I've had both--the make-a-hole type on my first '05, bracket kind on no. 2. I agree that the placement of the first pair--with the drilled fairing--seems to be in a better spot when you look at the bike and picture what will hit first if it falls over. And realistically, the benefit of sliders, IMO, is protection from minor damage in a tip-over. If you go over on the road, with the sliding and the bumping and the grinding, the result is going to be at least a little ugly, no matter which style you have mounted.
My second bike came--used of course--with the sliders I now have. I installed the first set myself and it was very simple. In fact, simpler than the bracket style ones, since there was no fairing removal involved (and you know what a PITA fairing removal is). I just located the proper mounting bolt by eye and drilled a small hole. Probably missed the exact center by a little bit, but the hole you end up with is the same diameter as the puck itself, so by the time I gradually enlarged the initial hole with the dremel, it was centered just fine. You just take a lttle bit, re-fit, take a little more. Anybody can do it and do a good job with a little care.
By the way, if FJR #2 had been without sliders when I got it, I'd have drilled and cut for the second set too. Good luck.