Squily and Touring Ted both make valid points on both the Dommie and the AT and I am grateful for everyone's input me being an out and out sports bike rider your comments are well received.

Since I wrote the post I have bought a 1989 Dommie with 23k on the clock which has had four owners with the last owner looking after the bike for over thirteen years. I paid under £1000 and for my money I got a bike that is in excellent condition with a tall screen, braided hoses,Lazer pro enduro exhaust, progressive front springs and Wilbers rear shock and the guy threw in some well made aluminium panniers. In addition I'm close to sourcing an Acerbis 23 litre tank.

Ted makes a good point in keeping it light and simple although Squily cites the extra power and less frequent servicing of the AT as a strong point and after having my first ride out in the Peak District on the Dommie at the weekend I feel the power issue could be a problem (or is it the fact I am used to SP1 warp speed acceleration?) along the way.

My reasons for choosing the Dommie were the simplicity and the weight of the bike and also cost given the fact carnet's will have an effect on my budget.
I did my research and found that both the Dommie and AT have their own faults and nuances but I swayed towards the Dommie as I felt it suits me, my budget and my mechanical expertise (which is limited).
I feel confident the bike will do the job and after seeing various reports on how the Dommie devours oil, has a plank of a seat, will only see 80 mph before it implodes, has chocolate suspension and a petrol tank from a lawnmower I made my decision through your input and not just my own ill informed opinion(s).

I am planning my trip around the world for next year so plenty of time to get to know and hopefully love the bike and convince myself I made the right choice.

Probably wont sleep much tonight after Squily's comment about large tanks causing overheating :confused1: Really grateful for all your help and advice and I'm sure I will be bothering you all again soon.

Steve