That's cool Don, I'd heard taper will go away with big overbores, but I don't know how big that'd be. Minimum wall thickness and all consided, there must be a known limit to allow taper.
I think order of assembly was the issue, when I mentioned taper at the cylinder bottoms it all seemed to click (from the way I perceived what I read). Perhaps thinking was that rings needed to compress and pistons insert from top cylinder deck?
Once taper was mentioned, correct order of assembly may have been realized and all proceeded as Mr. Honda intended from that moment.
I've been stuck for months grasping at a concept, when the light of understanding breaks the horizon it's a good day.