SierraRider, yeah I was just about to comment the same points as you; overforking is adding about 30mm to the stock fork max
major alteration of bike geometry. I see in your photos that you ride the chunk in Nor Cal, so you could utilize that amount of travel. My riding is much more sedate, but love the 160mm when I need it in the rock gardens at Annadel blues and any of Skeggs blues! that is about as extreme as I get.