Gloss black is absolutely faster.
Well, there's mine for everyone to slam if they so choose.
Here's my thoughts on it: Maybe upside down clubman bars are in poor taste, but I like how they look and I like the riding position ergonomically speaking. No, not everything on my bike is polished and perfect, but I never wanted a motorcycle where every last piece was chromed, polished, and perfect. Some of us want to be pro bike builders and land our #$%* on Bike EXIF, and some of us just want to build the bike we want to ride.
I'm in the latter category, and frankly my bike is 100% everything I've ever wanted in a motorcycle. On top of that, every time I take it out someone stops me to ask what it is and to tell me how much they like it. Women swoon, children want me to rev it at lights, it's fun.
I think I speak for lots of people when I say many of us are very turned off by the polished chrome everything world of HD riders and the OCC type builds. In fact, had it not been for cafe style bikes and rat bikes I may have never gotten into riding at all.
Point being that while I can't excuse someone for not being adequately safe or ensuring that their bike is mechanically sound, beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder, and whether someone wants to chrome every last piece of their bike and ride in a V-crunch position, or put checkerboard contact paper on their gas tank, who the hell am I to judge? I really, really love my bike, and that is all that really matters to me.
