I don't worry much about the feet-up low speed stuff, other than being able to move away with good control from a stop and get my feet up and into proper position to smoothly accelerate or negotiate an intersection turn. Police/MSF/licensing training regimes put a big emphasis on slow speed maneuvering which is a great start point for beginning riders and later look cool at the local donut hangout, but doesn't help in the areas you seem to feel you need improvement/confidence. I'll paddle the F6B around a parking lot if I feel I need to, I have nothing to prove to anyone, having survived over 35 years of street riding and accomplished a decade of zero-crash track riding.
You are correct that if the "feel" of riding your latest motorcycle doesn't come naturally, it requires practice to develop the confidence that your control inputs produce the desired outcomes. That said, the V-Stars (which I assume is where you logged the most distance) will have handled very differently than the F6B. I don't have a good "feel" for feet-forward low-riders like the V-Stars, having ridden standards and sportbikes for so long. The F6B is pretty much a "standard" or UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle), just at the high end of the weight category.
Countersteering is your friend as weight-shift muscling around an F6B will be a lot of work. The F6B is actually a very light-input bike for weighing over 800 lbs. And being tense will transmit steering or other inputs that you may not be aware of. The F6B brakes are very capable (almost too capable), even with the OEM pads. I do find using the rear pedal as the main brake is a bit weird, so I have reverted to the sportbike practice of the front lever as primary brake as I find it much easier to modulate than the pedal (on the F6B the front lever gives 1/2 the front pads and about 30% rear as well) .
And remember, your gas and brake are not on/off switches, they are like volume controls. Roll smoothly on and off the gas, squeeze the brakes. ABS is no replacement for learning good braking technique. Don't charge corners and grab at controls at the last second, give yourself enough time to comfortably roll off, gear down, brake and set your corner entry speed.
Ride a pace that you feel comfortable at, and do read Keith Code's books if you haven't. I find the "$10 worth of attention" a great way to think about where your focus may get stuck and make you feel insecure or tense. Target fixation may be a topic you want to read up on. Look where you want to go, not fixed on oncoming traffic. Absolutely be aware of scanning for hazards, including oncoming traffic, but don't let your attention get stuck there.
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