Jimbo,

Yes, Clear Screen/Home cursor normally takes 1.6 mS to complete (1600 uS).
That time can be compensated for with the LCD_COMMANDUS define.

PBP 2.50 had a default of 1500 uS, which is too short for most displays.
It was increased in 2.60.

Adding this line should fix it without the pauses.
Code:
DEFINE  LCD_COMMANDUS  2000