@egschade, awesome write up and glad you enjoyed the experience!
In an earlier post you wrote "ride with the tourists, not the knee draggers.", but in your writeup you mentioned doubling the speed in corners and passing trucks at triple digits! If that is the ride with the tourists pace I probably won't be doing one of those tours. 
Or was it just the bike that felt so competent that you couldn't resist running with the knee draggers? 
The throttle spring on my 2022 V85TT is definitely stiff. I have to grab the throttle higher up so my wrist is level when holding speed and good leather gloves provide the friction needed to hold it steady. Definitely use the cruise control whenever possible.
Though still a brand new model the bike felt familiar, similar to my Griso 1200. There were no real knee draggers in the group and the 'fast' group was running at what I would consider 7/10ths - easily within my comfort zone once I adjusted to the overall higher speeds of the open western roads. A couple riders would gap me in the tighter, blind corners but turns out they had all ridden the route before.
The V100 IS very confidence inspiring and since I was on a sport touring bike I rode it that way. When on the V85 I was more chill and relaxed at a slightly slower pace.
As for the throttle I had the foresight to bring my cramp buster which was a wrist saver. Somehow I lost it during a bike switch and rode w/o it the last couple hours which were rather uncomfortable. Was able to use the cruise control for some of that time for relief. I ride with Biltwell grips on my V85 which are rounded in the middle and larger than stock. Those, along with a cramp buster, means no issues with the stiff throttle spring.
