Hello Group, I have had a lot of fun recently with the five dollar purchase of an early 70's "Fuji Special Racer," similar to the Fuji S10-S, an entry-level "racer" that marked Fuji's first real success in the American market. The bike is all original with bright yellow paint, Maxy crankset, Nitto alloy stem, etc. I am quite certain that even the yellow handlebar tape is original. Here is my question: the handlebar tape begins at the end of one bar, travels up to the Nitto stem, and then crosses over the stem to the other side of the bar. My first instinct was to cut the tape and fix each cut end to the handlebars in the "correct" position, but then I thought again, and decided to leave this time capsule as is for the time being. Can anyone enlighten me on this curious style of taping the handlebars? Was this simply a time-saving measure at the factory? (I am sure this is not a job done at home). Thanks in advance.
Daniel Dahlquist
Galena, Illinois