The rep I talked with at Coverstar Central confirmed it is a bond wire but I didn't think to ask him why it was necessary. Its a braided copper strap, much like the braided steel straps used to connect an engine to ground in a car. It makes zero sense to me. I will ask him about it when he calls back.
It is definitely not structural, as it has about 4" of slack in it and being copper braid would snap with very little effort given the fairly significant load that is on those ropes. My understanding is that it is used to bond the leading bar, which is aluminum. I just can't understand what it bonds to on the other end once it disappears into the seam of the cover.
The rep told me that it cannot be reconnected once it breaks. I find that hard to believe. Depending on what they tell me when they call back, I may find a way to do it myself. Just don't wa r to do anything that would compromise the warranty, so I'll wait until that's up.
My issue is bonding - not the rope that moves the cover. They did not repair or replace it under warranty - just said it "wasn't important" and "only there to satisfy code". Suffice it to say I'll never own another Coverstar product.
