Don't get me wrong, I value "true" marques that haven't had their gene pool compromised. The reason I value them, isn't necessarily speed and handling, though.
Also, When a company buys a name, they have (legal) license to use the name, certainly, but they don't have the (ethical) license, (in my opinion) to drastically change features of the frame/bike that were born of the original proprietors.
Ford's Jaguar, I feel, is in the spirit of Jaguar's Jaguar, but Chrysler's TC was NOT in the spirit of Maserati, and Daewoo, or Kia, or whomever built some of the early 90's Lemans, did NOT build them in the spirit of Pontiac's Lemans. These are personal judgments though, and where each person draws the line is what makes this conversation rich.
John Barron
Minneapolis