Vance and Hines made their name in the world of Superbikes but they have also become a dominant player in the cruiser world and more importantly the Harley Davidson Exhaust pipe world.

I had the chance to install a pair of Vance and Hines Straightshots HS my wife's 2005 883XL recently and I thought I would share my own personal opinion on the quality, fit and finish of the Vance and Hines Straight Shots for Sportsters.

V&H Straight Shots Sportster Quality

Vance and Hines Big Shot Staggered Pipes Sportster Let's talk about the quality of the Vance and Hines pipes. There is no doubt that Vance and Hines would rank at or near the top of the list if compared with any pipe manufacturer out there. I have installed them on a few Kawasaki Vulcan's I used to have and now on both of our Harley Davidsons and they were consistent.

The pipes use Vance and Hines blueproof technology and are a very solid, heavy gauge metal with nice, thick, solid flanges to bolt to the cylinder heads. The brackets are finished nicely and they lined up perfectly on the first try. I didn't have to massage, finagle, finesse or modify the pipe in anyway to install. They installed onto her 2005 Sportster XL easily, the first time.

The pipes come with some nicely chromed, 230 degree heat shields that wrap nicely around the base pipe and provide an awesome looking chrome finish that won't blue or discolor anyway. Vance and Hines have some of the nicest heat shields of any brand Harley pipe I have seen.

V&H Straightshots Sportster Performance

Many people install pipes not only to achieve that Harley sound but to squeak some more performance out of their bike. The Vance and Hines won't disappoint in that department either.

Vance and Hines uses step header technology that varies the diameter of the exhaust pipes in order to maximize the velocity and scavenging effect of the exiting gas. This technology has been utilized by Vance and Hines for years in their superbike pipes and they have utilized it in the Harley Davidson line as well.

Vance and Hines Power Chamber Sportster Vance and Hines also uses their patented power chamber design which basically connects the two pipes with a crossover pipe of sorts that is designed to tune the exhaust to maximize the scavenging effect. The pipes are connected at a point and at an angle that allows one exhaust pulse to pull on the next exhaust pulse to better aid exhaust flow.

The intention is to simulate the power gains you will see from a 2 into 1 pipe system but with the traditional 2 into 2 Harley Drag pipe look.

Vance and Hines Straightshot Sound

Usually one of the first questions that everyone will ask about a pipe is what does it sound like or does it sound good. If you think about it that is a tough question to answer because different pipes will sound different to different people. Good and bad is very subjective.

What do Vance and Hines Straighhots HS sound like? I think they sound awesome! They really woke up her Sportster and gave it some bark. On the first test ride after installing the pipes I noticed she was turning heads and getting a few thumbs up from pedestrians and other riders.

I had the V&H BSS on my 2007 FXSTB and they also sounded awesome but I will warn you that they are one of the louder pipes in this style of design. I have tried a number of pipes and/or my friends have run just about everything and we ALL agree that the V&H StraightShots HS are a fairly loud pipe but in my humble opinion, they sound awesome.

If you really hate the noise then you can always replace the standard baffle with a quieter baffle that is available from Vance and Hines for most Harley Davidsons.

In my opinion, most people who like the "pipe" sound will love the Vance and Hines Straightshot HS pipes for a Sportser. They fit right, they sound right, the perform right and they are a superb all around pipe for your Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Find a great deal on Sportster Harley Pipes here.