Vespa World Adventures — Markus André Mayer
150,000 km. 45 countries. 4 continents. 3 unofficial world records. 2 charity rides. Over €113,000 raised for children with cancer.
No inheritance. No early retirement. No rich uncle. Just different priorities, a lot of night shifts driving trucks, and a deep love for Vespa travel.
Trying to explain these trips to people who haven't done something like this sometimes feels like being a teenager who spent a year on school exchange and comes home trying to tell the parents — who have been to Mallorca once — how life-changing it was. You explain and explain and explain. The emotion does not get transmitted. They sit and smile and sip their coffee. And at some point someone says: "Yeah, the food in that hotel in Mallorca also made Uncle Günter fart the entire night and the pool was so cold. What a horror."
That is why I write books. The stories are all here. Read them slowly.
A Few of My Adventures in Europe
The La Vida Vespa Adventure Scale
After twelve years and 150,000 kilometres on classic Vespas, my personal definition of what counts as an adventure has shifted somewhat. What other riders would put on a banner, sell merchandise for and write three books about, I tend to call a long weekend. This is not arrogance — it is just what happens when you have ridden around the world on a 200cc scooter and survived a Siberian bus stop in the rain.
In the interest of full transparency, here is how I classify my tours:
Under 5,000 km or under 30 days. A spontaneous escape. Something you decide on a Tuesday and leave for on a Thursday. Requires minimal preparation, maximum willingness to figure it out as you go. What most people would call an adventure, I call clearing my head.
5,000 to 15,000 km or up to 30 days. Requires planning. Requires packing properly. Requires telling someone where you are going. This is where things start to get interesting and where most riders would already have a book deal.
15,000+ km or 30+ days. The real thing. Multiple countries, multiple time zones, multiple breakdowns. The kind of trip where you come back a slightly different person — usually one who is more relaxed about minor inconveniences and less relaxed about people who complain about minor inconveniences.
What Still Needs to Be Done
Iceland on the Ape. Sahara on a Vespino. Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. Australia circumnavigation on a scooter. Because life is short and the road is long.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many kilometres have I ridden on a Vespa?
Over 150,000 km across 45 countries on 4 continents between 2014 and 2025.
What are my Vespa world records?
Three unofficial world records: most kilometres on a 125cc scooter in 24 hours (2015), most countries on a 125cc scooter in 24 hours (2015), and fastest solo Vespa circumnavigation of the globe — 27,113 km in 80 days (2018).
How much money did I raise for charity on my Vespa?
Over €113,000 for children with cancer — €25,000 during the Giro Germanica in 2017 and €88,000 during the Vespa Gentleman Giro in 2021.
How did I finance my adventures?
No inheritance, no sponsors, no rich family. Night shifts driving trucks, unloading containers at UPS, and various jobs across Europe. Different priorities — same 24 hours as everyone else.