V&H Monster Ovals Chrome Quality??

[Bert2006]

I have been monitoring eBay and Kijiji for past year trying to get my hands on a set of Vance & Hines Monster Ovals and 99% of the ones I see posted as second hand are either pitted or have chrome pealing off them, especially the end caps. This is leading me to re-think as V&H seem to have quality issues with their plating. I would be interested to hear about your experience with them if you have them on your RSV. I would not mind dropping :mo money:for a set that has a few scratches, but what I am seeing on-line is bad pitting or pealing. Thanks

[Condor]

Finding exhaust's in good used condition on eBay is an adventure at best.... Unless you can find an NOS set, it's a waste of time. I've been looking for a set of Harley V&H turn downs, and they are either new, at close to new price, or toast. And be careful on a LN used set. They may have a misleading description. Ask lots of questions. I even bought a set of Bubbs off one of our members here and what I got didn't even come close to what he'd described as condition. Rather than make a stink I wrote it off as a learning experience... Next time I'll know better.

[skydoc_17]

Hey Bert,

We here on the forum often "joke" about that owner that obsessively polishes his or her scoot, more so than they seem to ride them. I would honestly say that the above description is the "hallmark" of many Harley riders, they "rub'um", more than they "ride'um"! With this in mind, lets talk about chrome plating in general for a moment. The three metal pieces on a motorcycle that will have the shortest "shelf life" unless obsessive polishing is performed are the exhausts, (shortest) the headlight bucket, (second) and the passing lamp/ driving lamps, and light bar. In the case of the exhaust, you have 4 sections of thin wall tubing with a few thousands of plating on them that are nearly 7 feet long, which run along the lower frame of your motorcycle, right next to your boots, and your passenger's boots, exposed to every rock, pebble, and fleck of dirt that is on the road. When it is raining or icey, snowing and blowing, the forward motion of your motorcycle, and the rotation of the wheels "piledrive" these many forms of moisture and debris right into your exhaust, your headlight bucket, and the light bar. The other thing to consider here is that all three of the above items get REALLY HOT! I have a scar on my inner calf where as a young man, I discovered just how hot a motorcycle exhaust pipe gets. The point being the reason the Harley guys polish their bikes after every ride is because the wax gets burned off EVERY TIME YOU RUN YOUR MOTORCYCLE! Weather it be for a mile, or twenty miles. Your chrome plating is no longer protected by wax after every time you ride. Most owners polish to protect their investment.

Now, about chrome plating itself. The reason for the peeling is if low quality tubing or sheet steel is used, (low carbon content in the steel) the exhaust tube, or stamped light bucket expands and contracts due to the heat and the chrome plating can't match the rate of expansion and peels off. The other reason would be poor prep of the metal piece before plating. I have personally found that it is more so poor quality metal than poor prep if the chrome plating is from a reliable source, like Vance and Hines for example. Lastly, you can destroy the best quality chrome plating with a dry paper towel, and about 5 minutes of rubbing, so to say that chrome plating is NOT Ceramic Coating is an understatement!

I have gotten' a little long winded again, so I will try to sum this up. In my personal opinion, I ride my motorcycle to feel the wind on my face, and the power of the engine between my legs. I enjoy the road less traveled, usually 20 over the speed limit. (or better!) I run the Vance and Hines pipes, not because that are shiny, but because I like the sound, and they make my bike run better. I keep my bike clean, and well maintained, but if I wanted to spend a sunny summer day polishing on metal, I would sit inside and polish my wife's silver! I live on the East Coast, in the Northern part of the country. If I can get 5-10 good years out of a set of pipes, I consider myself lucky. I ride in the rain a lot more than I would like to, and have been known to ride in the ice and snow. (less lately thanks to the "Weather Channel"!)

Expecting to find a *****in' set of aftermarket chrome pipes, used, and unseen on Ebay is like tryin' to buy a set of lips off of a chicken. VERY rare indeed. I purchased my V&H pipes new in the box, opened two boxes before I left, to get the best set, and didn't blink when I wrote the check. I personally would not spend that much money on pipes again for the bike I currently own. (I will go Ceramic Coated next time) For those of you that have the discipline to ride, and polish, I have the upmost respect for you! And I must admit that for the first month I had my brand new V&H pipes on my scoot, I was a proud poppa'! But now, because I live on a gravel road, every time I hear that gravel "ping" off of the exhaust pipes, I shake my head, and say, "What was I thinkin' "! Such is life, it seems.

The most wonderful thing about owning your own motorcycle is the fact that you can make it as "shiny" or "blacked out" as you like! You are the artist, and your bike is the canvass. Bert, I wish you the best of luck in your search for the "perfect" set of exhaust! If you do find them, don't forget to take them for a good, long ride!!

Earl

[BratmanXj]

I'm lucky and the greater Chicago area has some pretty good motorcycle swap meets. Even there V&H and Rienhart pipes are as you described, new, nearly new, or absolute trash. Sadly, if you can still read the name on them they ask big money. Now on the flip side no-one wanted HD Screaming Eagles since V&H and Rienhart started the push on bagger mufflers. I got my 103db SE mufflers in like new condition for $40 and they sound 90% as good as the others for 10% of the cost...that works for me!

[gr8hwfan]

I have had my Monser Ovals on my RSV for about a year.My riding season is limited due to the winter months but i still was able to get around 5000 miles on my Vance and Hines Monster Ovals and i have had no problem as of yet with the chrome plating coming off or pitting.