Hey, thanks for the compliment. That RM is (for the most part), one that once belonged to evomx244. He did himself a disservice by letting that one go. It's been a dandy the last couple of years.
You're correct....the CZ shifter does require a ridiculous amount of travel. I learned from the longtime CZ riders that the shifter has to be mounted in that position. The trick is to lift your boot completely off the peg. Humans don't have enough flex in their ankle joint to move the shifter sufficiently if it is mounted level with the peg. Also, if mounted level, downshifting would nearly put the tip of the shifter in the dirt!
I know it's weird, but you kinda get used to it pretty quickly. Fortunately, as a 4-speed, not much shifting is necessary.