Vance and Hines Big Shot Staggered Harley Exhaust Review

I am a self-admitted pipe junkie.  I don't know why but I love tinkering with my Harley Davidson and one of the things I like to experiment with is the exhaust system.  There is no question that one of the most significant factors in the way your Harley Davidson will perform is the exhaust pipe that you have installed on it.  This review is of the Vance and Hines Big Shot Staggered Exhaust for Harley Davidson motorcycles.

Vance & Hines Fit and Finish

Vance and Hines is world reknowned for the quality of their pipes so it is no surprise that my comments on this topic are very good.  The minute you open the box, you can see that the V&H exhaust pipes are extremely good quality.  The chrome is deep and lustrous and simply appears to be "thicker" than the chrome on an average exhaust pipe.

The Vance & Hines Big Shot pipes fit my 2007 FXSTB Nightrain like a glove and the brackets and included hardware are of excellent quality.  The flanges are rock solid and inspire confidence and the overall quality of the V&H Big Shot Staggered pipes is very good.  I would definitely put them up against just about any pipe that I have ever installed in regards to the Fit and Finish.

Most Harley exhaust buyers are quite interested to know whether their new pipes will sound good or not. This is a very difficult aspect to write a review about as sound is so very subjective. What sounds great to one person, sounds horrible to another.

I can tell you that the V&H Big Shot pipes are not super loud but they are a pretty loud Harley exhaust pipe, so make sure that is the kind of Harley exhaust that you are looking to buy. It's a very healthy rumble that is moderate at part-throttle but has a decided "bark" to it when you crack the throttle. I personally love the way these pipes sound, but understand that they are on the loud side.

The V&H Big Shot pipes also feature a removable baffle that can be replaced with something either a bit quieter or maybe something a bit louder if you prefer to live on the wild side. It's your call, but they sound great right out of the box if you ask me. You can check out other Harley Exhaust Reviews here.

Right after what they sound like, most potential buyers want to know how much power these pipes will add to their motorcycle.  This is another tough category to pin down and say definitively what kind of power gains you can expect.  It will depend greatly on what state of tune your bike is in before you put the pipes on as to what kind of power gains you will achieve.

If you are adding JUST pipes and no air cleaner upgrade then the power increase will be minimal.  They will sound louder, which often makes the bike feel faster but reality is that it is not.  If you combine the exhaust pipe upgrade with an air cleaner upgrade and a jet change or reflash then the power gains can start becoming significant.

It would not be uncommon to recognize power gains ranging anywhere from 5 hp up to as much as 12 or 15 horsepower.  This might not sound like much of an increase, but it will make a significant difference in the way your Harley Davidson will perform going down the road.  A stock Harley only puts out somewhere between 60 and 70hp to start with so adding 10 hp is a 15% improvement in power.  Big difference in the way the bike feels.

There isn't much not to like about the V&H Big Shot Staggered exhaust pipes. They offer a classic shotgun style pipe design that is a timeless classic and looks great on many different styles of motorcycles. They are backed by the legendary design team from Vance & Hines and offer excellent fit and finish, superb chrome quality and excellent exhaust sound.

The power increase will be strong on most bikes as long as it is part of a Stage 1 upgrade and the Big Shot Staggered pipes utilize Vance & Hines proprietary Power Torque chamber, which is essentially a crossover pipe. This is designed to improve exhaust scavenging and therefore increase horsepower.

The Vance and Hines Big Shot Staggered pipes have everything going for them and not much going against them. If you are looking for this style of Harley pipe, then I would strongly recommend you give the V&H BSS pipes a look.