Even though this thread is somewhat old, I'm going to throw in my $0.02:
MSF bikes are absolute garbage
Don't think that most new bikes will handle like they do. Remember, a lot of inexperienced riders have ridden the MSF bikes and it's not uncommon for them to not run to their full potential because of this. A friend that I met at the MSF course I attended used a KLX 250 and the bike kept randomly shutting off and not wanting to turn on again for him. The instructors couldn't even figure it out haha.
Also, as stated before, each bike has a different friction point so it may take a while to find it. Although it looks like you have discovered that already
