Photos from the Atlanta Easyrider expo.

Photos I took for thecarolinarider.com. Wicked Willy Choppers-Taylorsville,NC.

You can read the full article and interview at thecarolinarider.com

http://www.thecarolinarider.com/Stories/index.php?id=50

Photos by Laure Burris Meuse

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Laura-Meuse-Photography/158266212671

Zemplivin thoughts for December

 Looking at pictures from the summer, wishing it was spring. At least I got the memories to get me through this thing (winter) - Wesley Ashley

      Winter is fast approaching and for some of us it is time to put up our bikes, while others have the joy of winter builds to wrench on. I will continue to ride all year but it is not very enjoyable doing it in 30* degree or less weather. The skies are gray and the days are short.  There is a shining light though, the multitude of toy runs and benefit rides that take place this time of year. Although these events may not fulfill our hunger for a warm breeze and the open road, they do fulfill a need.

  This past Saturday I had the pleasure and the honor to be a part of the 26^th annual Dixie Thunder Aiken ABATE Helping Hands Toy Run. Helping Hands is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that was started in 1973 by a group of Aiken citizens due to their concern that abused, abandoned, and neglected children were being temporarily housed in the Aiken County jail due to lack of foster home space.  Their mission is to work unselfishly to ensure that all children are afforded every opportunity to grow into healthy adults.

  The run began at the Midland Valley shopping center in Clearwater, SC. As I arrived I was amazed at how many bikers were there anticipating the ride. I began to walk around and take pictures just mingling with the crowd and listening to the conversations. Every biker I talked to was in great spirits. As I was wondering about, talking and checking things out, the bikes kept rolling in. When it was time for us to ride we started up our machines and the sound of the engines was music to my ears. We left out of the parking lot with a police escort that would rival a government official. As we made our way down Highway 421, adults and children alike were standing alongside the highway saluting and waving as we made our way to the Helping Hands facility. The police escort continued all the way to Helping Hands. As we rumbled in to the Helping Hands parking lot, the kids were already outside eagerly awaiting our arrival. They were waiving and smiling; I couldn’t help but get a little emotional. We all parked our motorcycles (there were about 150 of us) and took our presents inside the main chapel. As I walked in I was amazed at the two piles of goodies that had already accumulated for the children. I put my presents down, stepped back and took in the sight. What a great feeling! These children have probably seen more devastation and disownment then many adults, but on this day they could just be children and enjoy their toys and the special attention. Two things they’ve probably been deprived of their whole lives.

    In closing, I highly recommend in taking part in a run like this if you have the chance. Sure it’s not a ride through the mountains on a brisk spring day or a 1,000 mile adventure but it is a ride that won’t soon be forgotten by the children and this biker as well. For more information on how you can help or donate Helping Hands visit their website at www.helpinghandsaiken.org. Until next time, do unto others as you would have them do unto you and keep on Zemplivin!

                          Wesley Ashley   www.zemplivin.com

Zemplivin thoughts for November

When I mention the words freedom, loyalty, family and love what comes to mind?  To me, these words embody what true bikers and motorcyclists stand for.  These are values that most of us try to live by. They are emotions that we show towards our riding buddies, friends and loved ones. These are traits that we try to instill in our children. They are not just terms or expressions that we take lightly or use loosely. In fact, many of our fellow bikers have paid the ultimate price so that we can ride free and practice these beliefs. That is why we respect our soldiers and show so much support for the P.O.W, M.I.A and K.I.A. They have paved the way with their blood and life so that we can enjoy the freedom of living in a country where we can ride wherever the wind takes us. If that is not loyalty, then friend, I don’t know what is.

When I think about the word family, I think of all of my “brothers” and “sisters” I ride with. Although our relation is not of blood, the bond between us is as thick as the oil that lubricates our v-twins. We don’t judge each other; care how long the other persons hair is or the number of tattoos that garnish one’s body. We take care of our own and even ones who aren’t. We put on charity rides that support the Toys for Tots. We organize poker runs to raise money for autism awareness. We arrange cookouts to help the victims of domestic violence and child abuse. Bikers are usually the first to give and the last to be thanked but still we give. These are just some of the reasons that I am proud to call these folks my brothers and sisters.

When I contemplate on the word love, I can only tell you what it means to me. Love is waking up at dawn reminiscing about yesterday’s journey and pondering where today will lead. It is the feeling I get when I look down and see my daughter’s portrait tattooed on my arm. Love is the warmth that feels my heart when I hear “Faster Daddy, faster” as I cruise around the yard with my little girl on the back of my bike. It’s the smell of a fragrance in the wind that takes me back to being a kid at my Great Grandparents homestead in the mountains. Love is the bond between my wife, myself and two wheels that when combined forms a bond that no man can break. These are just a few of my definitions of love. What are yours?

 Regular people would probably never associate the words freedom, loyalty, family and love with bikers but we’re not regular people are we?  Until next time, take it easy; do unto others as you would have them do unto you and keep on Zemplivin!!

                                        

                                               Wesley Ashley  

                                          www.zemplivin.com

My thoughts while at the Easyriders show, October 23, 2010

These are some thoughts that I wrote down while sitting at the Easyrider expo in Greenville,SC October 23rd. We went up to Greenville to setup at the Easyrider expo and try to sale some Zemplivin t-shirts. I was let go from my work about two weeks before and we really didnt have the extra money to pay the vendor fee but we decided to do it anyway.This was about 3 o'clock on Friday afternoon, Greenville is about 2hrs away and we had to be there before 7pm that night to sign up and setup our booth.We hauled tale and made it just in time. We got our vendors passes and got the booth setup. After that we headed over to a 24 hr fedex and printed up some flyers and a banner. When we got all that completed (it was about 2am) we settled in for a comfy nights slumber in our truck. As we awoke the next morning our spirits were high and our backs were aching. We were looking forward to selling some shirts and making some money. Well folks, we didnt sale a single shirt that day and almost got into it with the Easyrider people because we packed up an hour early and left. I did make some new friends though. One of which was Jan and John Pendleton the owner's of TheCarolinaRider.com, the website I write for now. The other guy was Chris Callen editor and the main man of Cycle Source magazine. He gave me a great bit of advice. He said " Listen, you want something, go get it! Don't let the bastards get ya down." I will never forget that as long as I live.
All though the expo was not a financial succes it was a success for us nonetheless. It helped me get my foot in the door and taught us some good lessons. Below are some of my thoughts as I sat at our booth anxiously awaiting a sale that never came.

As I sit here and watch the different people walk by, I can’t help but wonder how many of them actually get “it” or understand what this “thing” is we love so much. Do they truly understand the freedom that is provided by two wheels and the wind? Do they comprehend the unspoken love that is felt when my wife wraps her arms around me as we prepare to maneuver a tight curve? Would they sacrifice their jobs to follow their life’s dream? Can they really comprehend the meaning of “Zemplivin” or grasp what “Free to Fly” means? I would hope that the answer would be yes.

It is not an easy feat, following your dreams.  Many have died poor and destitute on the road to following their dreams.  They chose to sacrifice worldly possessions and financial gain to live free. Freedom is just as much a mental concept as it is physical. Yes we need money to survive but how much? Do we really need three computers and a flat screen TV in every room? Must we keep the world informed of our every move or accomplishment? Although I am young, I long for the simpler times. Yes the computers and TV’s keep us informed and connected but do we need so many? For a society that is so connected, why do I feel that we are growing more distant?

 My wife and I recently returned from a trip to the Smoky Mountains. On this trip we rode our motorcycle and stayed in a ratty motel one night and camped out in a tent the other nights. We enjoyed three days with friends we knew and getting to know ones we didn’t. One of the nights I sat around the campfire with a bunch of old salty bikers and motorcyclists. We passed around several bottles and a couple of flasks filled with God know what. We told tales, laughed, philosophized and became friends, all without the use of a computer or Facebook. This is what I would like to think social networking used to be. As I awoke the next morning a bit hazy but feeling rather good, I wondered if everyone had these experiences would the world be a better place. Instead of emailing or having a conference call, how about sitting around a fire and sharing a bottle and some stories, making friends the old fashioned way. I am very thankful for social networking sites and the internet because it has enabled me to make contacts, that year’s ago, would have taken a lifetime to make but I still feel we need that primitive contact.

 I believe my ancestors had it right when they would sit around the fire and speak of the days hunt or take a draw from the peace pipe and pass it to their friend or kin. I truly believe we are all longing for these experiences and that is why we have mosh pits, motorcycle rallies and bonfires. It’s a primal urge, we as humans are meant to be social. Maybe the social networking sites, texting and emailing are the next step in the evolutionary phase. I am confident though, that as long as there are true bikers and motorcyclists who truly love life and congregating with likeminded people that this will never happened. Until next time, take it easy. Zemplivin, baby!   http://www.zemplivin.com/     http://www.thecarolinarider.com/

What is Zemplivin??

The story behind the name is this- back in july we rode our motorcycle up to Robbinsville,NC. It was our 3rd wedding anniversary. We stayed on Lake Santeetlah. We would get up early and ride all day then come back and sit by the lake and fish or swim. We rode all of the awe inspiring runs , deals gap Hwy129,Cherohala skyway, moonshiner 28, plus all of the little roads. We rode through Cherokee and Maggie Valley, stopped by Wheels Through Time and talked with Dale, Matt and Trapper . The positive vibes I got from "WTT" were absolutely incredible. We went exploring, hiking  down to different waterfalls. It's hard to put into words what kind of life changing experience it really was. In our minds we were free! "Free to fly" wherever we wanted. Well, the week came and went and it was back to reality. At the time I worked in a factory where we made tires. My job was to inspect tires and run machinery. I worked 12 hour rotating shifts. When I got back to work something was missing. It felt like a prison. Here I just spent a week of absolute freedom and now I dont know if its light or dark outside. I'm in a 6ft wide cubicle inspecting tires and I knew there had to be a better way. This wasn't how we were meant to live! So I decided that I would come up with something to reflect how I felt on that trip. I had a lot of ideas running through my head but the idea of living simple and loving life was always there. So I started looking on the net and came across an article about zen. I liked the part about inner peace and all so I just put the three words together Zen+Simple+Living= Zemplivin. I trademarked the name and started coming up with a logo. Then I came up with the wings and added the Free To Fly. Thats the story behind the name. We got the apparel part and oneday we're gonna have the cycle part. Zemplivin just isn't a name that I pulled out of the air, its a way of life! it's living life to the fullest doing what ever it is that you love. It's living simple and simply living.

  A lot has happened since that trip. We have kept "Zemplivin'' even though the times have been hard. I was let go from my job but on the upside it gave time to work on Zemplivin and spend time with my family. I was also given the opportunity to write for TheCarolinaRider.com so I have been taking advantage of that. I have a monthly piece that I write plus I do interviews and cover events. I have made a lot friends through the internet and personal encounters. I am really excited about the future. This blog will be away for me to share some of our experiences. I hope you enjoy it.