Editor’s note:This is a rare experience for Bikernet and a rare pleasure to share the questions from Jaqhama, a life-long Australian motorcyclists with Elena, a devote female biker from the Ukraine. We left her answers unedited to give you a sense of her dialect. Enjoy.

Jaqhama: Hi Elena, first let me say thanks very much for doing this interview. I’ll try not to ask too many boring questions. Just for the record you were born and raised in the Ukraine right? And that’s a separate country to Russia these days? But used to part of the Russian Federation of States?

Elena: Since 1654 Ukraine was part of Russian Empire and Soviet Union. Ukraine became independent state after Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Now, it is a separate state with president, constitution and own money. I was born in Kiev, it is a capital city of Ukraine.

Jaq: OK, tell me a bit about your interest in motorcycles and about the first bike you rode or owned.

Elena: Interest to motorcycles began at early age, I had bunch of soviet mopeds and bikes since I was in school, later I had 250cc, 400cc, 600cc Japanese motorbikes, gradually I came to the point when possessing 1000 cc motorcycle became safe for me.

Jaq: Now your current bike, at least until it developed major engine problems, was the big black Kawasaki sports bike yes? I’m curious as to how many large engine Japanese, American or European bikes one finds in the Ukraine?

Elena: Big Ninja is classified as a sport tourer, miles eater. Even though bike was heavy for me, bulky and not good for corners, I enjoyed with its rough power.

As for large motorcycles in Ukraine, Harley’s very expensive here, really luxury stuff. I believe all Harley owners here know each other, there is no dealers, no way to get parts. The same with Italian motorcycles, no many want to buy them, because it is hard to find any parts for Aprilla’s and Ducati's. Due to good economic connections with Germany, BMW well known here, they are expensive, so the owners are mostly well off older guys. Japanese motorcycles prevail on our market. We have no real dealers, we have sub dealers from Russian dealers of Yamaha. Prices cosmic, but at least you can order parts.

Jaq: Now how hard is it for an average wage earner to afford a bike like your Kawasaki? For that matter what is the average wage of a middle-income worker? In American dollars if you could please.

Elena: The average monthly wage in Ukraine is around 100 US dollars, in Kiev it is a bit higher, something about 180 US dollars, but this figures means nothing, for Ukraine is a country where most of economy in a shadow, so if you want to estimate welfare, don’t ask how much people make, instead look at how much they spend. The average Ukrainian spend around 300 US dollars. New Yamaha R-1 at sub dealers costs 18,000 US dollars. It is hard to afford new motorcycle in this lifetime; it is why I was able to afford to buy my Ninja only on second hand market.

Jaq: Is there a big difference between low-income workers and middle-income workers in your country? I was in Poland in 1994 and compared to Western Europe at that time, people struggled to afford things many of us here took for granted.

Elena: There is almost no middle class in Ukraine, there are only rich and poor and the difference between them is tremendous. What we call a middle class are relatives of rich, or those who work for foreign companies, in banks and some owners of small, private businesses, there are not many of them. Maybe our middle class is just 4% out of whole population.

Jaq: Back to motorcycles for a bit; apart from your famous journeys through the Dead Zone and Chernobyl, what other interesting places have you ridden your bike to? Do you have a favourite bike road, a favourite destination?

Elena: What we call a “Dead Zone” is area of 30 km (19 mile) around reactor, but it is very small part of the total area that was poisoned with radiation and it is not best part. There are only one town and some 30 villages, half of which demolished within “Dead Zone”, there are also a several hundred radioactive burials and lot of checkpoints. I used to ride through, but it was not my favourite. My favourite destination is north from Chernobyl, there are 170 of deserted villages and towns outside of “Dead Zone”. There is no checkpoints, radiation not high and good roads, some haven’t been ridden for 20 years, they blocked from cars, but not from motorcycles.

Jaq: I suppose I had better ask the question most people always ask you. When, and why, did you decide to ride your bike through the radiation soaked area of Chernobyl?

Elena: First time, I visited area of Chernobyl some 14 years ago, I still was in school. I really was impressed with dark beauty of a places. Since then I was visiting different parts of Chernobyl on motorcycle, on car, on boat and even on tractor.

Jaq: Were you scared about riding into the Dead Zone? I mean even a little apprehensive? I know you know your stuff when it comes to judging the amount of safe and unsafe levels of radiation and fallout, but even so I think not many people would consider it the ideal place for a motorcycle adventure?

Elena: I wasn’t scared, but was a bit concerned with meeting some bum, marauder or run away convict that live in a distant villages. There are not many chances to meet someone friendly there.

Jaq: How many times have you ridden into the area, and how many people have ever volunteered to go with you?

Elena: It is hard to say how many times, the whole area is in size of a big European state and sometimes I go in one place, sometimes in the other. I do my own researches and I have a friend biologist who goes there. He is chasing grasshoppers and butterflys. Nature is doing much better without humans, this days some extinct species revive in Chernobyl and area attract biologists.

I must confess aside of this friend not many others would want to join me, I wouldn’t even propose them, but I myself wouldn’t go with just anyone. I love to join my Dad, for he is a man of knowledge and I’d rather join someone whom I can learn from.

Jaq: Do you feel completely satisfied that you have not picked up too much exposure to the radiation?

Elena: What I have picked is nothing in compare to what pick up scientists who work inside of a Sarcophagus. I am satisfied that I have not picked up too much exposure to the radiation, but all I really need to know is where to go and where not to go.

Jaq: I must confess it’s not the first place on my own personal list, of places to go Adventure Biking. That’s not to say I would not ride there however. I am famous for doing crazy things. Do people who know you or read your website mention the word crazy to you often?

Elena: I heard a lot from people on the Internet and word “crazy” was not the strongest, but luckily there are people who appreciate my work.

Jaq: I have read on your website that the Russian and the Ukraine governments have never actually admitted just how many people died at the time, or afterwards, from the nuclear disaster. I also read the bit where you say the United Nations now claims a whole 56 people died at Chernobyl. Even I, who know little about the meltdown, can tell that is a stupid report. What does the United Nations have to gain by saying stuff like this?

Elena: United Nations are representatives of the World authorities and this days World doesn’t need to know the true about Chernobyl, they need to build more atomic plants, here and everywhere.

Jaq: Do they really think that people all over the world will believe their reports? Do they assume the average person is just plain dumb? What can people reading this do; to make sure that the Chernobyl disaster is not swept under the carpet and forgotten?

Elena: Yes, everyone I know was shocked with UN report in September 2005. Even though we know, they treat us like a fools, no one could expect their lie would be so obvious and offensive, but then, look at what happened in Iraq, this war is fair result of all UN policy and their treating of Arab world like one big, dumb gas station, with their food for oil reports and one fake report about Iraq owning chemical weapons.

They had nothing to do with Al Kaida, now Al Kaida is in Iraq. In Iran they desperately want to obtain Plutonium for nuclear weapon. What worse is that now Osama became a hero for millions. Bin Laden is not a boss of a gang of thugs and killers as he was a few years ago, he is leader of a large political faction of the Arab world now. 60% of the Arab world are under the age of 20. That is 840,000,000 teenagers. Many of them want to be just like Osama. He is their "Elvis", who carry AK-47 instead of guitar. But they do not want to learn to play a guitar and run out of gas at a drive in movie on a prom date. They want fill the car with dynamite and kill everyone who do not recite the words of the Koran verbatim. Now, they hate us bitterly, everyday civilians and American soldiers dying for no good reason and this is result of all UN reports.

Best everyone can do to keep Chernobyl story active is to pass link of my story to their friends. People should no just forget Chernobyl happened, like many in government want.

Jaq: You say the Ukraine government wants to build 12 new nuclear power stations, based on the design they used at Chernobyl? That sounds just crazy to me. Surely the people of the Ukraine, of Russia even, will not just sit back and let them build more “ accidents waiting to happen ”?

Elena: They will build eleven new reactors, design improved, but technology the same; lack of safety, irresponsibility of personal, all the same. I don’t trust them. We won’t survive another Chernobyl. Unfortunately, people just sit back and let them to build more reactors.

Jaq: I loved your story of how the people of the Ukraine stood up for themselves and made the rigged elections fall. That was wonderful, it must have been a proud moment for you and your fellow citizens?

Elena: Yes, it was. The Orange Revolution was fall of Berlin’s Wall in people’s minds. Now, we have freedom of speech and I can tell what I think

Jaq: I see now that the Ukraine has joined the European Community, that Russia is already making life difficult for you guys with their embargo on the Gas pipeline. How is that affecting life for the ordinary citizen? I know it’s winter in your country now and temperatures must be below freezing yes?

Elena: We have election coming in spring and Russia trying to influence it. What they proposed was a political price, they raised it from 50 to 230 US dollars for 1000 of cubic meters. I don’t understand what was this cabal about since it affected metallurgy and all industrial region on south east of Ukraine, where live Russians and most businesses belong to Russians.

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