Just to play devil's advocate, as long as he was well below the torque spec, I think he was right to keep torqueing. At least he ended up with an answer and he's safe.

What happens if he's still far from his intended torque spec and he and his friends hear a distinct "crack?" What do you do? Ride it knowing that it might not be tight enough (unsafe) or that it might be cracked (unsafe)? Bar looks ok visually...does that mean it didn't crack? Maybe not. It's not as though he kept torquing beyond manufacturer's spec.