Da Kube

Greetings, riders. I spent a few years loosely looking for a decent (mid to upper level spec) Fuji to restore. I really had my heart set on an S-12 LTD or America but this 1982 Royale II popped up in my size in my dad's neighborhood. The only downside was there wasn't much to restore. The original owner took it for a spin, shelved it for a few decades and decided to break it out again. He added new rubber and didn't even break the hairs off the gumwalls this time, either. So I spent the summer riding this bike and shining things up. I also have been breaking down the components for a deep clean and servicing all the greasy balls and bits. This is my first vintage bike and I'm a novice mechanic when it comes to mountain biking, so I really just wanted to post this thread so a few can ogle at this sweet bike and also let people know it's really not too difficult for an average Joe A$$hat to achieve.

I'll note a few things that aren't stock, for those interested in that:

I swapped the MKS basket style pedals for MKS flats. I'm really not a fan of the cages. I like clipless on a modern road bike, but I wanted the look.

Dual pivot KoolStop brakes: I couldn't find the direct fit KoolStop pads for my Weidmann 610s so I opted for their crossbike pads that allow you to easily adjust how they hit the rim. I ride this bike and live in the hills, so stopping beat vintage there. They also are chrome and don't look too far off, save for the salmon skins.

The saddle: I kept the beautiful OEM Fujita seamless that bubbles up in the center but added a Brooks synthetic for comfort/looks.

Bar wrap: I went with grey (LizardSkin) padded wrap. The original is cloth, black. I love riding without gloves and the cloth doesn't cut it. That said, I wish I kept it black. Gum hoods for the brake levers are stock and on order. I also plan to lower the brake levers when I rewrap.

I think that's about it. I'll post a few photos of some of the inner workings from time to time and I can answer any questions anyone has. Thanks for reading!

Update, I guess I can't post pictures until I make 10 posts. Quick, someone ask me 9 easy questions!


Bike mid-way through the restoration. Not a lot of restoring got done on days that looked like this.



Gorgeous Sugino 170 cranks.

Fuji before the restore.

dedhed

You can download pictures to an album in the user control panel but cannot post them until 10 posts and limited to 5/day.
Once in your album others can look at them.

Da Kube

Thanks! I did make a 1982 Fuji Royale II album, if anyone is curious. Whew, that's post no. 3!

Da Kube

Related to vintage Fujis, does anyone know when Fuji moved to the ISO standards for crown races? I thought they had by 1982, but another thread mentions finding the old JIS standard on an early 80s Fuji. Thanks!

machinist42

Only turned up this Album, so far, of photographs "before the restore."

Da Kube

Thanks bigly! The second image is the bike after a quick wipedown and the first is mid restore. I've done a lot of internal work since then but as you can see it was pretty well off. Paid $100.

bikemig 

That's a good looking bike and a great first vintage restoration. Fuji Americas are hard to find. The S 12s pop up more often. Also keep an eye out for a Fuji Finest which is an older model than the America but has more or less the same frame geometry and similar tubing specs.

cv350

Nice find. The Royale II is certainly a worthy project and vintage Fuji’s are a great line up to work on. I also appreciate their touring bikes of the same era such as the Touring Series III, IV, and the elusive Series V.

cycleheimer

That's was a good deal on a super reliable, well made bike. I have a nice collection of Fujis, and have had many more over the years. Really good choice. This is my subtly upgraded Royale, which I love posting pictures of. The 2nd photo is another Royale that I used to have, which was too small for me. No, it didn't have a "growth spurt". Both are 1981 models in Anthracite gray, which was only available in '81.

delbiker1 

Nice bike. I am presently working on a Fuji Ace frameset that was gifted to me by a forum member. It has sort of become my experimental bike. I have had it set up in numerous ways since I have had it. I am not restoring it, the only thing that will be original is the bare frameset. I am refinishing it and going to build it back up with mustache bars and bar end shifters. I already had the mustache bars on it, but with down tube shift levers. The bike maxes out with true 32mm tires, which makes for a very comfortable ride, but still agile and quick enough. I am pretty sure it will no longer be an experimental bike, this time staying as it is finished. It is going to be an 8 or 9 speed triple, medium grey with black components that have a bit of silver mixed in, and a white and black saddle and bar tape. I am looking into getting decals that say something like: " Fuji Old School", maybe with something like " Home Built ". Or it may remain sans decals.

Pompiere

Welcome to the vintage Fuji fold. I bought a Fuji Royale in Orlando in 1980 when I was in the Navy. It was stolen while I was stationed in Norfolk, recovered, then stolen again while I was stationed in Alameda. I replaced it with a Miyata 310 that I still have. A couple years ago I got the bug to try to find a replacement for the Royale and found a S12-S LTD. It had a rattle-can repaint and homemade decals, so I felt no guilt in repainting with my own color choice. I tried to get close to how I remembered the dark blue of my Royale. It may not be exactly the same bike, but it is good enough to bring back the memories of forty years ago.

1981 Fuji S12-S LTD

Da Kube

Good to know. I have alerts set on Craigslist and Facebook and often check the area any time I travel. I'll keep an eye out for the Finest. They look great. I'd also like to grab something from the 70s, if possible.

Da Kube

Does anyone happen to know the crown race spec on 1982 Fujis? I might just buy one JIS and ISO to be safe. I'm thinking Tange since it's at least a Japanese manufacturer (probably made elsewhere) and inexpensive.

sovende

Nice bike! Not specifically on my “got to have” list but if I ever run across one, it would likely come home with me . Back in my college days (late ‘70s), Fugis & Motobecans (and maybe some Peugeots) were THE bikes on campus. Schwinns were for the “high school” crowd and the Italian stuff was too expensive for the “Midwest Country Folk” .

Da Kube

I hear you. Fuji was my first choice but I was sorta priced out of any Bianchis. It seems hard to find any in decent shape that aren't already restored or expensive.

Couple more post and here come the photo bombs!

Da Kube

What's everyone using for vintage looking bar wrap? I see Brooks makes some sweet looking stuff. The modern squishy, sweat reducing stuff doesn't look the part but it sure is nice. Adding some girth to those thin bars helps, too. <need to add two more words>

cv350

Cotton bar wrap such as Newbaum’s or Tressostar come to mind. They are offered in a variety of colors, too.

Da Kube

Finally added some pics. Thanks for all the help!

Da Kube

Restoration is complete. I swapped the old wheels for Panaracer protites and found some Dia Compe hoods that sorta fit (I think they make the new ones to fit the adjustable stops. I tried two hoods and none fit like the old. I had to move the stops inside the hoods to make it work. Really fun first restore!

cv350

Wow. The result is really impressive.

I enjoy seeing these projects— thanks for sharing the build process.

sd5782 

Really pretty and tasteful. The black accents complement the other colors nicely. It was nice for you to start on such a clean specimen, and you did it justice.

poprad

That is a very clean build and exemplifies what's great about this hobby. Big bucks and high level expertise not required, just a desire to tinker and make old things new again. Lovely work!

Rshaw

Hi, what size is it? Do you still ride it?

Da Kube

I do! Not a ton because I primarily ride mountain bikes and have another road bike. But I ride it more than the modern bike, honestly. It's comfortable and marginally slower than a new bike. I'm out to have fun and get stronger for the trails, so the extra weight is good. It's a 58 cm. I've seen a few others around for a fair price but none in this shape.

Da Kube

I just logged back on and found all the kudos. Thanks all for the kind words. This project was super fun and I recommend it for any novice mechanics with time to learn. I did tear the brakes down to the bolts and springs in the offseason and restored them using magic eraser and buffing compound. They look primo. This spring I plan to do the same for the shifters. I won't touch the derailleurs since that seems like tempting fate. They look fairly close to showroom other than a bit of chain wear on the front derailleur cage.