I think I spoke to soon on the starting issue. The problem seems to be getting worse. I thought maybe I had a bad plug so this past week I removed the new plugs and put the original plugs back in. It started right up, however the next morning it took about 8 tries to finally get it started. With the lower temps starting here in Iowa I am afraid the battery is going to die before this thing starts. Is there any way the problem could be the K&N filter? Could it have too much oil on it from the factory? I am thinking about just buying a stock filter just to rule that out.
Seems unlikely. I have a K&N in mine and never had any issues like that. If you want to eliminate it as a possibility, just remove it and see if the bike starts. It only needs the air filter to keep dirt out, so unless you're starting it in a dust storm, it won't hurt.
When you try starting, do you wait for the fuel pump to finish pressurizing (i.e wait for the gauges to complete their cycling)?
You also said you do short bursts on the starter. What if you just keep cranking it a little longer?