Originally Posted by
Unca_Sam
It's not terrible, admittedly. A short length of housing between two stops would eliminate the hard angles that those guides are introducing, and eliminate that unsightly length of liner. Of course, the liner is needed to keep the cable from wearing on those guides.
I'm ok with those little clear tape protectors on the sides of the headtube.
BTW: I have never owned a car bra. 
I'm an old roadie, and wweenie. I've almost never seen a (properly functioning) bike on which I didn't want to reduce the housing length. As you noted, this one is no exception. There's a good chance that this is the original factory set-up. (If they came pre-set.) I need to adjust the bike fit before shortening anything...
If you cut it too short, no matter how many more times you cut it, it's
still too short. Bike mechanic's corollary - (But you can use it on the front). Murphy- "But it
was on the front"... Last hope- Give to someone with a smaller bike.
Eric