I have mixed feelings about the ride height. I owned a 2000 OBW MT with 7.3" of clearance IIRC. I took that thing offroad in places I probably shouldn't have. Many a time I rubbed the bottom on rocks, but traction was a non issue. At the same time it was still very fun on twisty roads even though it lacked oomph which is why I bought the XT. If our only choice for decent suspension setup means dropping down an inch I don't know if it would nessecarily be a bad thing. 7.5" of clearance is still decent and driving dynamics should improve. What I would really really really like to see is an adjustable suspension option. Now that would make the OBXT the ultimate all around vehicle.