I can't give you a fair answer because I have had my 700xx for two weeks now, and still have not ridden it. But the Raptor is an awesome bike. Even though mine is a '01 660, I can hang with the Yamaha 450s pretty good and even win a race once in a while. I think the Yamahas are so close, in some cases, it is the rider that makes the differences. I have let some friends race 450s that have beaten me and then my friend would out run them on my 660. If the Honda ends up being half as dependable as my Raptor has been, then I will be very happy. My son feels the 700xx might be stronger once it is geared. I doubt mine would run with the new Raptors though. I hear the new Raptors are awesome. I would think the Honda and Raptor will act like different bikes because of the straight axle and IRS. But right now, I just don't know.