Ok, ended up scavenging a front brake from an old mountain bike which greatly improved my braking... just leaves a lot of brake dust on the rest of the bike, haha.
Went ahead and upgraded the fuel line, installed an in-line fuel filter, upgraded the spark plug and wire/boot. It is time to upgrade the chain today, though, as I broke the stocker. Not quite sure what happened, guess I'll have to look into the alignment. #41 chains fit these motors, right? I'll have to see if my local TSC has them in stock.