Every motorcycle rider has his/her own beliefs and practices while riding.
These habits are sometimes visible, while sometimes they go under the carpet. One such question that pops up is why do motorcyclists use a bell on their bikes while riding.
While some will find it superstitious, others will take it as a solid belief.
So, the debate raging about the utility of these bells can go on and on! Nevertheless, many of your companions will keep using them, irrespective of what others think.
A lot of technical and emotional thoughts also go into the selection and use of these bells. It matters a lot to know the story of who’s and how’s behind the motorcycle bells too.
In this article, we review the reasons why motorcyclists put a bell on their bikes. I also address the fact about how it helps them and what beliefs go behind it. Moreover, a small idea of what makes them feel these bells are ineffective will also help you out.
Understanding Motorcycle Bells
To understand the purpose and sentiments that come along, you must know what these bells are.
This post covers their function, the belief of riders, and the stories associated with that belief. Most of these points are simply beliefs or stories of the riders, so the trust factor is on your interpretation.
What Are Motorcycle Bells? (Guardian Bells)
Motorcycle bells are hollow ringing bells with a center shaft that makes them a typical bell. However, they are small in size and make no mistake, they make a lot of noise.
Famously, these bells are also popular by the name of Guardian Bells.
You will meet a lot of riders who also call these as Gremlin bells while using them. This is where the story about their actual use starts to build.
Use of Motorcycle Bells
In actuality, these bells make noise when the motorcyclist is riding his bike. However, it’s not a loud or troubling noise but a soothing one for you as a rider.
Motorcycle riders are famous to tread their path. As a rider, you will go on trips that include hundreds of miles worth of continuous riding. During such trips, many troubles, including accidents or misfortune can meet you on the way.
It is a belief that these motorcycle bells protect you from any undue evil that comes along. The world of bikes knows that any trouble that comes along on the road s due to gremlins.
Motorcycle Gremlins
The main reason why do motorcyclists put bells on their bikes is the gremlins. What you know as the motorcycle gremlins are creatures that are responsible for all your riding troubles. These imaginary creatures, according to the belief, stick to the empty roads waiting for their prey.
When an innocent rider crosses their way, the gremlins use every possible force to disrupt him. This includes the use of unruly objects and forces to cause accidents and falls too.
When this happens, the gremlins draw energy from the negativity that follows, harming the rider. Their attention is also to destroy the motorcycle, thus destroying the free spirit of goodness.
In the legends, these gremlins often lurk at the bottom of the roads, sticking to the motorcycle. Hence, as a rider, you do not often notice what waits in your way to trouble you.
Motorcycle Bells Protecting Their Riders
The guardian bells take care of you as a rider by fending off these gremlins before they reach you. It is because they have the typical noisy design that confuses anyone coming in the way. The storytellers claim that any evil energy always has a low tolerance to sound of high pitch.
Such sounds disorient them and throw them off the course, giving the rider an easy way. Hence, the motorcycle bells have the popular belief of protecting their beloved riders in every way.
Getting a Motorcycle Bell
While the goodness of these bells are many, getting one is not as easy. For example, it is not good for a rider to get a bell of their own by buying it. The popular belief says that the bells do not have any good charm or power if you buy them yourself.
Hence, these need to come from someone who can be your fellow rider. The bells come as a mark of good luck or love that marks their care for you. This means they carry the enchantment of luck along with them in the form of the giver’s care for you.
Most times, fellow riders will get these to mark off a special day for you. For instance, if you have the start of a big trip that awaits you full of risks, they give you a bell. Sometimes, if you buy a motorcycle that is your long-term wish, the fellow riders gift you a guardian bell.
Where to Attach One?
In addition to knowing why do motorcyclists put a bell on their bikes, it is important to know where. For example, several people often attach these to the upper frame of the body of their motorcycles. You will also find riders using these adjacent to the handles or the sides of them.
However, if you ask someone who’s a veteran, they will suggest you against it. The believers always want people to put these bells at the bottom part of the frame of the bike. This allows the bells to be as close to the road as possible without breaking up.
As in the previous section, the stories tell that the gremlin is closer to the road. They lie in such a way that they directly contact the bike’s frame and stick along. This way, they get the ability to cause maximum destruction without breaking a sweat.
Hence, the bells not only warn you quickly but also fend them off. Keeping them to the lower frame member allows good connection and also solves the purpose.
Don’ts of a Motorcycle Guardian Bell
After knowing their utility, the level of interest for you will surely go up. However, these bells also come with many things you need to refrain from while using them. While some actions are not advisable, others are a strict no as a rider believing in luck.
#1: Don’t Reuse Bells
It is a strict NO to reuse or buy second-hand bells for gifting to a person. The belief says that each bell has an enchantment making it effective for one bike. Once you detach it from the motorcycle, the bell loses that special fondness it has for the machine.
Using it on any other one thereafter will simply be a waste of space. Hence, the bells have their way of letting go once you remove them.
#2: Remove Bells from Repurchased Bikes
If you are buying the motorcycle from one of your friends or someone else, do not use old bells. In this case, remove the bell and hand it over to the previous user before buying.
Only use a new bell on this machine when someone gifts it to you with affection. Using a second-hand bell with a resale bike is believed to be an equivalent of bad luck too.
#3: Falling Off
The believers say that if a guardian bell has bad intentions behind it, it falls off. In such a case, do not reattach the fallen bell back to your motorcycle in any way. Simply remove the bell and pay it the honors of a proper send-off.
Make sure the bell is not possible to come to use for someone else. Do not sell the bell for money to anyone else, including the pawn buyers.
#3: Which Bell to Use
Special gremlin bells have designs or symbols on their body. These symbols are put up as enchantments of protection by the person giving them to you. Most sellers who give the motorcycle bells have the facility to inscribe these spells or messages on their bodies.
Hence, buying a bell with a metal design is often the best choice. In common places, you will find silver metal bells for giving to the rider you care about.
Story of Belief
The story behind why do motorcyclists put a bell on their bikes is a hearsay one from Mexico. A rider treading the long desert route went with a face-off, falling from the motorcycles. The gremlins, approaching him with an intention of harm, were many.
To prevent the motorcycle and his life, the old rider fended with every possible item. In this zest, a bell that came to his hand was able to attract riders in the nearby area to help him. The rider’s arrival in time saved the injured fellow and so the belief of the guardian bell starts.
Motorcycle Bells for Safety and Luck: Conclusion
From the whole timeline, you see that beliefs play an important part in the motorcycle bells theory. It involves your emotion as a rider and the feel of the other riders towards you. Moreover, the value of the safety of your motorcycle from any harm is equally essential.
Hence, motorcycle guardian bells will give you the kind luck for safety. They will act as the gift of good wishes to protect you while you ride through the unknown.