After two pandemic-impacted years, Daytona Bike Week was back in a big way with local officials estimating 300,000 to 400,000 attendees hit the beach. Taking advantage of the return to normalcy, Vance & Hines roared into the big bash with new products, new race teams, badder Baggers and even a trip into the Hall Of Fame!
On the product side, V&H unveiled its new Backslash 450 slip-on. The massive 4.5-inch diameter, spin-formed slip-ons deliver an eye-catching style with an exhaust tip that is a perfect match for the angle of the Harley-Davidson saddle bag. A matte black finish provides a stealthy look and the pipes deliver a rich sound from the patent-pending LS-275 baffle design. The pipes are being shipped to US distributors this week. Backslash 450 pipes are priced at $499.99 and designed specifically to fit Harley-Davidson's Milwaukee 8 powerplant (2017 to 2022).
The other big news at the two Vance & Hines display locations was consumer interest in the new FP4 engine tuner and the first shipment of the company's new VO2 Falcon air intakes… which sold out almost immediately. The new 90-degree intake is a perfect match to the company's black exhausts, like the Backslash 450.
As always, Daytona Bike Week included a flurry of events for attendees. Here's a quick recap:
Terry Vance & Byron Hines were inducted into the Motorsport Hall of Fame on Tuesday, March 8. The co-founders of Vance & Hines were appreciative of the honor and shared the credit with racers and riders who helped them make their name in the industry.
AFT’s planned double header had to be consolidated to a single day after rain forced the cancellation of Thursday's opener. Vance & Hines team rider Jesse Janisch wasted no time in reaching the podium, as he posted a third place finish his first time aboard his Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R. As a top finisher in Production Twins, Janisch was also a contestant in the Mission Production Twins Challenge where the top four from the Production Twins Main line-up competed in the Super Twins Main. In the Super Twins Main, Janisch fought his way to as high as P4 against the Super Twins machines and was the top finisher among the Production Twins contestants giving him an early lead in the Mission Challenge.
Teammate Brandon Kitchen in the Singles class on the factory-supported Husqvarna FC450 showed strong pace in the early going, but faced some struggles in his Semifinal, missing out on the Main by just one position. The team now looks ahead to the Texas Half Mile coming up this weekend.
Over at the high banks of Daytona International Speedway, Vance & Hines was in the thick of things during MotoAmerica’s season opening roadraces. In the Twins Cup Race 1, V&H supported Blake Davis who rode his Yamaha R7 to victory. Not to be outdone, the following day in Twins Cup Race 2, Hayden Schultz leveraged his talent and his Vance & Hines pipes to take the top spot on the podium with his R7.
Vance & Hines team riders James Rispoli and Taylor Knapp put on an impressive display in the King Of The Baggers, muscling their Harley-Davidson Road Glides to speeds of up to 170mph on the steep 30-degree banking. After a mechanical issue in Race 1, Rispoli made a hard charge to fourth place in Race 2, scoring the highest finish for a Harley-Davidson machine in the class. Knapp was consistently quick all weekend with 5th and 6th place finishes, seating him firmly in 5th in the standings.
A couple hours north, the NHRA GatorNationals took place in Gainesville, Florida. While heavy rains and a wet track left the new Vance & Hines/Mission/Suzuki Pro Stock team without a single qualifying run, riders Angelle Sampey and Eddie Krawiec were excited about the near perfect conditions on Sunday. Things didn't play out for Sampey as she spun out and was eliminated in Round One, while teammate Krawiec lost in Round Two to eventual winner Karen Stoffer, who made the two quickest Elapsed Time runs in PSM class history on her way to the win.