Yeah, once you take it off.... Let's not forget putting it back ON and wondering where in the hell did that last screw go to. Tearing up half the garage looking for it only to find it up against the back tire.
Now you could say all that plastic protects components from exposure to the elements and claim how it's aerodynamics help with fuel usage, but I'm a bit of a minimalist when it comes to bikes. lol says the guy with the 800 pound bike.
One of the things that puts me off about motorcycles like sport bikes and baggers, especially baggers, is all the extraneous stuff on them.
That can turn a five minute oil change or a 10 minute brake pad change into an all day ordeal. I saw an Indian a while back. I think they make one of the prettiest motors in the world. but everything else is all covered up or concealed by something. It took me ten minutes just to figure out what I would have had to take off just to get to the brake pads. My brother's Beemer, a 1000r or something?, was the about the same way. It was fun to zip around on but maintenance would've been a pain.
Muscle bikes. Know why they call them that? Cause it's what you have to use when you walk it in traffic jams.