I was interested in buying touring bikes for long distance (~1000km), self supported, tours around Europe and NA, which would include cobblestone streets, country roads, gravel paths, as well as the usual paved roads.

I spoke at length with Walter, one of the customer service / sales agents at Bike Friday (who are extremely helpful and always willing to chat, btw). He suggested that the Tikit was not designed for extended riding of this type. The Tikit is essentially an urban commuter bike – it was very purpose built for this role, and thus the overall ride and durability are somewhat compromised.

While it is possible to attach racks to the Tikit, I don’t think they will be capable of carrying the same loads as the NWT or other bikes. The smaller wheels are stiffer and twitchier, and will feel less stable when loaded with panniers.
Likewise, the “finer boned” frame will not put up with the abuses of extended touring over the long term. Your options with gearing are also more limited with the Tikit.

Walter suggested that a NWT or Llama would be much more practical, cost effective, and enjoyable bike for the type of touring I wanted to do.
The NWT is what we ended up buying, and they have served us very well on trips through Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

All that being said, you’ll have to decide what your primary use for the bikes really is. The Tikit would probably be ideal for storage on your sail boat, and would be quick to unfold & refold for your shore excisions.
The NWT still folds up fairly small, but the “quick-fold” procedure … takes some getting used to. I find it takes about 1-2minutes to get it really squared away.

Hope that helps.