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I have 720mm on my 29 and 780 on the 26,the 29 is an xc bike so narrower show have some advantages but... My shoulders are wide so they feel narrow after a while.
As for older bikes I think I put 760mm on my 09 heckler back in 2011 and it was great.
As for leverage and the rest for me it's to do with comfort and where my arms sit, becomes more obvious when you see your arms angled right in to the stem on narrower bars.
Assuming just for a minute that you're not trying to out Ken M Dave T I've pretty much always tended to wider bars.
BITD when my mates were cutting down Renthal flat bars I was riding (cut down) Azonic World Force jobs (on a '96 Explosif). No idea the width, but used to get a right slagging for it
I remember going 'wide' at 685mm on my Soul and FS. Then 711mm then 762mm (on 29er, always meant to chop down to 750 but got used to them) and 750mm (on 26" trail FS). Ironically I've chopped down 685's (to 673mm, to fit in the bike locker at work) on the soul atm. Keep meaning to put on the 750's... Only riding singletrack through trees has really stopped thus far.
But I've 46's on the road bike. I'd ride 48's or even 50's if they made them. The 42 stock bars made me squeak like a pip.
I guess I just like wide(-ish). Find them much better for control and comfort. Got broad shoulders though.