hey smokin' joe, i had eric port mine for "more on the bottom without losing all the top" (sounds like a haircut, hunh?), & that's just what i got. i had a '98 200 w/fmf pipe, & it didn't have enough revs to suit me, so i tried the porting on this 1 instead (also cheaper).
my bike isn't a pain on a gnarly hillclimb, but imo, a stocker can be. it's only a 200, & it puts out some serious hp, so the powerband can seem a little narrow on a slimy or no-traction hill. you have to maintain momentum on a hill like that. if you just want to trail ride, or if the guy ahead of you is just cruising up such a hill & gets in the way, you can't just torque up sitting on your butt like your 250 exc will do (i have 1 of those, too, that i need to sell when i get around to it). i love the sharp handling & light weight of the 200, but i want motor like a 250's when i'm slogging thru some long, gnarly enduro with slick hills (clanton, say or train robbers if it rains) or if i'm on a cruisy trail ride in middle or east tennessee where it's hilly or even mountainous. so i had mine ported, put on a flywheel weight ($90), & i just tried out a pro circuit pipe that i bought used off the internet to get back some revs. do you ride the sera enduros? you're welcome to ride my bike. email me & i'll hook you up at breezy hill.