picked up my 700 yesterday and took it for a ride today with the brother inlaw and a mate both on ltz400's. Went to the beach to play in the dunes. Spent the day looking for steep dunes to climb to make the others look silly on. The 700 would find traction were the others wouldn't. Needless to say they were impressed, one offered me his bike and money to swap then told his wife when he got home he needed a 700(he got the silent treatment). The only place the ltz's shined was that they were more flickable but if I got my arse out of the seat nothing was a problem for me. My bike felt no heavier than the others. I was worried after reading about how the 700 won't slide but if you get your arse out of the seat not much is a problem. Can't wait to get it out on a trail ride where it will really shine(2 weeks away). Bike is stock other than nerf bars and my only wish would be for a bit more power and to kill the rev limiter in reverse. After one ride can't see why this bike did not take off? Honda build more!