[Droid Pro General] eus107709:
I'll try to answer to the best of my knowledge, but I'm afraid I'm not qualified to comment on them all.

1) Why do we have to use the SBF at all? Why not just 'factory reset' the phone using the android/menu/settings option?

Many of us have rooted our phones and removed stock applications that we believe hinder the performance of the device. This prevents us from applying the system update provided by Motorola. I think, but am not positive, that "factory resetting" the phone via the menu options merely clears the cache but doesn't restore the removed apps.

2) If we use the SBF, I hear we have to re-activate phone with Verizon. Is this true? I'm in the UK and don't have a verizon account (phone is unlocked). Will I be able to bypass activation?

If you bought your phone in the United States, through Verizon, I'm pretty sure you need to call them to SIM unlock your phone to be used on a different carrier. They are generally willing to comply with your request if you're a customer in good standing or if you've purchased the phone at full retail value. I believe you generally only have to do this once, but maybe someone more experienced at this can confirm.

3) How can I clear the micro-sd card of all my settings to start fresh? Will that also wipe any pictures and music I have on it?

You can clear the micro-SD card by going to Settings -> SD Card -> Unmount SD card (takes a few seconds) -> Format SD Card.

The applications store program data and settings in the SD card which I like to clear when starting fresh. Uninstalled software often leaves residual data that will continue living on unless you manually delete them. It likely will never affect you, but I know this in the back of my mind and it bugs the hell out of me. I also worry about configuration files leftover from previous installations that will affect my newly installed ones (of the same program). The likelyhood of that being a problem is also very small, but ya never know and I like reducing the chances of things going wrong.

4) By using this method, how (or will I) be able to upgrade the OS with future OS upgrades from Motorola and/or Verizon?

Yes. The TBH SBF is a copy of the software on your phone as it was from Motorola. Rooting your phone by this method is not permanent and can be undone. Freezing the apps is also temporary and can be undone by "unfreezing". Bottom line: You aren't making any permanent changes to your phone. The SBF is a safety net, so even if we made drastic changes to our phone, we can install the SBF to start clean again. I'm more than willing to install new ROMs for our phone as they come out, but as of right now it's not an absolute necessity.

5) not directly related - as we know the phone is radio locked to verizon and unable to use with AT&T / T-Mobile in America. Is it possible to get it radio unlocked to use other bands? The reason I ask is: will I get better 'signal' / reception if I do this? I work in Central London often, where signal is top in the country, but often my 'H' radio bar only shows 2 out of 4. I expect it to be 4 being in London, or at the very least 3, but it never goes above 2 really. Could this be related to the 'locked radio'? I've seen this but can't find much info/feedback yet: see twitter and 'droidbandunlock'

I'm fairly certain "unlocking the radio" will not improve your reception in the UK, but I don't really know enough about how they are blocking US carriers.

Hope things are a little bit more clear!