I think that is a bit a matter of "no other way to do it". If the rings would be less tensioned, they would also be a lot narrower in their relaxed diameter and would become near impossible to slip over the piston top land into the groove,
Drag is reducing noticably, but it is not only the rings, there are also two very stiff oil seals on the crankshaft.

Whatever the case, I have the feeling the rings are bedding in and starting to seal quite a bit better.
Initially the thing would idle no lower than about 2500 RPM and it needed about half throttle opening. Right now, it idles reliably at 1800 RPM with about 1 mm carb opening, and mechanically it is capableof running below 1500 (if every cylinder gets the proper mixture that is).

Although the cylinders appear to beak in uneven, several cylinders are starting to get considerable ring seal allready: If I put a spanner to the flywheelnut and turn it over "swift", Iclearly feel each separate cylinder going through compression.
New intake runners are my first bet...

But I do agree, it is a conversation piece... It MIGHT be able to power something like a crawler, IF running glow and LOTS of Nitro, but in its stock form it is a horrible and poorly designed piece of junk. Pretty nice made, nice looking design, not in every aspect a piece of crap, but in the aspects where it counts, most definitely.

But it is indeed a LOVELY thing to tinker with, I'm having lots of fun to say the least, and I do have a fair bit of optimism that I will be able to get this thing running, AND performing, at least "somewhat"...