I'm sure you didn't mean it, but the premise of your poll could be taken as offensive or provocative by those of us who have clocked up many miles on bikes that are cheap and have flat bars.
As mentioned upthread there is more to a bike than handlebars.
An advantage of using lower grade components is price! And often availability (depending on where you are).
i could tour for a week on what some will pay for a cassette and chain. Spending money on experiences rather than things is generally preferable.
On a loaded bike, touring, the last thing on my mind is efficiency or if that gear change could have been smoother.
I'd rather spend money burning a hole in my pocket on things like rims and hubs.