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Registered: 06-2007
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General intro to Fuji's naming schemes and numbering conventions...


I've put this info together to share with other Rabbit fans and to try to make some sense of the Fuji numbering

Fuji made scooters from roughly 1946 to 1968, but most of the early models were produced in small quantities and weren't officially exported. As a result, 95% of the Rabbits you'll find in the United States and Canada boil down to 3 basic models: the S202, S402, and S601. There was also an earlier model (1957-8) called the S-72 that was offically sold in the US, but I'm guessing that relatively few were sold here, and they're now 50 years old, so few remain -- I've never actually seen one, though S601charlie has one.

My educated guesses about the model naming conventions:
I believe the "S" means "scooter", perhaps as opposed to the Hurricane, the traditionally-styled 350cc motorcycle Fuji also produced. I've seen ads and photos for the Hurricane, but have never seen an actual bike. A Japanese website indicates that only a few hundred were manufactured.

I believe Fuji used the first digit to specify displacement and the last digit to specify a new model. Specifically:

S-1xx: 50cc (not sold in US)
S-2xx: 90cc
S-3xx: 125cc
S-4xx: 150cc
S-6xx: 200cc

This naming convention obviously doesn't apply to earlier models like the 250cc S101 or the 2-digit models like the 125cc S-72.

There was both an S-201 and an S-202, but I think only the S-202 made it to the US.
There is an S-401 and an S402, but it appears that very few 401s were made and none were sold in the US.

Fuji also added letters and numbers to the end of models to specify variations and updates. I THINK letters represent concurrent variations...in other words, the 402A and 402BT were sold simultaneously and represented different configurations/trim levels. I THINK numbers after the letters represent mechanical revisions/upgrades. For example, the S601A, S601B, and S601C were sold at the same time (perhaps in different markets), but the S601C-III includes mechanical upgrades that weren't on the S601C-II.

I believe that the most feature-packed or powerful models typically went to the US, either because the importer felt these would sell best or because Fuji was attempting to put its best foot forward for the US market. The only English-language brochures and ads I've seen are for the S402BT and S601B/C -- not for the S402A or the S601A. However, I've seen quite a few S402As in the US, so I'm wondering if they were sold here and simply not advertised. I believe the more stripped-down models were more popular in Japan.

One other note -- the names "Junior", "Touring", and "Superflow" don't apply to any particular models.
--"Superflow" means the bike is fitted with a torque converter -- Some (all?) S101s, some S301s, and all(?) S601s have torque converters and have "Superflow" badges.
--I have been unable to determine any definitive features that classify a Rabbit as a "Touring" model. Rabbit House in Japan simply says that the "Touring" or "T" models have "a touring mood", whatever the heck that means...touring models have been sold with both 3-speeds and 4-speeds, both 125 and 150cc, and with both reed valves and rotary valves. Perhaps a bench (2-up) seat or racks denote "Touring"? It doesn't seem to be any consistent mechanical difference.
--same goes for "Junior". Though the name would indicate a less-expensive, less-powerful, or more stripped-down model, I haven't discovered any specific feature that would brand a Rabbit as a "Junior".
9/5/2007, 9:01 pm Link to this post Send Email to shaneb   Send PM to shaneb
 


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