Mxsmanic wrote:
Is there any harm in taking off at a relatively high speed and very
gently? There seems to be plenty of runway in most cases for small
aircraft. If I leave the ground at 120 kts instead of the normal
rotation speed, I find that I can lift off ever so gently. Plus I
have lots of airspeed if something goes wrong during my gentle climb.
Are there drawbacks to this that I'm missing?

Of course!

A normal takeoff is very gentle and comfortable compared
to rumbling over a real-world bumpy runway at 120kts.
Your simulator is wrong if it says that a high speed takeoff
is more gentle. I suspect it's not accurately simulating
runway texture and bumps. Air under the wings makes
a far more comfortable shock absorber than the oleo strut.

Tire wear is greatly accelerated by going faster than the rated
speed. A blowout at faster than rated speed would not
be pretty.

Crosswind gusts are a potential safety issue while your wheels
are contacting the ground, but they're not a big problem once
you're airborne. The gear was not designed to take strong
side loads.

To maximize options if an engine goes out, you want to have
plenty of altitude under you, not over you. It's best to climb
to a reasonable altitude quickly.