Japanese Bikes

the-smiling-buddha I rode my bareknuckle a fifty miles and my hands went numb, BUT if you want to burst through traffic with maximum speeeeeeed and agility, nothing comes close to a 'road track', which is why we ride them

and not touring bikes

your hand probably went numb because of your riding position, my 4th and 5th finger went numb and it was just because of the handlebars, if your hands are at 90deg angle to your forearms it traps a nerve and can cause numbness, you ideally want your hands straight from your arms.

http://sheldonbrown.com/pain.html#fingers