Thousands of miles away in my soft, comfortable life, images of destroyed buildings, dead and injured civilians, and outnumbered soldiers fighting for their country filled the media. It didn't seem possible that Russia was targeting women and children in plain view of the world.
I called Kiran a couple of days later to offer my help. He asked if it was possible to find a couple of motorcycles. Thanks to BMW Motorrad, we soon had a pair of BMW F850GS Adventures waiting in Munich. Next, Arai helmets jumped in, and REV'IT! offered to provide our outfits before everything ground to a crawl as each day seemed to bring new challenges.
As of this writing, we've been in Ukraine for five days on several assignments working with some brilliant fixers, and it's been intense. Among many things, we've been 1,500 feet below the surface in an old '70s Soviet-era coal mine, spending time with young front-line amputees. And, we've been to a 16th-century monastery housing 50 refugees from Kharkiv. And we've been busy raising donations via social media.
For the most part, we are okay here in western Ukraine. But there are moments that gnaw at my guts, like when world-famous photographer Brent Stirton, ex-South African Special Forces, messaged from Sri Lanka to say, "I've lost two friends, and two others are wounded." It's the same feeling when the air raid sirens wail, or when we approach a military checkpoint.
Life here is tumultuous. One moment I'm overwhelmed at a rehab center seeing young men with missing limbs or spending time with refugees listening to their horrific stories. Then, I find myself riding a motorcycle carving through a beautiful country landscape, marveling at the stunning architecture in the villages and onion-domed churches that accentuate the quiet rural life of Ukraine. It would be an idyllic country for a motorcycle trip, adventure ride, or holiday.
Esta historia es de la edición March - April 2023 de Adventure Motorcycle (ADVMoto).
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Esta historia es de la edición March - April 2023 de Adventure Motorcycle (ADVMoto).
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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Stuant Gregory IS IT AN ADDICTION?
Five-Time Dakar Malle Moto racer
INTO THE MUD
Strategies for Successful Off-Road Riding
CHASING PEAKS IN THE HIMALAYAS
It was 2:00 a.m. on my fourth day in India. My eyes blinked open in the dark of a hotel room in Drass, a town in the Himalayas on the Indian side of the border. Yesterday was our first day riding on a six-day trip through the Himalayas, and my brain could not process everything I'd seen and experienced.
Angels and Demons RIDING TWO-UP SOUTH THROUGH ALASKA
A not-so-warm welcome as we entered Hatchers Pass from Willow to Palmer, Alaska.
EXPLORING THE THRILLING WORLD OF RALLY RAID
A GUIDE TO GETTING STARTED
MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE
LESSONS LEARNED ON THE ROAD
White Desert
Riding Across the Frozen Landscape of Siberia
Kitti and Martha Forget Black Dog CYCLE WORKS
How do you start something from nothing? That’s what Kurt and Martha Forgét did when they created Black Dog Cycle Works (BDCW) out of their garage 16 years ago
Essential GROUP RIDING Tips
FOR ADVENTURE RIDERS (ON OR OFF THE ROAD)
MAKING MEMORIES
Kevin and I initially met in the Marines. We have been riding together for a few years, and riding BDRs the entire time. Our first attempt at a BDR was in Utah, where we were completely unprepared and significantly ignorant of our capabilities. It led to some interesting moments conquering Lockhart Basin where we developed our backcountry motto: “Less Gear and More Water.” We document our rides on our YouTube channel, “Be Gone for Good.”