they do add an extra item clamping on to the fork, but they are simple looking IMO.
the u-bracket is definitely a good piece of engineering for sure, but it takes up a lot of space behind the headlight.
for me, it was an easy choice.
i NEEDED to lower my gauges because of my handlebar choice when i did my fork swap.
i don't have the means to do any welding on my own, and these solved the problem.
they also freed up some room for the damn load boxes that are attached to my Rizoma blinkers.
i do understand your concerns though, as I too am a fan of having as little crap on my bike as possible.
but i'm also a big fan of billet and cf bling... so i choose it wisely.
these are MEGA functional. so again, no-brainer.
EDIT: I knew someone else had them. AM (JV?) has them on his bike:
http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=45972.0i'll post pics when i get a chance... out of town for the weekend unfortunately.