Very good answer Warthog !!!

To choose the right bike for your multiple years RTW trip is an important decision, so take your time and dont just buy the first bike because of its price or color.

Building one yourself give you the advantage that you know it inside out. I traveled together with a rider that had somebody else build the bike for his RTW trip and to tell you the truth the bike handled very badly off road (but I only rode it for a few kilometers).

For my RTW from 1999 to 2005 it also took some time to choose the right bike, and I first bought the wrong bike and after talking for a long weekend to a friend who had traveled for 16 years around the world on a bike, I knew which one to buy. So I sold the first one and bought another one and in my 6 1/2 years on the road I had no regrets and I am still today very thankful to my friend for his advise.

Choosing the wrong bike could mean that costs for parts/dealership services or transport costs after a break down will break your bank. A part in the US may cost 100 Dollars but in other parts of the world it will cost twice or three times as much, if it is available, or you have to pay huge import duties and shipping costs.

My advise is, choose a simple bike and learn to do all the servicing and most repairs yourself.

Good luck, and dont forget its your journey and it can be done on any bike ... enjoy it.

mika