I suspected as much when they did it, but the heat shield (under the seat) seems to work well enough for my purposes, and I am not abusive in the use of my machine (got that out my system years ago). Other than the initial electrical issues, it has served me very well since I purchased it and am hopeful it will continue to do so. I do have the service manual for it and do have some mechanical skills - I worked for my father in law for a number of years in his auto repair business during my time off in the summer (I was an educator), rebuilt the engine in my '57 Chevy when I was in high school, also repaired the engine in my Honda Big Red when an oil ring stuck.
The main drawback to tackling the big jobs now is my age; at 75 I just don't feel that inclined anymore for some reason.
Thanks again for the welcome.