I had the same thing going on before the flash. Bike is butter now. Engine braking has decreased slightly. I went on a 140 mile ride yesterday through the twisties from desert to mountains and really got to see the difference. I also gutted the cat over the weekend. Another free mod. Just took a couple hours and some patience. The combination of all these (mostly free or relatively cheap) mods have made a fantastic overall improvement to the bike. And the bike was great to begin with. Rideability is right where I was hoping it'd be.
Just picked up an FZ1 rear shock with under 2k on it for $65. That'll be the next little project. Ballin on a budget lol.
that's an amazing price for 2k miles...goodness. thanks for the feedback...i gotta do this sometime.