# schwinn wasp question



## rollfaster (Jan 29, 2014)

friend bought a 1956 wasp.very nice original bike in great condition but has painted s2 wheels.i thought all of the wasps,at least the 26'' bikes came with chrome s2.can anyone clear this up? thanks,rob.


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## mruiz (Jan 29, 2014)

*wasp*

Chrome is correct for the Wasp. Not ivory.


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## HARPO (Jan 29, 2014)

Here's a page from a 1956 Schwinn Brochure.


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## dougfisk (Jan 29, 2014)

I have an *earlier* Wasp, (don't remember the exact year off hand), that has ivory rims.  But I was not present when it was first assembled.


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Jan 29, 2014)

dougfisk said:


> I have an *earlier* Wasp, (don't remember the exact year off hand), that as ivory rims.  But I was not present when it was first assembled.




Cant really go of the brochure pictures... Those sure look like dropcenters... ?!.. Ive seen both on wasps... Bf bikes mostly with the enameled rims.. like ive said, depends what was ordered.. Rims are prob originals... Wasp was a base model canti .. So more then likely most came with painted rims... Think panther vs hornet..phantom vs wasp...


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## Freqman1 (Jan 29, 2014)

I had a couple of original Wasp with painted wheels. V/r Shawn


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## rollfaster (Jan 29, 2014)

*Thanks to all for the help*

I feel better now. These painted s2 are in great condition as well as the rest of the bike. I will post pics in the near future. Thanks again.rob.


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## greenephantom (Jan 29, 2014)

I'm gonna be the turd in the punchbowl and opine that the Wasp was factory equipped with chrome rims. I have yet to find any literature that states the Wasp came with painted rims, and I sure have looked. Yes, the Wasp was a base model, but it was a quality base model. Good stem, good pedals, good deep fenders, quality seat, chrome rims. There were no corners cut with the Wasp (as opposed to say, the Spitfire), if you wanted a solid bike without extras the Wasp was it. Does the Wasp look fine with painted rims? Sure, they work with the painted fenders, it's a decent look. Odds are that some previous collector / owner swapped out the chrome hoops for painted ones. Or some kid back in the day swapped them out. Or the kid wrecked the rims and the parent replaced them with painted to save a few bucks. But a correctly equipped Wasp will roll on chrome. Now you've gotta find a base model girl's bike with chrome rims and swap them out.
Cheers, Geoff


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Jan 29, 2014)

greenephantom said:


> I'm gonna be the turd in the punchbowl and opine that the Wasp was factory equipped with chrome rims. I have yet to find any literature that states the Wasp came with painted rims, and I sure have looked. Yes, the Wasp was a base model, but it was a quality base model. Good stem, good pedals, good deep fenders, quality seat, chrome rims. There were no corners cut with the Wasp (as opposed to say, the Spitfire), if you wanted a solid bike without extras the Wasp was it. Does the Wasp look fine with painted rims? Sure, they work with the painted fenders, it's a decent look. Odds are that some previous collector / owner swapped out the chrome hoops for painted ones. Or some kid back in the day swapped them out. Or the kid wrecked the rims and the parent replaced them with painted to save a few bucks. But a correctly equipped Wasp will roll on chrome. Now you've gotta find a base model girl's bike with chrome rims and swap them out.
> Cheers, Geoff




Even a bfg badged wasp?... Im sorry but im not buying it... Ive seen one owner 40s b6s with painted rims... I mean you could order whatever you wanted.. And as you stated, parents savin coin..well painted rims on that xmas present would be it


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## skindel (Jan 29, 2014)

*standard equipment was chrome*

i have a Green and ivory 56 w.a.s.p. and for over 7 yrs every thing i have ever read said comes with chrome rims standard equip also one color chaingard not two colors like the meteor. The w.a.s.p. replaced the meteor which had painted rims and 2 tone chaingard. The w.a.s.p. was a step up from the meteor so it was given chrome rims and thats what made it a step up-But if you like it that way why worry but if i was buying it i get chrome cause thats what all the print says. Schwinn dealers were independant and if some one came in and wanted chrome on a bike with paint i believe alot of dealers would have just swapped wheels on the spot to make a quick sale but that doesn't change how it came standard or if it was special ordered show me the reciept.


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## mruiz (Jan 29, 2014)

like I said. no painted wheels for Wasp. Now their are heavy spoke or regular spoke with hubs.
1. I have a 1954 first year, chrome wheels
2. 1958 chrome wheels
3. 1959 Chrome wheels
4. 1961 chrome wheels Sold to cabe member.
5. 1964 last year chrome wheels

 Will it help Greenephantom?


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## mickeyc (Jan 29, 2014)

*WASP on Craig's*

Here's a WASP on Detroit Craig's.. Chrome rims, but it's a "heavy duty".

http://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/bid/4293363358.html

Mike


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## mruiz (Jan 29, 2014)

He clams a 52, not a 52,   more like a 1963/64. Notice the bent fork, and rack was added.


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## dougfisk (Jan 29, 2014)

http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?17543-Original-owner-1954-Schwinn-Wasp-24-quot
_

“Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action”    Ian Fleming_


In this thread alone, in a matter of hours, we have 4 plus instances of this occurring.  There is no objective evidence for me to doubt the originality of mine.  If I told you what color mine is, some of you would tell me Schwinn didn't do that either.

Words in a pamphlet, and some consistent examples to be found, do not invalidate the existence of other different examples that are also found.  Paper is paper and bicycles are bicycles.  I can figure out when to believe my own eyes... does that make me an _outlaw?!_ :eek:


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## skindel (Jan 29, 2014)

*to chrome or not to chrome*

i myself think that schwinn in print repeatedly states chrome rims are standard on the wasp and the phantom and if anyone ever showed me a phantom with painted rims i would doubt it no matter what the story --but i know dealers did things-- so many a bike may have been sold at the store in many ways ---dealers could get away switching rims on wasps because of painted fenders but they couldn't on phantoms and if a buyer with cash in hand wanted chrome on the bike they picked out, i think they easily could pull the old switcharoo maybe even charging more$ and then selling the wasp at regular price when someone came in wanting a basic  bike---stranger things have happened and weather schwinn did it or not i don't know --i don't doubt its possible for schwinn to do it --maybe someone should start the enigma thread


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Jan 29, 2014)

Meeh who cares...its all postwar junk anyways.....


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## island schwinn (Jan 29, 2014)

looking at all the available schwinn catalogs,none until 56 state that the rims were chrome.and whos to say they weren't dealer installed.they would still be original to the bike as purchased by the end user.
my grandad had a 64 pontiac wagon with dual 4bbl carbs.they were original to the car as he bought it when new.


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Jan 29, 2014)

island schwinn said:


> looking at all the available schwinn catalogs,none until 56 state that the rims were chrome.and whos to say they weren't dealer installed.they would still be original to the bike as purchased by the end user.
> my grandad had a 64 pontiac wagon with dual 4bbl carbs.they were original to the car as he bought it when new.




Exactly..... Dual four ?? Nice!!!!!! But that was never in the catalog lol...


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## rollfaster (Jan 30, 2014)

*Wasp*

Turns out it is a 54 and not a 56. Guy he got it from insisted it was a 56,you know how that goes. It also has the phantom sprocket.


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## skindel (Jan 30, 2014)

*fair trade sheets don't show chrome until 57*



island schwinn said:


> looking at all the available schwinn catalogs,none until 56 state that the rims were chrome.and whos to say they weren't dealer installed.they would still be original to the bike as purchased by the end user.
> my grandad had a 64 pontiac wagon with dual 4bbl carbs.they were original to the car as he bought it when new.




so that would make since that it became standard the year before in 56 but they also show the wasp trading for more than the meteor which we know had painted rims so go figure


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## rmwill (Jan 31, 2014)

I just bought this bike today.  It is indeed a Feb 1963, with the heavy duty s2 wheels, correct optional heavy duty seat.  Sing speed coaster brake.  I think the tires are the factory knobby option.  Goodyear Studded Tread?

The fork is straight as far as I can tell.   Here are some photos:









Album:

http://s1272.photobucket.com/user/rmwill/library/1963 Schwinn Wasp Heavy Duty



mruiz said:


> He clams a 52, not a 52,   more like a 1963/64. Notice the bent fork, and rack was added.


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## rmwill (Feb 1, 2014)

Photos added.


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## skindel (Feb 1, 2014)

*bendix model k*

is that a bendix model k front hub? good score


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## Adamtinkerer (Feb 1, 2014)

Nice! I have a 63 myself, though the chrome is toast, and the paint is mostly spray bomb.



My 59 is the looker!


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## GTs58 (Oct 5, 2021)

So I'm doing some research on the 61 Wasps trying to figure out if Schwinn made a paint change mid stream on them going to the 1962 style paint scheme with deleting the white head and scallops. Anyone here have 61 Wasp with the new 1962 paint scheme? Like a late 1st or 2nd quarter serial number? That's how I found this thread.

I'll answer the original question in this thread while I'm here since it really wasn't answered. The 1952 model D-12 was a straight bar frame and a plain jane model with painted rims. For 1953 the D-12 model was changed to a cantilever frame and then it was named the Meteor, and it still had the painted rims. For 1954 the D-12 model had a name change from Meteor to Wasp and it still had painted rims. For 1955 the Wasp was equipped with chrome S-2's and chrome was used thru all the remaining years of the Wasp's production. So the first year of the Wasp 1954 was the only year it was equipped with painted rims.


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## BFGforme (Oct 5, 2021)

I have a opalescent red wasp think'56 painted wheels look like same shape as rest of the bike....


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## GTs58 (Oct 5, 2021)

BFGforme said:


> I have a opalescent red wasp think'56 painted wheels look like same shape as rest of the bike....




Go thru the serial list again and see if that serial number was also used in 1954. That's what started this thread, had the wrong year for the serial number. Same numbers used twice in 54 and 56.


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## snuffy01 (Sep 15, 2022)

skindel said:


> *standard equipment was chrome*
> 
> i have a Green and ivory 56 w.a.s.p. and for over 7 yrs every thing i have ever read said comes with chrome rims standard equip also one color chaingard not two colors like the meteor. The w.a.s.p. replaced the meteor which had painted rims and 2 tone chaingard. The w.a.s.p. was a step up from the meteor so it was given chrome rims and thats what made it a step up-But if you like it that way why worry but if i was buying it i get chrome cause thats what all the print says. Schwinn dealers were independant and if some one came in and wanted chrome on a bike with paint i believe alot of dealers would have just swapped wheels on the spot to make a quick sale but that doesn't change how it came standard or if it was special ordered show me the reciept.



I have a 59 Wasp-CHROME rims-I’m 75 and still have it. Delivered Detroit Free Press ,Times and The News!


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## GTs58 (Sep 15, 2022)

Welcome to the Cabe @snuffy01 . That's pretty amazing you still have your childhood bike!

Here are some 1954 models that came with enameled rims. Only year the Wasp wasn't equipped with chrome S-2's

*tripple3's*





*irideiam's*





*barneyguey's*





*Girls 54 Wasp*


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## mruiz (Sep 16, 2022)

I got one for sale like, your second Pic, has nice S02 chrome wheels.


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