I don't own a 1000.
I don't work for Honda.
But.... I play engineer at work during the day. (Don't ask me about my night job)
Looks to me Honda did the typical "minimum effective design". It will work fine until it hits a rock.
That said, I'm thinking that replacing the cross member with a box member about the same dimensions would help. It would be laying on it's side (in the weak axis) but what the hell.
Even though aluminum or plastic skid pans don't offer any bending strength, both will distribute the load and help preserve the cross members (especially if you haven't already wrecked them). Kinda like laying a sheet of plywood on the roof to walk on.
BTW: same design problems in pulling these things out of the mud/craters. I tore my frame just tugging it backward by the trailer hitch.