what can be removed when minimizing hook_views_default_views in a module?
I find that the features module does a better job exporting the view. It adds an array of translatable strings. I haven't compared the verboseness of the views exported, but most they are probably the same. Most of the verboseness comes from defining fields. Some options might not be strictly needed - compared to the UI, but when importing/exporting things, it's better to be a bit over verbose, than to rely on default values.

With some practice, you can learn to spot the important stuff and ignore the rest.