I find the throttle to be very jerky as well on my 2011. I have removed all the slack from the cables and done the TPS reset trick. It is still hard to make small throttle inputs.
This is my first bike with ABS or linked brakes. At first I did not like it, but after 33K miles I have grown used to it and really appreciate how strong they are.
I actually like the fact that the suspension is fairly firm. If I ever rode one with upgraded suspension I am sure I would be spoiled. As long as the bike the does not pogo in turns I am fine....and mine does not. I did turn up the rear preload and adjusted damping to 1/2 turn out and am happy with those settings. With fresh tires this thing handles very well. With worn out tires it handles like poo. Never been on a bike that was so sensitive to the state of the tires.