# Schwinn Varsity Chopper ....



## 49autocycledeluxe

I built a similar frame 20 years ago from a 24" bike, but sold the frame and never built the bike. 

this started out as the remains of a 70's Schwinn Varsity I got for 10 bucks. sold the parts I did not need and got the bike for less than free

the original Idea was to build it as a 20", but it did not look right with the small wheels, so I put these 26" junk wheels on it and this will be the way I am going to go. if I do ever build a 20", I will do the same thing but cut the seat tube shorter to match a Sting Ray.

did some figuring on photoshop......




 


 

I just eyeballed everything and started cutting it up and ended up with this:



 

here's where I am now, with some junk mock up 26" wheels. probably going with a banana seat and sissybar.  paint will be black and creme with some scallops using the Schwinn stencils you see on ebay. I'd like to put an "off brand" springer on it of some sort, it will have truss rods at the very least.

it will be needing some looooong handlebars, I'll probably have to make my own.


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## sludgeguy

That's looking cool! Keep on going.


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## JimK

I wasn't sure about this by the title, but I have to admit that this is very interesting!

JimK


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## Schwinn1776

very cool man! cant wait to see the progress!


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## 49autocycledeluxe

here's a little progress. just put it together with parts at hand so I could ride it around. had to reach for the bars too far so I turned the goose neck around. rides pretty good. waiting on clamps for my sissy bar, then I'll put the banana seat on and see what it looks like. looks a little goofy right now.


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## 49autocycledeluxe

here's the latest... this is a fun bike to ride, it takes a bit to get used to the steering. narrow stingray bars at the bottom and like a "sit up" 70's Suburban bar pieces on the ends.


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## JimK




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## 49autocycledeluxe

I didn't like where the sissy bar was bolted to the seat so I cut it up and twisted it around bit. this gave me a bit more seat to sit on.

I have 3.9 old Schwinn bikes, so it is this ones turn to be the .9 bike while I ride and fiddle with the others.


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## sludgeguy

This is what happens when the cool kid grows up and buys tools! Looking great!


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## 49autocycledeluxe




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## Jaypem

That is a great bike


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## 49autocycledeluxe

no real progress to report, but I did get a tank from a buddy that will fit pretty good with a little massaging. I think it is from one of those hybrid girls/boys bikes for smaller kids


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## 49autocycledeluxe

I was thinking of putting a larger hanging tank of some sort on it between the two bars, then this popped up for free from a buddy clearing out some excess junk while he moves.

opinions welcome.


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## fattyre

I'd say no tank.  It has a nice clean look and those long tubes really draw the eye toward that.  The tank makes it look like it has some kinda big wart.


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## 49autocycledeluxe

fattyre said:


> I'd say no tank.  It has a nice clean look and those long tubes really draw the eye toward that.  The tank makes it look like it has some kinda big wart.




I'm sorta leaning in that direction myself.   thanks for your opinion.


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## Bmack

Anymore progress on this very interested


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## 49autocycledeluxe

no. it is waiting patiently while I fiddle with my other bikes.  I did get an aluminum rear wheel with a drum brake I'll probably use. this is a low budget project, I am into it 30 bucks for the seat, everything else I had, the frame I got for 10 bucks and sold what came with it for 10 bucks.


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## 49autocycledeluxe

Bmack said:


> Anymore progress on this very interested




here ya go. I got this rear wheel with a Sturmey Archer drum brake and an aluminum rim. so today I went to the bike shop to see what was available in 26" tires and there was this fat "slick" that I knew would not fit the frame but had to have it anyway. 26 X 2.125. I also bought a 26 X 1.50 tire for the front but no aluminum rim as of yet.

I also had this 24" fork lying around that was tall enough to fit the 26" size head tube. after installing it I found that the wedge and half the gooseneck bolt were still inside the fork, so my stem can't go down far enough.... look how close the tire is to the fork. that was what  was going for with this. guess i won't be running a front fender if I can find another fork like this or fix this one.


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## 49autocycledeluxe

I was losing interest before I found this fat tire.


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## Sven

Very cool ride. A whole lot of thinking, figuring and

 fabrication It reminds me of the "Digger" motorcycles of the 70s


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## 49autocycledeluxe

Sven said:


> Very cool ride. A whole lot of thinking, figuring andView attachment 820554 fabrication It reminds me of the "Digger" motorcycles of the 70s




funny you would say that. a buddy of mine had a 70's sportster either built by Arlen Ness or just a Ness frame and fork .. not quite sure now. very similar to that one you posted way back in the 80's.... had a coffin tank and pretty sure it had more rake and longer forks. he never let me ride it but I did sit on it, and the narrow bars and where they are in relation to the seating position came directly from that bike.

as for "thinking and figuring" the original plan was for a long Stingray bike with 20" wheels. I'll do more thinking on the next one


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## Sven

Seen a few "diggers" .Never rode one. It always  looked to me like you wouldn't be able to lean far into a right hand curve, as the exhaust (muffler or low drag pipes) would hit the the pavement. I've always been a fan of the "long bike" chopper of the 70s or early 80s. 
Anyway keep us posted on your chop


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## 49autocycledeluxe

now that the new fat tire has rekindled my enthusiasm I am back on it. I am widening the rear triangle so the tire can spin! there is no air in it and it rubs in these pics.

I have a large flange hub coming and another aluminum rim to lace up, along with a skinny 26X1.50 tire for the front. since it is a Varsity I am thinking of painting it that lime green Schwinn Varsity color now. might change my mind a few times before that happens


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## 49autocycledeluxe

making fat 26 X 2.125 tires fit a Schwinn Varsity frame....hope my figuring was right.


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## 49autocycledeluxe

..going to fit the rim and tire and see where I am before I weld the last part. going to cut off the seat tube flush with the top tube also.


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## 49autocycledeluxe

got the frame all fattened up so the 26 x 2.125 tire will fit and put a chain guard on  it.  since this was a 10 speed and never had a chain guard I had to make my own front bracket so I lowered it and set it back a little so it is closer to the chainring. I plan on putting a bunch of holes in the guard. found a new 24" fork that was not messed up (still has a 26" wheel) , so now I am rolling, the 24" fork lowers the front about an inch and a half. not stopping as I have nothing attached to the drum brake out back.... thinking about some sort of "suicide brake" with a lever on the frame and linkage  rather than a brake lever on the bars and 10 feet of brake cable... we'll see how that works out.  have a large flange aluminum hub for the front, and a 1.25" wide aluminum rim with a skinny slick on it. just need to figure out proper spoke length and lace up the wheel.

trying to decide between "Varsity lime green" with the Varsity decals under clear or maybe a more vintage color with some old school scallops. they have all the cool scallop stencils on ebay.


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## anders1

Wow, that’s pretty cool!!


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