As he rode along that night, he thought how lucky he had been in life; having a loving riding partner that understood his need to roam the highways and to his trusty old pan that hadn’t let him down once in the many years they had shared the road together.

Well about 40 miles north of the border, in the high desert, lurked a small group of notorious little critters known as Road Gremlins. You know, the ones who always leave little obstacles: one shoe, boards, and pieces of old tires on the road. Road Gremlins are known most commonly for their nasty habit of spreading large rocks and patches of sand for bikers to run over; thus giving the Road Gremlins cause to rejoice in their acts of evil.

Well, as the lone wolf of a biker rounded a curve that moonlit night, the gremlins ambushed him, causing him to crash to the asphalt and skid before coming to a stop next to one of his saddlebags that had broken free. As he lay there, unable to move, the road gremlins made their way towards him. Not being one to give up, this biker started throwing things at the gremlins as they approached him. Finally, with nothing else to throw but a bell, he started ringing it in hopes to scare off the dirty little creatures.

Meanwhile, a half-mile down the road, two camping bikers crouched around a campfire talking about their day’s ride. They mused about the freedom of the wind blowing in their faces as they rode across this vast country. In the stillness of the night air they heard what sounded to them like church bells ringing, and upon investigating, found the old biker lying along the roadside with the gremlins about to get him. Being part of the biker family, they preceded without hesitation to ward off the gremlins until the last one scurried off into the night.

Grateful to the two bikers, the old road dog offered to pay them for their help, but as all true bikers do, they refused to accept any type of payment from him. Not being one to let a good deed go unnoticed, the old biker cut two pieces of leather from his saddlebags tassels and tied a bell to each one. He tied the bells to each of the other two’s motorcycles, as near to the ground as possible. The tired, old road warrior then told his traveling friends that with those bells placed on their bikes, they would be protected from the road gremlins and that if ever in trouble, just ring the bell and a fellow biker will come to their aid.

So, whenever you see a biker with a bell, you know that he has been blessed with the most important thing in life—friendship from a fellow biker.

The Purpose of the Ride Bell

Many of us have heard the story about Evil Road Spirits. They are little gremlins that live on the edges of asphalt and try to ambush your motorcycle. They love to ride. It enables them to perform their little acts of mischief that cause problems to your motorcycle. Sometimes your turn signals refuse to work, your battery goes dead, the clutch needs adjustment, or any of several hundred things that go wrong. These problems are caused by Evil Road Spirits.

Evil Road Spirits can’t live in the presence of the bell. The bell traps them in its hollow. Among other things, the Road Gremlin’s 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 its purpose.

If you pick up a Legend Bell of your own, the magic will work, but if your bell is given to you, the power is doubled, and you know that somewhere you have a special friend helping to look after you.

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

Polishing the Bell

It has been a tradition for some of us to attach the bell to the left swing arm, to remember brothers and sisters who have gone down riding.

As we ride, the bell gets dirty and tarnished. It’s a small thing, but every time we get down to wash and polish it, we are reminded of friends lost, and our thoughts turn to the meaning of being in the wind.

As we ride and hear the bell ring, we know that our brothers and sisters are riding with us. They remind us how important it is to ride careful and safe.

And maybe, just maybe, the next time a situation comes up; our fallen comrades will be there to help us... as long as we remember them by polishing the bell.