They can be bent a bit, however you will lose some travel which is probably not a good thing. I am on the road...AGAIN
(I was supposed to be working in town until the end of the year) I will take a look at mine again, I vaguely recall doing something other than the bending to get the ones on the Twenty my bride rides down to a better reach for her small hands. For some reason I am thinking some type of spacer somewhere. I didn't do it one of my stellar LBS mechanics did.
Also while I am thinking about it I have a Raleigh Head Badge for you...
Aaron