If they made the spout longer, people would complain that they hit it with their shoes while riding. Or complain that it limits their ability to put on aftermarket pipes. Or some other issue that might be caused by it being longer. It is all about trade-offs.
Of all the options, I think dealing with a little oil on the pipes every 3000 miles or so is reasonable, especially since a piece of tin foil would solve the problem.
But they saved so much money by having it this short!!!
If they made the spout longer, people would complain that they hit it with their shoes while riding. Or complain that it limits their ability to put on aftermarket pipes. Or some other issue that might be caused by it being longer. It is all about trade-offs.
Of all the options, I think dealing with a little oil on the pipes every 3000 miles or so is reasonable, especially since a piece of tin foil would solve the problem.