FROM VESPISTA TO MOTORCYCLIST: THE YOUNG TWO-WHEELER ENTHUSIAST HAS DEVELOPED A TASTE FOR TWO-WHEEL TRAVEL AND HAS ALSO BECOME A BIKER ON AN APRILIA TUAREG... UNSTOPPABLE!
October 2022 – To tackle solo trips on the road it takes courage, passion, a spirit of adventure, and the ability to adapt to a vast range of conditions and take on unexpected events. That is no small thing and there is a young Turkish woman - Gülşah Merve Yüksel - who has all these characteristics and more. She embarked on a fantastic adventure by herself, round trip from Turkey and riding through about ten European countries astride her Vespa Gts 125 with its bright yellow livery. She had the support of Doğan Trend Otomobilite of Istanbul (official Piaggio Group all brands distributor in Turkey: www.dogantrend.com/tr) who believed in her and continues to support her. It turned out to be a winning bet to gamble on this tough girl who became a star on social media. And here is the story as told by the protagonist. Who has already embarked on a new undertaking... that you’ll discover at the end of this article.
Source of images: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100050357235565
Gülşah Merve writes, “This is the story of a woman who was bored with metropolitan life, seized the opportunity, and left without a plan, and didn’t return for 3 months. And after this article, you might find yourself making plans to hit the road. I would be happy if you were to find it inspiring and exciting, an anthem to the freedom to travel, discover new places, and meet new people. I decided to leave in April. Because I was so tired of everything (…). The only bike I had at the time was the famous Vespa Gts Super 125, astonishing with its style and then, being yellow, it’s hard not to attract attention. Vespa has a soul, it has a story.
#europewithvespa-Merve official facebook page:
www.facebook.com/Gülşah-Merve-Yüksel-1645607039008341
“Can you go on a long trip with a scooter? How will you go to Europe? How will you arrange things? Are you going to camp?” (…). I took action without listening to what people were saying, both to my face and behind my back, tackling all my doubts and difficulties by myself. And do you know why? Because we don’t realise that we spend our lives making plans, working for years to by a large cc motorcycle to go on the road, and saving money. Considering the prices of motorcycles, if I had waited, it would have taken another five years for this trip. I didn’t wait.
Image source: www.instagram.com/gulsahmerveyuksel
After making an agreement with the brands that were partners on my trip, I still had very little money to spend every day. I thought, ‘We can do it. I think I can handle it.’ Of course, before I set off, I didn't know that Europe had become so expensive (…). Some nights it was truly difficult. Some notes I cried from hunger and slept on an empty stomach (…). My trip began from Çeşme to Chios and Athens. Greece was my first thrill. I spent ten days in the Peloponnese (…). Mora is really close to Turkey and calm because it is not explored much. I definitely needed more days there.
My Vespa broke down in Greece (…), it was going to take more than one day to solve the issue and it had to stay there for the necessary repairs (…). I didn't even know if my trip would continue. You can imagine my state of mind… I had to return to Turkey but when they contacted me to tell me the Vespa was ready, the adventure began again.
Source of images: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100050357235565
Thinking that my Vespa must not like Greece very much, I went to Italy. There I entered camping life because of the high cost of the hotels. Even though campgrounds are km away from city centres... And the average price is in the €25 range (…).
July 2022: stop at the Piaggio Museum in Pontedera, Tuscany.
Image source: www.facebook.com/museopiaggio
I travelled from the south to the north of Italy, street by street. It wasn’t tiring because it was still the first months of the trip. Portofino, the most beautiful place of the trip... Gorgeous landscapes, amazing roads. All I could think was ‘Why don’t I live here?’ (…) I saw many places and the trip that I planned for two months turned out to be three months! After Italy, after Switzerland-Austria-Slovenia-Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina-Montenegro-Kosovo-Macedonia-Greece, in all, I toured 10 countries on a tiny scooter.
Image source: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100050357235565
Even though I always share positive things on social media, there were nights in the heart of Europe where I couldn't sleep because of hunger and cried because of loneliness. For those who say, “If you don’t like loneliness, why did you travel alone for so long?” I say, “A three-month trip cannot be taken with another person or friends. You will ruin both your friendship and your trip.” Believe me.
Source of images: www.instagram.com/gulsahmerveyuksel
I think I have set a record by spending €4,100 in three months. I never thought that such an easy ‘geography’ would be so painful. Anyway, there are really a lot of people who follow me and read my stories on social media. I thank them for their curiosity and interest, and I’d like to thank the ‘Vespa family’ for the support I received!”
Merve’s social media profiles:
www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17909930024409085
www.instagram.com/gulsahmerveyuksel
www.youtube.com/c/GülşahMerveYüksel
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100050357235565
FROM VESPISTA TO MOTORCYCLIST ASTRIDE AN APRILIA TUAREG!
GÜLŞAH MERVE YÜKSEL'S NEW ADVENTURE.
Yes, it’s her! Riding gear and a full-face helmet complete with a video camera. This is the new “look” for Merve who, after recuperating from her adventurous Vespa trip that lasted from spring to summer, has already launched new adventure on the road, this time astride an Aprilia Tuareg 660, following a demanding and fascinating itinerary in her home country of Turkey, between motorways and dirt roads, where the all-terrain bike from Aprilia is the perfect adventure companion. Well done, Merve!
Source of images www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100050357235565
ALSO READ THE PREVIOUS ARTICLE DEDICATED TO Gülşah Merve Yüksel:
wide.piaggiogroup.com/en/articles/travels/gulsah-merve-yuksels-challenge-from-turkey-to-europe-on-a-vespa
