Spoken like a true snob.
Yes, spoken like a true Ducati or wanna-be Ducati owner.
Other than red paint and a v-twin, (which Ducati didn't build until the 70's) what is copied here?
The Japanese have come up with some innovations and original stuff over and over again. Single sided swingarm on a production bike? 916, right? Wrong-o! Hawk GT. (I'm not gonna count BMW's, as they aren't sportbikes and have shaftdrive) Gold calipers? VFR750 and RC30, long before the 916 had them.
Turbocharging? Electronic ignition? Mass-market inline-four motors? Digital instrumentation? Liquid cooling? Multi-valve heads?
Granted, Japanese styling can sometimes be tired, bland or just plain ugly, but may I direct the jury's attention to the Ducati Indiana? How about Moto Guzzi Californias? And if you think the ST-2/4 is some kind of triumph of industrial design, I'm guessing you own a bean-bag chair.
Plenty of Hondas and other Japanese brands have gobs of soul. My SV sounds better than Ducati v-twins, (so I'm told) and handles just as well, if not better. It's certainly easier to steer than a 748.
My wife's Hawk had more soul than a Paso ever did, and the Superhawk I had felt very nice on the open road, with a beat and rhythym unique to that model. If by "character" you mean expensive fragility, well, I can't argue with you there. Ducks have plenty of THAT.
The only thing that made Ducks so popular is the demand for a relatively cheap status symbol coupled with clever marketing. Just like cigars.
Monicagate killed the cigar thing, though. Hm, I don't think you can fit a 900SS in THERE, though.
Maybe Courtney Love?