As a qualifier..I was coming over the crest of a small knoll when the wheel lofted...but it was still pulling hard and this would NOT have happened with stock performance. I have also experienced a bit of clutch slippage (time for stronger springs-thanks Mike) from the higher power output and it will pull the front end up (but not like a modern powerbike) if you snap it from a slow rolling start. I have not dyno tested, but repeated runs through familiar roads comparing performance with the upgrades definitely supports my conclusion that you get a favorable return on your performance investment.
If I were to take the upgrades one step at a time I would start with an aftermarket exhaust (Predators work for me) combined with stock airbox modification (snorkel removal, drilling, upgraded filter, etc. as covered by other posts) and appropriate jetting changes of stock carbs. I would next budget for the airbox removal kit and carbs/manifolds and install them all at the same time. None of these modifications are really that difficult mechanically, yet provide a lot of bang for your buck!
As an aside: I have had the bike for 1-1/2 months and have about 700 miles on it while battling the cold upper midwest weather. I ride for fun...I do not commute with a motorcycle. The concept of "gently breaking in" your motorcycle has never been valid in my personal experience. All of the motorcycles I grew up racing were immediately put on the race track (sometimes the day I got them
) and all of my "Adult" motorcycles were broken in with plenty of rev time up to the point just below where the engine starts to scream and flatten out. No long constant RPM stretches, and definitely no lugging the engine. In all that time I have never had disproportionately high mechanical problems, and have always ended up with motorcycles that others seem to think perform like they were built on an especially good day at the factory. I don't know if it has been luck/fate or there is something else to it. All I know is that my Dad was a great mechanic and race engine builder and this is what I was taught worked for him.
