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Shortening a set of Big Shots

3K views 16 replies 7 participants last post by  scawein 
#1 ·
Can I do this? I would get it remapped afterwards.

Will power go up or down making them shorter or change the powerband? (move peak this way or that????)

Thoughts.......
 
#2 ·
We talked about doing this about 5 or 6 years ago. I have no idea what the consensus was. If you remove the baffles you will loose low end. It will be very noticeable. If I was going to do it I would reposition the crossover as far from the ends of the pipes as possible then move the baffles back an equal amount and call it good. I have my bike loaded inside my trailerso I can't take a look right now. As I recall, you should be able to move things back approx 2 to 3 inches. If that is correct it would be nice because it would allow access to the axle. That would sure be nice. The pipes would be unique and that would also be very nice. I wonder what it would cost to have the cut down heat shields rechromed. That would be the only real expense. Someone remind me once I am down in Texas and I'll look into the cost of the chrome. If it isn't too outrageous I think I'll shorten mine.


I just looked at some pics of mine. I forgot about the bendsin the pipesby the transfer case. You may not be able to move the baffles back very much unless you shorten them.
 
#3 ·
I would keep the baffle, but perhaps shorten it. The pipe sounds awesome without the baffles but that would be way too rude.

It would be easy to shorten the baffle but again I wonder what it might do.

I am pretty sure I will go for it at this point but I will look for more responses to help.

Thanks OldMan
 
#4 ·
http://rswarrior.com/forums/p/152751/1170604.aspx#1170604


this is a set off one of my old bikes. Sounds just like my street sweepers. Lost a good amount of low end just off idle but the bike ran just fine. Would back fire a good amount when downshifting at a high RPM. If I were to keep them I was going to build a custom baffle, or you could always throw a set of Big City baffles in and I'm sure you would be happy.


If you were doing this for power gains I would think this is not the way to go, but if you like the look and want lots of sound these were cool pipes to me.
 
#6 ·
Here you go ... taken from an earlier post: Re: pictures of cut down/modified V&H bigshot exhaust


rxape said:
I cut my Big Shots down so i could adjust/remove the rear axle with out removing the pipes No Problem if you know how to use a hack saw. ill try to post pics or check my profile. It did not affect performance.
Rex ....i still have the photos you sent me
... here's an earlier post where i used them: Question about maybe shorting big shots


AlanH said:
blusporttrac said:
Has any one shortened their v&h big shots to a little past the 2 into 1? i love the pipes and sound but think i they may look better a little bit shorter. Maybe make the heatshielding and pipes look like the end of the roadstar power shots.

http://vanceandhines.com/images/main_y_powershots.jpg
I've been considering this for a couple of years and even contacted this member for detailed photos



Compliments to:rxapehttp://rswarrior.com/members/rxape.aspx ... Rex cut back the pipesandretained the heat shield tabas fabricated by V&H & just moved the baffles fwd! Cutting more off will require rewelding the 2 hat shapedheat shield tab on the chromeand opening up Pandora's Box!







rxape Straight cut-backV&H Big Shots using Adobe Elements compliments of AlanH



 
#7 ·
Hey hey, those look good.

My idea is to cut 7 inches off the inner pipes. Then..................drum roll..............

I am cutting the front portion of the heat shields away. I made some aluminum pieces that will be between my heat shield and muffler tape. I will only use the back foot or so of the heat shields. The ffront of the pipes will be covered with muffler tape.

I will first make it leaving the chrome on the heat shield alone. I am pretty sure I will wind up painting the heat shield black but want to see the chrome before I decide. I will maintain the slash.

Hope to have it done before Sunday so I will post up pics once done. Wrapping the 'power chamber' is being a bit &^%$#
 
#8 ·
Hey Scott that sounds trick. Just a little warning though. When you talk about muffler tape I assume your talking about the heat wrap. I wrapped my Muzzy's under the heat shiels before I went on the Wild Wild West ride last year. We did ride through a couple o thunder storms with a lot of wot sections and change of temps. By the end of the run my front header had cracked completely around, I'm assuming from higher heat of the metal that made it brittle.


I had those pipes for years with no problems until then. I have sinceheared that you should only wrap stainless pipes. I'm don't know for sure. All I know is my Muzzy's now sit in the corner of the garage haven't touched them since I took them off after the trip. Luckily I had the Propipe to put on.
 
#9 ·
Woooo Thats good to know i was planing to wrap under my heat shealdes but now ... Maby not!!


TRex
youngja said:
Hey Scott that sounds trick. Just a little warning though. When you talk about muffler tape I assume your talking about the heat wrap. I wrapped my Muzzy's under the heat shiels before I went on the Wild Wild West ride last year. We did ride through a couple o thunder storms with a lot of wot sections and change of temps. By the end of the run my front header had cracked completely around, I'm assuming from higher heat of the metal that made it brittle.


I had those pipes for years with no problems until then. I have sinceheared that you should only wrap stainless pipes. I'm don't know for sure. All I know is my Muzzy's now sit in the corner of the garage haven't touched them since I took them off after the trip. Luckily I had the Propipe to put on.
 
#10 ·
youngja said:
Hey Scott that sounds trick. Just a little warning though. When you talk about muffler tape I assume your talking about the heat wrap. I wrapped my Muzzy's under the heat shiels before I went on the Wild Wild West ride last year. We did ride through a couple o thunder storms with a lot of wot sections and change of temps. By the end of the run my front header had cracked completely around, I'm assuming from higher heat of the metal that made it brittle.


I had those pipes for years with no problems until then. I have sinceheared that you should only wrap stainless pipes. I'm don't know for sure. All I know is my Muzzy's now sit in the corner of the garage haven't touched them since I took them off after the trip. Luckily I had the Propipe to put on.
Jim.....did you use Thermo-Tec with the heat shield coating? I will have to look at that and see if this will cause the same problem on the big shots. That would suck....lol

I think the big shots are stainless. I know I did read if you do not install the stuff correctly, you can get uneven heating, which may have caused the problem. The storms should not be a problem as I challenged myself when I got the bike, to NOT let it get rained on, Over 4 years and still holding. If the weather looks funky, I ride the FJR....

Thanks Jim, I will look into it and post back up.

Anybody else have thoughts or experience with the heat wrap causing problems?
 
#11 ·
Scootman said:
youngja said:
Hey Scott that sounds trick. Just a little warning though. When you talk about muffler tape I assume your talking about the heat wrap. I wrapped my Muzzy's under the heat shiels before I went on the Wild Wild West ride last year. We did ride through a couple o thunder storms with a lot of wot sections and change of temps. By the end of the run my front header had cracked completely around, I'm assuming from higher heat of the metal that made it brittle.


I had those pipes for years with no problems until then. I have sinceheared that you should only wrap stainless pipes. I'm don't know for sure. All I know is my Muzzy's now sit in the corner of the garage haven't touched them since I took them off after the trip. Luckily I had the Propipe to put on.

Jim.....did you use Thermo-Tec with the heat shield coating? I will have to look at that and see if this will cause the same problem on the big shots. That would suck....lol


I think the big shots are stainless. I know I did read if you do not install the stuff correctly, you can get uneven heating, which may have caused the problem. The storms should not be a problem as I challenged myself when I got the bike, to NOT let it get rained on, Over 4 years and still holding. If the weather looks funky, I ride the FJR....


Thanks Jim, I will look into it and post back up.


Anybody else have thoughts or experience with the heat wrap causing problems?
Scott I used a roll of 2" wide header wrap and overlapped it about 1" then sprayed it with the silicone spray recommended for header wrap. Forget were I got the stuff online. I know the Muzzy 2 into 1 is stainless but the dragstyle that I have were not. I dont think the Big Shots are either but I could be wrong. A magnet would confirm it.


I'm not trying to rain on your parade, just relating my experience. I also remember that Midnightrun built his own exhaust and wrapped them. They looked great but he had to build another set when he sold the bike because of cracks.
 
#12 ·
Jim....definitely NOT raining on my parade. This is the info I want, thanks for pushing it out.

I am designing and will make my own exhaust soon so if they only last a while, that might not be too bad.

Quick question Jim.....Did you have to make two wraps at the flange to start the wrapping process? I think I want to angle the beginning of it so there is only equal thickness throughout. That is where I have heard problems can arise, if the wrap is not equal along the length, there can be 'hot spots'.....

Either way, I am on my way to doing it. I think I may even put a coat of high temp ceramic paint primer on the pipe itself before I wrap it. My thoughts are the primer can help the wrap stick as well as offer an even coating for the heating.

We shall see.....
 
#13 ·
I didn't do two wraps to begin but I did overlap the first a little more.


Painting the pipes with hi-temp paint first sounds like a good idea, as it would hold the wraps better (if the paint was still slightly tacky )so you could keep them as uniform as possible. I used stainless ty wire to hold the ends, then sprayed the silicon stray sealer, which cured the wrap. I only wrapped down to the cross collector. The heat shields had hose clamps in about 3 locations which kinda heald everything in place. You really couldn't even see the wrap once the heat shields were on. By the way the wrap (or probably the silicone sealer paint)really stinks the first time you fire it up and every time you stop at first. Eventually it cooks itself in and is fine.


Good luck and let us know how it works out.
 
#14 ·
I used the wrap on a set of headers for my Land Cruiser. If a mouse took a piss 100 yards away moisture would find it's way into the wrap. The headers rusted through in less than 6 months.I have never tried it on a bike exhaust.
 
#15 ·
Takea look at DEI header wrap (titanium)......Made from crushed lava rock spun into a thread. Looks like carbon fiber.. Needs no silicone spray. Currently have it on the headersof my 306HO. I'll see how long the rusted and well seasoned header tubes last. Currently ben on for 10 mos. I planned on this mod for my propipe just recently , but the chrome is dadgum shiny.!
 
#16 ·
I just initially read this starting at the wrap and thought I should comment on that. Now reading the original question, I'll put my 2 cents in on shortening.


Although I haven't ever really takin a good look at the Bigshots, I had the Muzzy dragstyle 2 to 2, I believe there shape and design is almost the same. I know the back baffel area is the same ( 2" I.D.) as I have installed the Bigshot baffels in the Muzzy's. The Muzzy's are 1 3/4" headers through the dogleg portion with a square balance chamber between them just upstream of the baffle area were it steps up to 2" id for about 16" to the end.


So you've got that 16" area to work with, although on the muzzy there's a channel bracket for the rear mount thatisabout 6" from the end, so really you've got 6" you could cut off unless you want to cut loose, move and reweld the mounting bracket.


I would think you would just shorten the original baffel by the same ammount that you cut from the pipe. The baffels are only retained by 1 screw at the exit end. With the quiet baffle you would have to shorten it then reweld the endcap on. The Big city thunder monster baffle doesnt care about the lenght of the pipe just as long as it's 6" from the end. It helps recover low end as opposed to running no baffel.


The monster baffle would probably give the best performance but is the loudest. I think the performance loss from the original length pipe would be only slight.
 
#17 ·
youngja said:
I just initially read this starting at the wrap and thought I should comment on that. Now reading the original question, I'll put my 2 cents in on shortening.


Although I haven't ever really takin a good look at the Bigshots, I had the Muzzy dragstyle 2 to 2, I believe there shape and design is almost the same. I know the back baffel area is the same ( 2" I.D.) as I have installed the Bigshot baffels in the Muzzy's. The Muzzy's are 1 3/4" headers through the dogleg portion with a square balance chamber between them just upstream of the baffle area were it steps up to 2" id for about 16" to the end.


So you've got that 16" area to work with, although on the muzzy there's a channel bracket for the rear mount thatisabout 6" from the end, so really you've got 6" you could cut off unless you want to cut loose, move and reweld the mounting bracket.


I would think you would just shorten the original baffel by the same ammount that you cut from the pipe. The baffels are only retained by 1 screw at the exit end. With the quiet baffle you would have to shorten it then reweld the endcap on. The Big city thunder monster baffle doesnt care about the lenght of the pipe just as long as it's 6" from the end. It helps recover low end as opposed to running no baffel.


The monster baffle would probably give the best performance but is the loudest. I think the performance loss from the original length pipe would be only slight.


Great read Jim.

I was looking at the spacing of the hose clamps and that's 7 inches. So that gives me a starting place so I can still mount the remaining piece of heat shield (chrome for now) to the back of the pipe. I cannot cut the baffle 7 inches shorter as it would be just about gone.

I might be able to get away with just 2 inches cut on the baffle with a 5-7 inch cut on the pipe. I am willing to move the baffle deeper by 1.5 inches of the 3 inches from stock and mount it right at the back end of the pipe.

I assume I will have a totally different sound when I done (can't wait) and of course, the pictures will follow

OldMan......I hear what you are saying and have heard it quite a bit from others as well. Weird............seems to almost be 50-50 mix of pro/con. I will do as best I can and see what I get.....This is purely a cosmetic change so if the pipe dies (and I like the look) I will replace it with a better one (stainless, since the big shots are NOT stainless......tsk tsk!
 
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