It’s not horrific, really. Just a bit of a tendency, which annoys me somewhat. And you are right about balance. I can improve it by raising the stem, but then it feels less good putting power down. I can also get used to it and learn to work with it. Balance is one of the things I appreciate in a bike though, and it’s a little frustrating. Although to be honest, this particular piece of trail might be highlighting this trait – I could take it further afield.
I bought the frame as an excellent bargain s/h from here, it seemed big enough but it’s rather difficult to tell when it’s not built. There’s no size sticker on it. And the fork was one I already had that seemed suitable.
I could simply save up and wait for a new fork to present itself s/h, but the Slackerizer idea intrigues but so do the fork bushings. Geometry feels a bit better with more sag in the shock but then it is too soft, so that might address it.