Yeppers, they smell awful for a while. Also, I'd strongly suggest you spray 'em down wiht an enamel -- mine are wrapped and I DIDN'T coat them, and now they're deterriorating -- especially where my left foot occasionally taps the left header pipe, and it's starting to fray.
As for performance, as I've said in other threads, I've been pleasantly surprised! It does make a modicum of difference -- I'm running TOR longs and the wraps changed the air flow (had to rejet) and the sound.
--Jaeger
