and I still do ride it. It was my first road bike handed down to me from my dad, and I was wondering if this bike back in the day was considered a race bike. My bike now is a 2003 Fuji Ace, which I ride much more often just because I got tired of down tube shifting. What gets me is his bike today is lighter than mine. I have a feeling that if I did a rebuild of the bike with new components it would be better than buying a new one. You can also yell at me for having lugged steel for a first bike and call me spoiled.


Thanks


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## Rum_Runner1

I don't have a pic and my digital camera broke, but would you consider it to be a bike worth upgrading, or would you keep it stock. What is the quality of those components though?


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## Old Yeller

I had one back in the early eightys. It was blue. It was my first lugged bike. The Royale was a mid-priced sport tourer just below the S-12-S model. Retail was about $350.00. What else would you like to know? Do you have a picture you could post?


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## Old Yeller

I wouldn't upgrade it unless something wore out or is broken. The Suntour VX series components were pretty much low end but very reliable and shifted very well.
The main frame tubes on your Fuji are rather heavy straight gauge cromoly tubing. The stays and fork are Hi-Ten steel. Keep it as close to stock as you can and just enjoy it. I loved my Fuji for three years until I bought Raleigh with full Reynolds 531 tubing with tubular racing wheels and tires. The difference was like night and day and I could never go back.


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## pinnah

Old Yeller's description of straight guage CrMo in the main tubs and HiTen forks and stays agrees with my recollection. I actually owned 2 of those bikes back in the day.

Personally, the only Fujis I would have interest in are the S-12-S Ltd or better yet the Fuji America, both of which were Double Butted Cr Mo. 

If I had a Royal II in my garage, I would put flat bars, a rack, fenders and platform peddles on it and use it as neighborhood bang around bike. Very comfy.

The parts on that bike are all super servicable and I bet you could get the entire bike up and running just changing the tires/tubes, cables and brake shoes. 

My errand bike has most of the compents you listed or their equiv (it an old Trek). Servicable but it wil never be a fast bike.


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## fbagatelleblack

Old Yeller said:


> I wouldn't upgrade it unless something wore out or is broken. The Suntour VX series components were pretty much low end but very reliable and shifted very well.
> The main frame tubes on your Fuji are rather heavy straight gauge cromoly tubing. The stays and fork are Hi-Ten steel. Keep it as close to stock as you can and just enjoy it. I loved my Fuji for three years until I bought Raleigh with full Reynolds 531 tubing with tubular racing wheels and tires. The difference was like night and day and I could never go back.


Didn't most Royales come have Valite frames? When did they build them with cro-moly? Thanks. - FBB


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## pinnah

I could be off on this but I think the Royale name was one of the few that carried over from the earlier 4130 CrMo days and the Valite days. Roughly, I think the Royale was straight guage CrMo and Royale II was quad-butted Valite.

I could be mistaken, by the way, about the Royale being straight guage. I seem to recall that the Grand Tourer SE was the straight gauge bike and the S-12-S LTD was the full double-butted CrMo bike. In between was the Royale. I may have had double butted CrMo and HiTen forks and stays (a pretty common combo back then).

Sure wish I could find some old Fuji catalogs!


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## Old Yeller

Sure wish I could find some old Fuji catalogs![/QUOTE]

Me too! Approximately 1981 or 82 would be good. After I bought my Royale, I drooled over the higher end bikes in the catalog. Especially the burgandy Superbe equipped Professional model. I actually saw one of those Professional frames pop up on ebay. It was too big for me and sold for cheap.


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## froze

I know it's an old old post, but just in case someone researches this stuff they now can find this site with Fuji catalogs from 1971 to 1991; see: Catalog_Covers


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