Weird X on Wasp?

[KingSized HD]

Nice old Schwinn. So how much for the X bike? Razin.

Sold - 59 Wasp | Archive (sold)

59 Wasp, HD frame, good rider everything greased all tho New Departure could use a cleaning/rebuild, S2's are straight, chrome a little better on front, springer works good, HD late Phantom/Cycletruck seat repaired a little in front, $450. local pickup or meet around LB/OC area. message if...

thecabe.com

 

[iceman]

Dose the X let the welder know it is the left side?

 

[razinhellcustomz]

Dose the X let the welder know it is the left side?

Yeah! That's it. That would explain it
Razin.

 

[GTs58]

Dose the X let the welder know it is the left side?

Read Marks last sentence in post #17. He said the X is on both sides. So to me the X would designate a balloon chain stay. You can see the two indents from the stamping in one of his pictures.

 

[mrg]

This only took a few minutes. asking the question; Where does Schwinn use the word "Extra" that is likely what that or those X's represent?

1960 catalog: "Extra built-in Strength"

View attachment 1188617

So is the plug part of the eXtra built in strength? and what the X stands for?

 

[Jeff54]

IDK Bout the plug and X for Extra is my best guess or seems most likely.

 

[ricobike]

OK, I just checked the rest of of my later model Wasps and they all have the X's on both stays. All are Heavy Duty Wasps (do I have too many?). The red is the 1962, the 2 blacks are 1963 and 1964. So it looks like the X's stayed until the end of the ballooners run. Would be interesting to know when they started with this.

 

[GTs58]

OK, I just checked the rest of of my later model Wasps and they all have the X's on both stays. All are Heavy Duty Wasps (do I have too many?). The red is the 1962, the 2 blacks are 1963 and 1964. So it looks like the X's stayed until the end of the ballooners run. Would be interesting to know when they started with this.

View attachment 1191963

I'll take a guess and say they started at the beginning of the 55 model production. And I still say the X was for identification of a balloon chain stay.

 

[ricobike]

I'll take a guess and say they started at the beginning of the 55 model production. And I still say the X was for identification of a balloon chain stay.

As I said above, I checked 2 57 model Wasps that I have and the X's weren't on either bike. So the question is did it start in 58? The only balloon tire models available in 58 aside from the Cycle Truck were also the Wasp and the Phantom so it's plausible, but did they start later? I did check my 58 Cycle Truck and it didn't have it but it could be that this was confined to the cantilever models. I don't have a 58 Wasp or Phantom to check unfortunately. Guess I need to get shopping after this virus thing is over .

 

[Rusty Klunker]

I have a 62 Wasp, 65 Cycle truck and a 67 Cycle truck. All three have the wider/ballooner seat stays and all three have an X stamped on both chain stays. Good to know about the frames being the same for the wasps. I got it as just a frame so I have no idea which it was.