HPE Muskin El Gato

HPE Muskin was a California-based company known for swimming pools — but in the late 1960s they turned to motorized vehicles. Their El Gato ("The Cat") refused to call itself a minibike. Muskin coined "Midi-Cycle" to set it apart: at 125 lbs, a 44-inch wheelbase, 16-inch wheels, and signature Chrome Yellow fiberglass bodywork — it was impossible to miss. Power came from Fuji's F480 80cc two-stroke mated to a four-speed constant-mesh transmission.

Rupp RMT80 & L100

Mickey Rupp founded his Mansfield, Ohio company in 1959, building snowmobiles, go-karts, and dune buggies before turning to motorcycles. The RMT80 used the Fuji F480 — a 79.6cc two-stroke making 6.6 hp at 7,000 rpm through a Mikuni VM18 carburetor and 4-speed gearbox — while the L100 stepped up to the F500K 97cc powerplant. Both machines reflected Rupp's practical, no-nonsense approach to off-road riding — functional, durable, and built for the American dirt trails of the early 1970s.

Deckson Eagle 80

Advertised in the early 1970s as "The unbelievable adventure machine. Ready for the road, trail or track," the Deckson Eagle 80 was a dual-purpose mini-enduro sold at the eye-catching price of $299.75. Like several American importers of the era, Deckson sourced the proven Fuji F480 — a 79.6cc, 25°-inclined single-cylinder two-stroke producing 6.6 hp at 7,000 rpm through a Mikuni VM18 carburetor and 4-speed constant-mesh gearbox. The same air-cooled engine found in the HPE Muskin El Gato, paired with a lightweight trail-ready chassis and pitched as an all-arounder: street-legal enough for the road, tough enough for the dirt.

Documentation on the Deckson Eagle is scarce. The information here is sourced from a period newspaper advertisement. If you have additional records, photos, or a serial number, please get in touch.

Chaparral Sportcycles

The Chaparral is one of the most explicit examples of the F-series engine's reach. The cover of the Chaparral BE80F/BE100F Engine Owner's Manual states it plainly: "Manufactured by Fuji Motors Corporation, Made in Japan." Sold in three configurations — the ST-T-80 with the F480 and Mikuni VM18, the ST-T-100 with the F500K and Mikuni VM20, and the T-95 with a Comet TC-88N torque converter for automatic operation. The 80 and 100 models used a steel tube double-loop frame, telescopic forks, and adjustable 3-position rear shocks. A 6V/4Ah battery, 6V electrical system, and the same Kokusan magneto running the same NGK B-8S plug at 0.024"–0.027" gap.