Hi Dan, i more or less have the same ridingbackground as you, so i understand what you're trying to built, and wanted pretty much the same, about 8 years ago.
I started with a low mileage XTZ Super Tenere, and modified as i rode it, to work,every day, and enduro club outings in the weekend, later further trips, to France, Spain, Canada, and Morocco.
Rode the shit out of it, and still enjoy riding it, lots, although 80.000 km's later its to worn out for far journeys.
To give you some details, i just toke the used front end of a Yamaha YZ and asked a suspension builder, which i knew from my mx and and enduro years to built a piggy back mx style rear shock for the bike.
And wound up with the ride exactly what i had in mind, after the mods i was surpised the twin 750 only weight a mere 170 kg's. and it has 320 mm and 300 mm travel, it took about two years, to ride and built, but i guess it takes some time to try what you like, good luck, any bike will work, if you like it
