Thought I wouldn't make it...

[user_deleted]

^^^^^ typically they'll dump a stored trouble code into your ecm but what you're now experiencing sure sounds like a faulty tps switch. symptoms you're describing seem different than your original symptoms when first posting.

[WileyXB12X]

Yeah, the problem has mutated. I also am considering faulty TPS even though it's not throwing a code.

Overall, it just seems to be running rich. The initial problem seemed like too much fuel for the engine to burn causing it to bog down and now it seems to run rich when it gets hot, kicking my RPMs up. Does that make sense or is my reasoning flawed?

Fuel pump isn't "always on," which seems typical of the chaffed wires (that or completely dead), but may still be the pump but I can't explain why it only happens when hot (but I'm a far cry from a mechanic).

Just for giggles I'm going to detach the extra grounding wire I added. It may just be coincidence that the problem started when I add the cable, but at least I'll be able to rule it out.

[WileyXB12X]

Possibly resolved...

I opened up the top to remove the extra grounding cable I'd attached since it hadn't helped anyway (hard start). While I was in there, I pulled the plugs for inspection and they were clean (a little white, but not glazed or blistered, possibly lean). While I had the plugs out I noticed that the idle adjustment cable was sitting across the top of the header, the sheath had melted off. I ran the spark plug wire under the idle adjustment cable to lift it off the header.

When I put it all back together, the bike immediately started to idle at 2500rpm. Last TPS reset, I remember I really had to crank out the knob to get the idle where I needed it. So I turned it back in, bringing resting idle back down to 1050-1150. I took it for a test ride today for about an hour, idle stayed where it should, power was there when I needed it, all the sputtering and backfiring was gone.

My theory is that the cable was bound a little and when it heated up it warped and turned the idle out then returned to its natural form when cold. But it could be that the extra grounding cable was doing something wonky (technical term) to the ECM.

Or the gremlins moved on to new stomping grounds.