Vance and Hines Big Shot Staggered Harley Pipes

7 Reviews

Harley Davidson Big Shot Staggered The Vance and Hines Big Shot Staggered pipes are, in my opinion, some of the nicest pipes you can buy for your Harley Davidson motorcycle. Vance and Hines made its name in Superbike racing but they have nearly perfected the Harley Davidson exhaust system.

This is my 2007 FXSTB to the right with a shiny new set of Vance and Hines Big Shot Staggered pipes on it. A solid pair of shotgun style Harley pipes compliment just about any of the models in the Harley Davidson lineup but I think they look particularly striking on my bike, maybe cause it's mine.

I am a huge fan of Vance and Hines pipes and I have run several different versions of them over the years on a number of different motorcycles and I have yet to be disappointed in any of them. They look great, sound great and are of superb quality in my opinion. Below I share my thoughts on this particular model of Vance and Hines Harley Davidson exhaust pipes.

Big Shot Staggered Pros

Chrome - The quality of the Vance and Hines chrome plating is second to none. I have used these Big Shot Staggered pipes on two import cruisers, my FXSTB and my wife's XL883 Sportster and every example was perfect. Deep lustrous chrome that held up great over time and proved to be quite durable. I don't know the science behind chrome plating but safe to say, Vance and Hines does because their chrome is fantastic.
Heat Shields - Vance and Hines heat shields wrap nearly all the way around the base pipe and do a great job of making it appears as though it is one solid, continuous pipe. They don't discolor at all and maintain a gorgeous shine. The Vance and Hines heat shields also give it a "fat" pipe look that has become quite popular and I must say, for good reason. It looks great.
Fit - The fit of the Vance and Hines Big Shot Staggered pipes is great, they hug the bike nicely and line right up with the brackets with little fuss. They were a bit stubborn to install up around the header flange area, a very tight tolerance led to a lot of wrangling to get the pipes to snuggle into place but that is not uncommon on a V-twin engine.
Sound - This could be a pro or a con depending on the person but the Big Shot Staggered Harley Pipe is loud! It's not a bad loud IF that is your preference but let's make no bones about it...these are on the louder side of most Harley Davidson exhaust pipes. You need to be careful if you leave early or come home late as your neighbors will not be your best friend, unless of course, they ride too. If you prefer a deeper and quieter exhaust note then this pipe probably isn't for you. If you want to wail, then this pipe WAILS!

Big Shot Staggered Cons

Installation - As I mentioned a little bit of a stinker compared to some I have done. Certainly not enough in my opinion to merit concern.
Sound - As I said before Pro or Con, depends on your point of view. They are loud.....no question.
Power - These pipes perform pretty darn good for an out of the box pipe and they use Vance and Hines powerchamber technology to maximize the scavenging affect. That said, a 2 into 2 style Harley exhaust pipe is typically going to leave some power on the table compared to a well tuned 2 into 1 pipe. Not always, but typically.
Price - Vance and Hines is pure quality. They are one of the best pipes on the market and you will pay for quality. They are a little bit more money than many other Harley exhaust pipes but they are well worth it if you ask me. What on a Harley is cheap? If it's too cheap I get suspicious. The Vance and Hines Harley Pipes are well worth it in my opinion and the Big Shots are one of the least expensive versions from Vance and Hines, probably because they've been around so long. The tooling has been paid for a long time ago.

Vance and Hines packs a lot of technology into their Harley Davidson pipes, not the least of which is their Power Chamber design. If you are unfamiliar with that then this summary is straight from the Vance and Hines website.

Power Chamber - "The race-inspired Power Chamber is a unique crossover system that delivers the power and performance advantages of a 2-into-1 race system, yet keeps the intimidating look of a 2-into-2 drag pipe. The Power Chamber uses the volume of both mufflers to improve scavenging of each cylinder for more efficient combustion. The end product is more power, more torque and one perfect sound."

I guess the bottom line is this, I wouldn't hesitate one bit to put a set of Vance and Hines Big Shot Staggered pipes on any Harley Davidson I owned. I've tried several and they've passed the test every time.

They look great, they sound great, the quality, fit and finish are awesome and you won't go wrong with Vance and Hines on your Harley Davidson motorcycle. If you are looking for a set of pipes for your Harley Davidson then I would give the Vance and Hines Big Shot Staggered pipes a good look.

Vance and Hines Pipes