If it came with them, I hadn't been inclined to take them off. If it didn't come with them, I never thought about getting them.
They have their place. When my wife started to ride my 02 Heritage, I put them on. She stopped at a light and her foot slipped on some sand. The bike went over, the floorboard folded up and the bike came to rest on the crash bar. She held it there until I could get off my other bike and help her.
Just before that, she was asking me why I put them on when she was going to ride it, and never had them on when it was my main ride?? I told her that I couldn't stand the way it looked and couldn't find a set that I did like that didn't take away from the look of the bike. I told her it was for her protection. She thought I was full of crap and wanted me to take them off. She forgot about it and then she found out I was right.
They have their place, it just came down to personal preference.Would I take them off my RG... No. would I put them on my SB.... no.