It wasn't me, but oddly enough I live in the area, ride a black cherry 07, and ride with a buddy that has a BMW dual sport and another buddy with a silver FJR. I do get down to your neck of the woods from time to time, but I haven't been down there in about 4 months.
Skyway's sliders are popular as well as Motivation. Installation is easy on the Gen II bikes. Basically just remove one motor mount bolt at a time and replace with longer bolt that comes with the sliders. Takes like 10 minutes to complete.
I think that owning a bike is an emotional decision. As soon as you start to put too much logic behind the purchase, you run into analysis paralysis. With that said, I think the GT is an awesome bike. In fact, I wouldn't mind owning one, except for the price. Frankly, the BMW is out of my...
There is nothing wrong with you, the Blackbird is a great bike. However, I would recommend that you consider what type of riding you intend to do before giving up on an FJR. Blackbirds are sport bikes with a lot of versatility. They are great for short to medium distance rides and sport...
+1 on the Racer Gloves. I have the High End glove, but either Racer glove is an excellent choice depending your climate. BTW, these prices at Motostrano are a bargain.