You've got a point there. The success of the Japanese came in the early 70s when they built bikes that really were advanced at the time and also affordable. Think of Honda's first 750cc four-cylinder and its competitors, Triumph, BSA, Norton, Harley, BMW. Top-of-the-line technology for a price lower than the oil-leaking competiton; BMW didn't leak but who could afford them? So they wrapped up the whole market. They copied, they definitely improved, and they conquered.
The Japs are great when it comes to technology, but come up short in the "feeling" department. The bikes don't "inspire", you don't fall in love with them and restore them after 20 years. They function, they last, but then get replaced. There are only a handful of Japanese bikes that are getting lovingly restored, but you can't compare that to "western" products. The Japanese can build reliable, affordable vehicles with top technology, but they can't build a Ducati (Honda and Suzuki more or less flopped), can't build a Norton, can't build a Moto Guzzi. And they sure can't build a Harley, even though they tried hard, using push rods and single-pin cranks. They can't build a Ferrari, no Lotus, no Porsche, no Corvette.
First they learned from the West, now the West caught up. Triumphs are as reliable as Hondas, even though more expensive. Higher sales figures may even change that, but even today people are paying a bit more to get a bike that has something not many Japanese bikes have - personality, character, soul.