It's a pain to install and not as easy to keep clean as chrome or paint, for starters. Road grime can get embedded in it and be a pain to get out when you wash the bike. Best if you can use a spray sealant on it, but the dirt still gets into it...especially if you ride in the rain.

You can't exactly powerwash it...you'd damage it or peel the edges back, opening it up for more dirt and wind damage as a previous poster mentioned. For black wrap, you can at least paint over what dirt doesn't come out; periodic touch up is good anyway.

There's some prep required to get the wrap good and tight. With the black wrap I used the first time, I soaked it first, as is the general recommendation. Then when it dries it tightens up nice and snug. With my titanium wrap that's on there now, I think I just left it dry...soaking is messy and I didn't want to deal with it. To further exhibit my laziness, I did the second wrap job with the pipe on the bike...the first time I removed the pipe to install it. Differing opinions out there on which way is better.

Once a piece starts to unravel or tear, that's typically all she wrote. Sometimes you can repair it as the OP did, or unwind the wrap to that point and re-clamp it if it happened low enough on the pipe that you aren't removing the whole wrap job.

Lastly, the debate is open on whether wrap is detrimental to the life of the pipe. Some say the wrap can trap moisture and cause rust, or that it traps heat and causes the pipe to crack...but I saw neither when I removed my first wrap job after 3 years on the bike and plenty of time riding in all kinds of weather. Granted my pipe's paint probably kept the moisture out, but I saw no heat damage either.

So wrap can be kinda high maintenance, but damn if it doesn't look good.

Bummer, it looks bad ass though

DEI High-Temp Silicone Coating The High-Temp Silicone Coating provides lasting protection for any hot surface up to 1500 degrees. DEI recommends the use of this coating with their exhaust wraps because it seals the material and provides lasting protection from oil, dirt and road grime. Don't limit the use to exhaust header wrap, this product works well on headers, blocks, starters and even on your grill at home. Available in aluminum or black colors

http://www.hrpworld.com/index.cfm?tp...action=product

Thanks for explaining this.

I never ride in the rain and I put some household plastic over the wrap when washing the bike, so I think I'll be ok for a while.

Also... Presure washers are a big no no on a bike, they'll put water where it doesn't belong.

I have a thunderheader coming today for my 2000 fxdl. I guess i will be scraping to didn't realize it sat so low.

Has anyone used this stuff? I didn't opt for any last year when I installed the wrap because I used the titanium wrap...aluminum or black silicone sealant isn't going to do me any good.

I have the same problem, only since my Thunderheader isn't wrapped I don't have to worry about the unraveling. It does have a pretty bad spot in the same area where all the chrome is ground off. Mine only scrapes when I'm riding pretty aggressively or riding two up. The 01-05 Dyna Low Riders are lowered from the factory front and rear an inch compared to other Dyna models of the same year.