Legend of "The Bell"

We've all seen those little bells on some people’s motorcycles.   Ever wonder why they are there? Many  riders have these little bells.   They are located low on the bike and close to the road, for a specific reason. Legend has it that the bell is said to come from the orient where Evil Road Spirits plagued travelers. In today's beliefs, bike gremlins can attach themselves to your bike. Supposedly these "Road Gremlins" are responsible for most of your bike’s problems.  Sometimes your turn signals may refuse to work, or the battery suddenly goes dead, your wiring may short out, or any of a hundred other things might go wrong. These are just a few of the signs that you have a Road Gremlin, otherwise known as an Evil Road Spirit. 

It is said that Road Gremlins can’t bare the presence of a bell. Legend has it that they get trapped in the hollow of the bell.  It is also said that their hearing is supersensitive and the constant ringing of the bell and/or the confined space drives them insane. They lose their grip and eventually fall to the roadway. It is also said that the Road Gremlins have so much evil energy, that when they fall to the roadway they cause potholes when they hit. This shows that the bell has done it's job.

In ancient times, people of the orient believed that if you placed a bell on the lowest part of the cart the Evil Spirits would fall from the cart, and directly onto the roadway.   Since the Road Gremlin (Evil Spirit) could not bounce, it could not reattach itself to another part of the cart, or anyone else's. 

It is very important that a friend give you a bell.  The bell will have even more power if given by an experienced rider. In doing so, the power of the bell is ehanced greatly. Buying a bell for yourself will leave the bell weak, so don't buy your own!  When an experienced rider gives you a bell, he transfers some of his "experience" to the bell, providing you safe journeys.   The more experienced the giver, the stronger the bell's power.

http://www.pkriders.org/bell.htm