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1962 Heavy Duty Wasp

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The Wasp was a ballooner, but Schwinn offered a heavy duty version, and the chain guard usually had a "Wasp Heavy Duty" decal when it was. Then Schwinn offered a heavy duty version of the American, which was a middleweight, which became the "Heavy Duti" of the late '60's, which were all middleweights through the end of Chicago production. It can cause some confusion. I missed out on a good deal on a Wasp Heavy Duty because I was confused, and I've never forgotten it.
 
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The Wasp was a ballooner, but Schwinn offered a heavy duty version, and the chain guard usually had a "Wasp Heavy Duty" decal when it was. Then Schwinn offered a heavy duty version of the American, which was a middleweight, which became the "Heavy Duti" of the late '60's, which were all middleweights through the end of Chicago production. It can cause some confusion. I missed out on a good deal on a Wasp Heavy Duty because I was confused, and I've never forgotten it.
The Wasp badging on the chain guard did not change when heavy duty options were ordered for the 61 and earlier year Wasps (see mine 61 pictured in the earlier post). The chain guard badging was simply Schwinn Wasp, the same whether or not additional heavy duty features were ordered from the base configuration. My 61 “news boy” version has the heavy duty raised flange front hub and 120 gage spokes. It was optioned from the dealer with wide box-style handlebars usually paired with the tall Cycletruck stem but it doesn’t have the tall razor stem.

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The Wasp badging on the chain guard did not change when heavy duty options were ordered for the 61 and earlier year Wasps (see mine 61 pictured in the earlier post). The chain guard badging was simply Schwinn Wasp, the same whether or not additional heavy duty features were ordered from the base configuration. My 61 “news boy” version has the heavy duty raised flange front hub and 120 gage spokes. It was optioned from the dealer with the box style handlebars seen on the Cycletrucks, usually with the tall Cycletruck stem but not in this case.

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Mine was the same but with a springer, hd spokes, high flange hub, cycle truck neck and bars! Been trying to find a picture of it.
 
Mine was the same but with a springer, hd spokes, high flange hub, cycle truck neck and bars! Been trying to find a picture of it.
Here’s one like you described that is a 59 Wasp, very nice original bike with nice extra options. My wide box handlebars are a bit banged up so I may get them rechromed, they are extremely hard to come by, same thing for the cycletruck stem.

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I think mine was'58, it was red with cool wear marks on the forks and front fender from the bags!!
 
The Wasp was a ballooner, but Schwinn offered a heavy duty version, and the chain guard usually had a "Wasp Heavy Duty" decal when it was. Then Schwinn offered a heavy duty version of the American, which was a middleweight, which became the "Heavy Duti" of the late '60's, which were all middleweights through the end of Chicago production. It can cause some confusion. I missed out on a good deal on a Wasp Heavy Duty because I was confused, and I've never forgotten it.
Well you can color me one of the confused. I saw the 59 and later chain guard and made the ol' "ass u me" assumption that all bikes in that era were middleweights. Thanks for the lesson.
 
Well you can color me one of the confused. I saw the 59 and later chain guard and made the ol' "ass u me" assumption that all bikes in that era were middleweights. Thanks for the lesson.
Don’t feel bad, until I bought my 61 Wasp recently I didn’t know the nuance of the Wasp being the only balloon model in 61, that it was not a middleweight. The frames are the balloon frames and then the options like fenders and so on all are balloon versions. I read a very good overview of the distinctions in the book by Geoff Greene, The Schwinn Tech & Spec Guide.
 
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