Gen1 rider here but thought I'd throw in my pennys worth;
 
Asking for tyre advice is a tricky subject, people have different riding styles, different requirements regarding passengers / luggage, ride different types of roads at different speeds, and prefer certain handling characteristics over others. I used to really like Bridgestones on my bikes but would never get more than 4k out of a rear, then I read on a forum that someone was getting 8k out of their Avon Storms so I switched to Avons, and ...........still only got 4k out of a rear !!! However it turned out I preferred the handling on the Avons and stuck with them until they did something with their fronts which made them have uneven wear. I'm now back with Bridgestones as I'd heard good things about them, but I still prefer the way the bike handled with Avons, so might be trying something else when the time comes.
 
The reason you'll pay more for the newer generation of tyres is that being dual compound, they offer longer tyre life, from my experience though paying 20% more doesn't equate to 20% extra mileage, the trade off is the newer tyres offer better confidence round bends due to the extra grip and redisgned treads / profile. To me though if you really liked the handling of the Pilot Powers on your R1, the price is right and you'd prefer not to take a chance on newer more expensive rubber sounds like a no brainer.
 

Sound like more trouble than they're worth

Same thoughts as me, probably effect fuelling / performance, passengers are going to get very hot thighs, side racks will have to come out a ways so luggage doesn't melt, the bike will probably look weird when the boxes are fitted as they'll be sticking out and don't know how this will effect handling.

It's good forum etiquette not to post multiple threads for the same topic, it makes it difficult for people trying to help to keep track of what's been said.

Don't know if you're bothered with people knowing where you live, if so I'd do something with the streetname sign. Nice eagle above your front door 
Oh and I do like your bike too 

Like you said on switching over the difference is immediately noticable and is still noticeable for the first two or three rides after but I think like me if you persevere after a short while you will stop noticing and it wont be an issue. I think you'll have the exact same experience with the mid-weight bar ends though maybe the time between fitting and you not noticing the vibes will be shorter.

Have you spoken with the tester to see if they have any ideas on the most likely cause? That would be my first port of call.
With the disk showing signs of wear it could be that at some point the brake has bound causing excessive friction and heat warping the disk !?! 

Hello and welcome.
 
I would suggest any litre bike is going to return similar figures when ridden "enthusiaticly", certainly to acheive noticeably better figures I have to make an effort to restrain my wrist and keep the revs around 4k RPM by doing so I can get 55 MPG but that's not my usual riding style. If you're riding like a vicar on his way to a parishoners meeting (aplogies if you are a gentleman of the cloth) and you are getting 30-35 MPG then something could be amiss, could you have a fuel leak, have you checked the colour and condition of the plugs to see if the bike is running rich?

Have got to say towards the end it felt so light and flickable it felt like a different bike. You really must try this.

I had my bike Ivanised last year and it as brought out more of the hooligan in me resulting in noticeably less MPG, before I used to average 160 miles until the light came on now it's more like 140, I am a big bloke though which doesn't help. However I went out last weekend when finding petrol was scarce and purposefully kept the revs down, probably averaging 3-4k, I still had good fun through the twisties, the relaxed pace meant I could take in more of the scenery, and I managed around 55mpg over 105 miles.
 
The comment about the bike feeling more flickable on an empty tank makes me wander if you've not yet done anything with your steering geometry to help with this such as drop the forks through the yoke or fit a jack-up kit. Coming from sportsbikes I really disliked the slow handling of my Gen1 on standard settings, a £15 jack-up kit and dropping the forks through the yoke made it feel like a different bike, now I have a Nitron shock and have raised the ride height a bit more the bike is easily as responsive as my earlier sportsbikes.

Can't answer the "do they all do it" question but you could check your chain tension.

I had some odd wear on my Avon Storm 2 Ultra front so thought I'd try the 023's and was very happy with the front but not with the rear. When you have a new tyre fitted you expect to experience a postive difference in handling, switching from the worn Storm rear to a new 023 to match the front was the first time I've ever felt dissapointed with a new tyre. I can't pin it down but I feel less confident and the bike feels less responsive. I'll probably get used to it but certainly won't be replacing the rear with another 023 when it's worn.

http://foc-u.co.uk/index.php/topic,1696.msg12653.html#msg12653

In all honesty I only ever see the stubs when I'm on the floor cleaning my bike so looks are not much of an issue, I don't think what you're contemplating is practical but then I still don't understand what you're planning. You could get some domed allen bolts which look neater than a hex headed ones.