Rotorspin - We haven't heard from you since the first post. Any of this coming in handy? I think some have forgotten that you wanted to use this machine privately, but still it makes a good arguement to compare things from a commercial view.
I know of a few private users that can afford JRs, squirrels, 500s; but they have a 44.
Never flown a JR myself, but fly a squirrel and 44. 44s are fast, economical, and good performance for what they are. Medium inertia blades give a good, safe auto. I have heard the JR also has a good auto. Lots said about blade issues with 44s, but how many are out there, and how many have issues? I don't know.
As far as the cyclic thing goes - sure it's ugly, but great for slopes when your knee would stop a traditional cyclic travel.