Funny cus I've actually thought of doing that several times using leather. I imagined applying some sort of adhesive to help hold it in place as well. Give it a shot man.
You never know till you try ...
Worst case scenario you take it off and send it to be PC'ed. What would be the cost? Couple of bucks? Give it a try!
In my head it dont look good as well...
A company called Chilhowee Leather sells wrapping for just such a project. Check them out. They have other cool products that may get your mind thinking, too.
Are your pipes wrapped? This is an interesting thought. I think the black hockey tap are bat grip would look best. The exhaust wrap will be to thick and cumbersome to work with. Test the look and mock it up first. If you like it then spray a clear coat of some sort over it to prolong the life a bit.
When I had my StreetBob, I had the area on either side of the bar clamps wrapped with the black wrap used on barbells, bats, etc. It has adhesive and worked ok. It was for when I lashed something to my bars for work to keep the bars from being scuffed up.