September 22, 2010 3:15 AM PDT
Choc, there are several accounts of the origin of the Ride Bell, here is one of the most popular...
LEGEND OF THE RIDE BELL
Many years ago, on a cold December night, an old greybeard biker was returning from a trip to Mexico with his saddlebags filled with toys and other assorted trinkets for the kids at a group home near where he worked.
As he rode along that night, he thought about how lucky he had been in life, having a loving riding partner that understood his need to roam the highways and about his trusty old bike that hadn't let him down once in the many years they had shared the road together.
About 50 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 like one shoe, boards and pieces of old tires on the road and also dig those dreaded potholes for bikers to run over and crash, thus giving the Road Gremlins a chance to rejoice over their acts of evil.
As the old greybeard 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. The greybeard, not being one to give up, started throwing things at the gremlins as they approached him. Finally, with nothing else to throw but a bell, he started ringing it in the hopes of scaring off the dirty little gremlins.
About a half mile away, camped in the desert, were two bikers sitting around the campfire talking about their day's ride and 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. Needless to say, being a part of the biker Brotherhood, they proceeded to ward off the gremlins until the last of them ran off into the night.
Being grateful to the two bikers, the old greybeard offerred 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 greybeard cut two pieces of leather from his saddlebag tassels and tied a bell to each one. He then placed them on each of the bikers' motorcycles, as near to the ground as possible. The tired, old road warrior then told the two travellers 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.
September 22, 2010 3:29 AM PDT
Ours is a gargoyle...no inscription just a really mean face for those road gremlins!!!!
September 22, 2010 3:33 AM PDT
My bell has no saying on it, just some decoration.
Choc, it is very common to have a bell on your bike. I would say 3/4 or the bikes that come in the shop have a bell.
September 22, 2010 3:50 AM PDT
My bell has no saying on it, just some decoration.
Choc, it is very common to have a bell on your bike. I would say 3/4 or the bikes that come in the shop have a bell.
Most were gifts from a special friend with a personal meaning between them. Brothers and Sisters
September 22, 2010 5:15 AM PDT
September 22, 2010 5:52 AM PDT
I have one that had that same inscription on it, along with some other engraved design, which are all gone. Laura bought me the bell on our first ride on my last Road King in '02 and has been transferred to my new Road King. It now has right about 200,000 miles on it and has been sand blasted completely smooth.
Nice, my bells been transferred to three bikes now , Gail got it for long time ago
September 22, 2010 6:16 AM PDT
I got mine from my roomate & riding buddy, it is a brass bell with some designs on it. He brought it back from when he went to Nepal & hiked around Everest for three months, It's from a little village called Nam Chi & it was taken to the base camp on Everest & blessed by the monks there. Very powerful gremlin repellent! You can see it in my pic, hanging down low on the rear brake master.
September 22, 2010 7:15 AM PDT
Well I ran a similar topic about a year ago but a little more tongue-in-cheek. here is a link to it...
http://www.cyclefish.com/forum/Biker-and-Motorcycle-Humor-and-Jokes/General/Do-you-have-a-Ding-A-Ling-or-a-Hooter-875-1.html />
I too have a bell that I call my ding-a-ling. And mine is mounted on my left mirror strut. So I can play with it while I ride...
Actually the bell came from my stepfather. Dick was one of the nicest men I have ever been priveledged to know. You see he was a milk man way back in the forties through the seventies. When he started they used horses and he would put bells on his horse for special occasions. Shortly before he died (in '76) , along with a lot of other stuff he gave one of those bells to me. In the early eighties I put it on my Bonneville and it has been with me ever since.
September 22, 2010 8:04 AM PDT
My Kids gave me mine. It has a handgrenade scribed on it. And mine is on the mirror strut too.
September 22, 2010 8:08 AM PDT
OOh guys - I've never heard of it but I absolutely love the story behind it ((thanks for that Lucky) and the sentiments, love and friendships that go with your bells. Rex I'm certainly going to check out your other posts on that too. I think I'm gonna have to find Ethel a bell and give some to my friends too.
Big hugs guys (o:
September 22, 2010 8:20 AM PDT
i got mine from randy ,gave it to a good friend .thanks randy ,was a great gift .
September 22, 2010 8:21 AM PDT
lets hope the angels look over jamie and family
September 22, 2010 9:57 AM PDT
Wannaride, that song is why I call it a Ding-A-Ling.
September 22, 2010 10:14 AM PDT
Mine has POW/MIA engraved on it. I bought it on the net to support the cause.
September 22, 2010 1:31 PM PDT
Here's mine (and 'Pearl's'
~ given to me from my Daughter
The American Flag (kinda hard to see it though...
September 23, 2010 7:33 AM PDT
Well I ran a similar topic about a year ago but a little more tongue-in-cheek. here is a link to it...
http://www.cyclefish.com/forum/Biker-and-Motorcycle-Humor-and-Jokes/General/Do-you-have-a-Ding-A-Ling-or-a-Hooter-875-1.html />
I too have a bell that I call my ding-a-ling. And mine is mounted on my left mirror strut. So I can play with it while I ride...
Actually the bell came from my stepfather. Dick was one of the nicest men I have ever been priveledged to know. You see he was a milk man way back in the forties through the seventies. When he started they used horses and he would put bells on his horse for special occasions. Shortly before he died (in '76) , along with a lot of other stuff he gave one of those bells to me. In the early eighties I put it on my Bonneville and it has been with me ever since.
With your new travels ahead, will the mobile castle have its own protection. I have several friends that have quit riding bike but have a bell on the rear view mirror of their 4 wheel ride. As stated by one, "It has been my angel for a long time and she will continue to be".
September 23, 2010 7:52 AM PDT
Well I ran a similar topic about a year ago but a little more tongue-in-cheek. here is a link to it...
http://www.cyclefish.com/forum/Biker-and-Motorcycle-Humor-and-Jokes/General/Do-you-have-a-Ding-A-Ling-or-a-Hooter-875-1.html />
I too have a bell that I call my ding-a-ling. And mine is mounted on my left mirror strut. So I can play with it while I ride...
Actually the bell came from my stepfather. Dick was one of the nicest men I have ever been priveledged to know. You see he was a milk man way back in the forties through the seventies. When he started they used horses and he would put bells on his horse for special occasions. Shortly before he died (in '76) , along with a lot of other stuff he gave one of those bells to me. In the early eighties I put it on my Bonneville and it has been with me ever since.
Well RexTheRoadDog - I read the Ding a ling posts - and loved em lol
Now I'd like to hear the tale of the hooter if you please
September 23, 2010 10:41 AM PDT
Howard that is a good idea. I will have to come up with something else though since Rex will be riding in tow at times. I do have some measure of protection for the RV though, his name is Riley, an 80 pound Shep-Rottie mix who doesn't like strangers knocking. Also my other friends, Mr. Beretta, Mr. Smith, Mr. Wesson, and Mr Ruger.
Chocmintz, here is the rest of the hooter story...
The hooter is a child's bicycle horn, as you can see from the photo. Without going into too much detail (I'd have to edit myself) it was given to me at my bachelor party in a strip club by one of my friends (It was a group of about 20 guys) who said that I should hoot it whenever I am horny. It was setting on the bar in front of me and one of the dancers saw it and grabbed it. She and three other dancers played with it the rest of the night. It became part of their act. One girl put a pastie (sp?) on it before she gave it back. Well the next time we went for a ride I had mounted it on my Bonneville and when I hooted it the laughs and facial expressions were priceless. So I have had a Hooter on my bike also since '92. The original rusted a bit and quit working so there have been replacement horns. I still have the original in my garage above my work bench.
September 23, 2010 10:48 AM PDT
Thank you for sharing the tale of your hooter - and love that you still have the orginal one. Big hugs (o:
September 24, 2010 1:43 AM PDT
Good story Mike ... not sure I ever heard a story with a response being "Thank you for sharing the tale of your hooter" lol Pat!! Figured that ding-a-ling song figured into your bell somehow
September 24, 2010 4:07 AM PDT
We have "the bell," but to be honest, I don't know if it's inscribed or not, I just know it's there and if it's not, we won't be riding until someone gifts us with a new one.
September 24, 2010 8:45 PM PDT
i got mine from randy ,gave it to a good friend .thanks randy ,was a great gift .
You most welcome my friend.....
