I can appreciate what you are saying. Having ridden with a 335 and a 500 I noticed the superiority of the suspension in certain spots, as well as him having the ability to drive both front wheels. I didn't truely race the 335, we were just kind of cruising. However, the SP 500 and I did hammer time it alittle bit. If the trail were 100% cross ruts and 45 degree ditches, I'll concede he would have had a much easier time. But its been my experience that most long trails have extended stretches of flat even surface. Thats when the lead is in my favor. Enough so, that I could probably get stuck, winch myself out, and still not fall too far behind. NOT Bottom line is we had a really good time. We both got to see each others limitations. In the end, I walked away with a healthy respect for his machine. I believe he did the same. I'd love to have a SP500, but I won't buy one.