Jetting help! runs strong with choke when cold

hey guys I know jetting is just an exercise in trial and error but a little help would be appreciated. after finally getting the bike to hold an idle and not foul plugs due to float height (thanks to many of you here!) I'm trying to clear up one last tuning issue.
I've noticed that when I start it up cold and have the choke on, it will rev and pull like crazy (like I want it to all the time). But once it begins to warm up the choke is obviously too rich and starts runny crappy. Turn the choke off however and now when I take off from a standstill it wants to die unless excessive rpm is used. This issue goes away once its totally warmed up, but never really pulls as hard as that initial cold start with the choke on.
Is that power band taking off from the stop sign in my pilot range? Needle height? I feel like I've played with both to no avail.
Also sometimes feels like idle hangs a little bit, sometimes a blip on the throttle settles it back down. Throttle cable was sticking but put some spacers under my slide spring and its snapping back fully now.

Any thoughts would be great.

Here's my setup
78 kz400a
Single mikuni vm32 with 2-1 manifold
pod filter
sea level hawaii
140 main
12.5 pilot
clip on the 4th position down on the needle

I have adjusted or confirmed valves, gap, timing, spark gap and compression

Way lean on the pilot jet, try going to a 20 or so, go at least two sizes bigger than that 12.5.

Just looking into this more, the stock VM32 comes with a #35 pilot jet, WTF that carb is doing with a 12.5 is anyone's guess. So I change my last response to; Go to at least a #27.5 pilot jet and try it.