That seems like a fair list.
I have sat on one, and, yes, wasn't impressed with the seat...then again, I've yet to encounter a stock seat on any of my bikes that impresses me, and I've had to replace every one thus far with a Mustang. I just tend to (regrettably) incorporate that into my purchase budget.
Having not ridden one, I can't comment on engine size, weather protection, weight, etc., but I'll take your word for it that those issues could be improved. The 5-speed transmission and gearing that I understand is not very high/tall does concern me a bit, I have to admit...high rev / buzzing at highway speeds is the reason I ditched my Vulvan 900 in favor of the bigger bike I have now. I don't want to revisit that problem again.
Amen about the paint and more/better colors: we need orange! Seriously, though, I do find it kind of puzzling that Yamaha adopts the Henry Ford axiom of making it available in any color the customer wants as long as it's (the color for that year). Granted, most bike lines are limited in their color options from year to year, but typically there're at least a couple colors to choose from.
