What's the bell for?

I bought my first Harley a few weeks ago and it has a little bell attached to the frame in the front. Someone said it was for deer, they can hear the sound and get off the road, this sounds a bit far fetched so does anyone really know what it's for?

Bells and spirits

I have always had a bell on my bikes. I was given the one I have now by my first Mentor. According to him ( and I have heard it from many others as well) the bell is to frighten spirits that might do mischief. It goes back to the Romany (Gypsies) and back further to caravan days. It is something that is, perhaps, sheer superstiton and foolishness...but as one comedien said "So, how much does it cost to knock wood?"
I have been told that the real reason for the bells on the camel in caravans was not to frighten mischevious spirits but to find the beasts if they wandered off...who knows really. I do know that back in the days when you needed to carry both a full tool kit and every spare part you could load.....the idea of placating whatever mischevious spirit the factory included with your bike made a lot of sense. So do I think that my bell protects my super glide from spirits....we'll see. So far the evil spirits of the EPA hasn't confiscated it yet.....LMAO.
Ride Free......

Legend of the Bell

When I bought my 03 Road King my sisten-in-law gave me a bell and this is what came in the package:

Legend of the Bell®

Have you ever noticed that small bell on some people’s bikes and wondered why it was there? It’s more than just decoration – it has a specific function.

As we all know, life has many mysteries that have no apparent solutions. One of these is the evil Road Spirits. They are the little gremlins that live on your bike. They love to ride. They are also responsible for most of your bike’s problems. Sometimes your turn signals refuse to work, or the battery goes dead, the clutch needs adjustment, or any of the several hundred other things go wrong. These problems are caused by the Evil Road Spirits.

Road Spirits can’t live in the presence of a bell. They get trapped in the hollow of the bell. Among other things, their hearing is supersensitive. The constant ringing of the bell and the confined space drives them insane. They lose their grip and eventually fall to the roadway. (have you ever wondered how potholes are formed?) The bell has served it’s purpose.

If you picked up a bell of your own, the magic will work. But if your bell was given to you, the power has been doubled, and you know that somewhere you have a special friend helping to look after you.

So, if you have a friend that doesn’t have a bell why not be the person to give them one? It’s a nice feeling for the recipient to know you personally cared. The bell; plus a good preventive maintenance program by the bike’s owner, will help eliminate the Evil Road Spirits.

Legend of the Bell is a Registered Trademark of
D’Pirate Distributing
P.O. Box 228
Redlands, CA 92373

Hope this helps clear things up.
KGC

Thanks alot for the input it looks like the gremlins won't be riding with me. Does the bell stop the Gremlins from turning left in front of you? Wait, thats a different kind of Gremlin.

And here I thought it was a song.....

KGC, we must have the same brand bell.. . My wife gave me mine when we bought our RK years ago. I have given many to friends and brothers..
I'm not superstitious but these days anything can help.

LawnMower

Seems like I need to get a bell, I don't like Gremlins...

I've seen alot of em' out there! Where do I find one of these! The more help, the better!

Most motorcycle shops carry these, often on the counter or where other lil' doodads are sold. Some have angels with bells, too.

Hey there, thanks Red! I'll check it out. Think I need a little ding a ling for the two wheeled thing!

I found a few to consider:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FE96UG/102-4360080-7464140?v=glance&n=3375251

These guys will engrave your bell:

http://www.brassbell.com/gifts/dept.asp?s%5Fid=1&dept%5Fid=853&WT%2Esvl=deptnav1

Sorry, couldn't help it....

Ahhh shoulda' seen it coming!!

Yeah, and don't forget your custom bracket that attached the bell to your front forks...screws right in to the fork, dontchaknow...


They are just one more thing to polish, cause supposedly, if ya don't clean 'em, they don't work...

Heard alot about the bells. From the strenght of the bell is doubled if given by a loved one, to the gremlins fall off and leave potholes. I have two bikes, and run a bell on one of them. The bell was given to me in good spirits, by my sister. She read about it, and thought it was cool. I run it on my 1991, as it seems more plagued by the gremlins than the 04 Road Glide, lol! I also have a bell protecting my tools, as one found it's way there. It was given to me by my local hog chapter, they gave them to every member that year. Well, the only reason I was a member, was they gave you the membership for a year when you purchased a new Harley. I didn't figure it was given in the right concept, so it lays in the tool box. If I were to be given one in the right state of mind, or heart, it will go on my other bike.

As for the legend of the bell, the gypsy one is closest to what I had heard many years ago, and I believe is true. If you paid to get in to the Jack Pine gypsy hillclimbs for the weekend, you got a small brass bell to bring back so they could easily identify you as having paid. Many old school bikers riding home would have them with them, and if they happened to breakdown, and got helped by a fellow biker to be back on their way, they would give them the bell as a token of thanks and friendship. I don't know about you guys, but that one rings more true to me.....

Later, Brent

I read that story too... I heard those things are collectors items now.

I read SOMETHING like that once.

I definitely agree with you, though, goats, they only work if they are given in the right spirit or with the right intent. Someone has to sincerely wish for good luck to be with when they give, or it's just like another piece of chrome.

I got mine form my ol' lady, and wether it's because she's on back, or just plain ol' loves me, it don't matter. Her intent was genuine, yanno?

scoot