Took the bear claw of to mark it up for cutting - pretty much the same cut that Evil Mitch did with his. I also removed the K&N pre-filter covers (just because they look better without) and went for a shortish but fast run to see if I could notice any diference.
Noticed two things: firstly, it didn't seem too much louder - nice growl if anything; and secondly it had noticably more oomph and felt like it was pulling smoother and easier from low revs. I'm not sure if it's the claw or the pre-filters that made the difference but I'm glad I've decided to cut now - but won't go too high because I don't want the covers back on either. Can always take more off and might even end up with one like Skips! Will also shift the stock overflow to under the seat, removing what looks to be another air flow restriction. Love this thing.