I have installed a micro loop, and built a race depower as well as replaced the center line. I have the tool, for the roto head, so it was easy. I agree the end piece is tough but possible. I did it dry with a wire guide-home made fid,in a pinch, and have soaked it also.

The accelerated wear on the 2 (left/right positionned) depower lines ....
Is increased because the lines push on each other while steering and sheeting in and out
It rubs harder on the side walls of the metal center hole...more friction = faster wear

I have seen my North centers holes get gouged with a channel groove !
When this happen a sharp edge appears at top of centerhole creating even more wear


Solution would be 2 (front/back positionned) depower lines instead with separate center holes
This by the way lines up the 2 depower lines with only 4mm width instead of 8mm
Fits easily between 2 fingers when holding bar with one hand over the center area

Similar to what my Sensor bar from Core has

Additionally it sorts out twisted lines after a spin ....
By just pulling the bar all the way down (doing that does create some minimal wear in the long run)

Or simply by untwisting manually (using fingertips) under the bar with ther white tab end
...similar in a way to North Rotohead system

IMO the Sensor bar is cutting edge technology and should work on all the North 4 line kites
You will not save any money however....i think it costs the same

But you would have to do maintenance less often
And when needed it really really looks Supa easy to replace the depower line

German engineering .......and simplicity

Agree with the kite quality, but there are many brands I have bought unseen.

Stop whining for a PU cover and soak it in wax like everyone has already suggested. If you snowboard just drip it on with your iron.

Seriously, drip wax onto it using your iron. I know, wait for it, plastic sheath it so you don't have to do any hot wax dripping at all! A good solution as I said, my point is there shouldn't be a need for a solution to depowering wear...maybe north should supply a repair kite with a block of wax in the kit. LOL.

Been riding Fone Bandits 2010, 2011 and 2012.
I'm pretty sure that for next year i am going to preorder before testing.

There are so many Kite brands out there and I'm pretty sure that if you can order a North kite with out testing then you can order majority of kites with out testing as well.
Got to try my buddies 2011 11m Rebel the other day, and didn't enjoy it at all...

Interesting ... but not my experience at all. I have the 2011 5th Element (5-line) Trust Bar. It has over 120 sessions of use and I saw no appreciable wear on the depower/trim line with one exception - the line was only frayed where it entered the Rotohead!

At first I thought this was due to friction in the bar metal center hole. However, I could not see or feel any roughness around the metal hole. It was perfectly smooth!

I decided to replace the depower/trim line just to be safe.

When I disassembled the Rotohead (using the supplied special tool) I noticed that the interior of the molded aluminum Rotohead body had some rather rough ridges. I immediately concluded that it was these abrasive ridges that were the cause of the line fraying. Using a small fine file, I filed the ridges until they were reasonably smooth. I then reassembled using the new line.

I have yet to use the bar with the new depower/trim line but I will be watching closely for any fraying near the Rotohead.

Hope this helps someone out there!

Again good solutions but seriously listen to yourselfs. Wax dripping and filing rotoheads. These bars are not cheap and should never need work in our shed. Sounds like the old days when we used to assemble shit to get on the water. Don't knock you for your ingenuity but th eoriginal question stands, use a rubber sheath on none of the bs