I think the 720 was their top of the line touring bike in the 80s. The 520 is what they have now, but at that time the 520 was the lesser of the two. The 720 is supposed to be a wonderful bike for fully-loaded touring. When DH was looking for an older touring bike, we were hoping he'd find one of those. Alas, at 6'-5", you don't always get the pick of the litter.