Originally Posted by SEAtrain
Indeed. The manual says "it may not function properly."
Indeed. In fact they do say...
"The gap between the control levers and the handlebars must ensure suitable grip as well as sufficient lever movement for correct braking power."
...but, and as you have indicated...
"If the Ergopower is too high or too low it may not function properly."
...but they don't say,
Originally Posted by SEAtrain
...the bottoms of the levers must be directly in line with the bottom of my handle bar drops
What is recommended is an awareness of how the lever body is mating with the bar to be sure it is properly seated. If it cannot seat properly, you can't position the lever there.
Or for the engineers, this is black:
http://www.origami-club.com/color/black/image/black.gif
...and this is white:
http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/color...on/p/white.htm