Welcome to the forum, RAT. My brother has an XB12R and he just traded up from the XB9S. He was thinking of turning his 9S into a 9R, but then realized he could just buy a new 12R and have the same amount of money into a bike. I agree with you on changing out the handlebars if you're planning on carving some corners. It would definitely help with handling, but it would also change your seating position on the bike a little. Go with what works best for the type of riding you'll be doing most.