"Analyzer: If the oil is behind the shifting issues, the Amsoil TSB would seem to indicate the M1 4T 10W40 JASO MA recommended oil is changing its frictional characteristics with age, from perhaps being a MA-1 early in life and eventually becoming an MA-2 or MA-2+. But what physical or chemical properties of the oil are responsible for this Dr. Jeckyll to Mr. Hyde transformation?[/quote]"
Under normal circumstances usually when a rider has an issue with clutch engagement/feel it can usually be attributed to more of a mechanical issue, ranging from: clutch free-play, cable adjustment, glazed/worn clutch, etc. Since your bike seems to be ridden easier and is relatively new with lower mileage, and the fact that using your previous fill of M1 10W40 provided desirable clutch actuation and subsequently became worse with the same oil in a shorter amount of time, I would be more suspect of the oil.
Now, the JASO MA standard for an oils frictional properties within their test methodology provides you with three categories while maintaining JASO MA standards in this order: JASO MA, MA1, MA2. They test three areas with a given oil which are: dynamic friction- the clutch is engaged and the plates contact each other (related to clutch feel/uptake), static friction- the force that keeps the frictional plates locked together and prevents slippage (relating to clutch slip), and stop time index- which is the time of the initial plate contact and the point at which the rotational speed equalizes.
The most relevant to your situation is the dynamic test (clutch feel/uptake). With the grading system, MA is the entry level grade, followed by better/higher friction coefficients of MA1 and MA2. Since MA2 has the highest friction rating, it provides the best performance at resisting clutch slippage and clutch holding capacity, again referring to clutch feel/takeup. M1 10W40 is rated JASO MA (the lower of the frictional levels), and a MA2 rated oil in theory could provide you with better clutch activation/feel.
Your V-Strom is required to use MA, and should provide adequate clutch activation/feel as it did in your earlier run of M1. Without knowing the various companies oil chemistry it's hard to come to an exact conclusion. The only thing I've noticed between your last two UOA's is the fact that your Sus Vis was already lower than your previous UOA with less mileage. This current one came in just above the 40 grade on the bottom end, but is lower than the previous, and managed this with over a 25% drop in mileage and the same amount of fuel contamination. The oil was definitely shearing at a faster rate than your previous fill, and that could have led to the rough shifting. There is also a possibility that during the last 500-600 miles the oil experienced even further viscosity loss due to temporary shear where the viscosity polymers instead of being normally spherical in shape can become temporarily deformed (elongated) which could have caused the viscosity to drop to a higher 30 grade, and then return to it's proper spherical shape increasing the viscosity back to a low 40 grade oil.
http://www.jalos.or.jp/onfile/pdf/4T_EV1105.pdf
https://www.oronite.com/paratone/shearloss.aspx