Essentially, it's a styling difference, but..... For the extra £600, you get the same bike plus handguards, quality bash plate, engine protection bars, spoked wheels and beak. The spoked wheels allegedly provide a better/stronger offroad ride, the beak allegedly improves airflow to the radiator, the other extras are undoubtedly useful additions. Most riders won't take the bike into serious offroad territory, so it's really about style and optional extras that you might want to add later. I thought the extras were worth having and I liked the spoked wheels (and even the beak!). The extra £600 was worth it for me, so I went for the XT. They'll be plenty of others here who would prefer to keep their £600, I'm sure! Either way, you'll have a fantastic bike.