I had the same concern you did about making the wrong decision.

I know one thing I am liking mine, still not done breaking it in; so my opinion is not fully tested.

I was fortunate to have found a super deal on a vspec to put in a new buggy. When my GRP was new I could not hardly turn it over by hand, tons of pinch & compression. The new Vspec was a lot easier to turn over. Looking for longevity, I went with GRP. The GRP is by far finer craftsmanship. I think tuning is a learning experience with this motor. It seems to me that with this motor if you touch one needle the other needs some attention. And only adjust in SMALL increments. So far to me it's not a pain to tune, It's just different changing the LSN.

Also, about the flame out, I have found I am too rich on the HSN when it starts doing that.