Exhaust for Our Project Springer

01. Unboxing our new Side Shots we found everything we needed to perform the install on our Evo Softail (hardware, exhaust bracket, header/muffler system and, heat shields). While the system has a dual exhaust look, it's actually a one-piece header/muffler system with V&H' Power Chamber System connecting the two in the center.

01. Unboxing our new Side Shots we found everything we needed to perform the install on o

There are plenty of exhaust manufacturers out there for the American V-twin crowd, but few have the experience and credentials that even come close to that of Vance and Hines (V&H). With more than 30 years of very successful racing experience, founders Terry Vance and Byron Hines took what they learned from constantly winning and continually learning on the drag strip and applied their knowledge to creating great performing exhaust systems for production bikes.

Just like on the track, V&H has continued to innovate, and improve and have become one of the most well-known and respected exhaust manufacturers in the American V-Twin industry. With a huge assortment of products, V&H most likely has a system that will fit your bike year/model. For example when it came to looking for an exhaust for our nearly 15-year-old Softail Springer, we wanted the trifecta: looks, sound, and performance.

While perusing through the V&H website the Side Shots ($628.95) immediately caught our attention and we felt they were a perfect fit for the look and style of our project Springer. The V&H Side Shots are sleek, compact, and aggressive looking. They feature a 2-into-2 design with the pipes cutting downward and across towards the front of the swingarm and end in slash cut tips. The Side Shots are available with chrome or ceramic black heat shields. We chose to go the chrome route.

02. Inspired by V&H's racing experience, the Power Chamber utilizes a proprietary crossover that helps maximize the volume of both mufflers and improves scavenging of each cylinder for more efficient combustion. So essentially you get the look of a 2-into-2 system, but the performance of a 2-into-1.
02. Inspired by V&H's racing experience, the Power Chamber utilizes a proprietary crossov
03. On the backside of the muffler body is a bolt so that you can remove the stock baffles and install V&H's optional baffles.
03. On the backside of the muffler body is a bolt so that you can remove the stock baffle
04. The Side Shots come with V&H's standard louvered core baffles (seen here), which have been designed to match the engine and exhaust for the best possible performance and sound. If you find the standard baffles are too loud for you or your area, V&H also offers its Quiet Baffles for most systems, which claim to provide a reduction of 2-3 decibels of sound volume.
04. The Side Shots come with V&H's standard louvered core baffles (seen here), which have

05. Nothing is more frustrating than spending a ton of money on shiny chrome pipes, only to have them turn blue from heat after several uses. To combat the sight of bluing headers and mufflers, V&H provides its massive 2 1/2-inch, 220-degree header and muffler heat shields. A leader in heat shield development V&H designed its heat shields to provide full coverage of the exhaust system to hide the blue and keep your exhaust's mirror chrome finish shining brightly.
05. Nothing is more frustrating than spending a ton of money on shiny chrome pipes, only
06. Following the instructions we installed all the heat shield clamps and then slid the exhaust into the heat shields.
06. Following the instructions we installed all the heat shield clamps and then slid the
07. Next, we installed the stock exhaust flanges and circlips.

08. The supplied nut plates were then slipped inside the exhaust brackets welded to the backside of the muffler bodies.
08. The supplied nut plates were then slipped inside the exhaust brackets welded to the b
09. Next, the mounting bracket was loosely tightened to the nut plates/muffler bodies using the supplied hardware.
09. Next, the mounting bracket was loosely tightened to the nut plates/muffler bodies usi
10. We then installed new exhaust gaskets into the ports and then...

11. ...starting with the rear cylinder, the header pipes were aligned and loosely bolted to the exhaust studs. Once the system was properly aligned and the two holes in the mounting bracket met up with the two lower holes in the frame (below the right passenger footpeg), we thoroughly tightened all the bolts, with thread locker on the mounting bracket bolts.
11. ...starting with the rear cylinder, the header pipes were aligned and loosely bolted
12. In less than 20 minutes we had our bike looking sharp. The Side Shots flow well with the whole look of the bike.
12. In less than 20 minutes we had our bike looking sharp. The Side Shots flow well with
13. The slash cut tips and chrome heat shields really help draw your eyes to the pipes. The sound is great (hear the clip below), and while we didn't dyno the bike, we did notice a seat of the pants pick up in power.
13. The slash cut tips and chrome heat shields really help draw your eyes to the pipes. T