I think they were stuck with the long cords because of the safety handle. Mower manufacturers other than Honda had the safety handle stop the engine when you released it, so you had to be holding the safety handle to be able to start the mower. That was going to be awkward, and perhaps a bit hazardous, with the starter cord in the usual place. The solution they chose was the extremely ugly arrangement with the starter cord attached to the handlebar. It was another American design triumph like the one General Motors made when they improved the appearance of the Pontiac GTO version of the Monaro by installing a front end panel that had been badly amputated from the front of a pig's head.
