Gremlin/Guardian Bell - 2019 RTL

[casey111]

Hello, all. I was wondering where you have mounted a Gremlin Bell? We have a 2019 RTL.

[2RTsGV]

Hello, all. I was wondering where you have mounted a Gremlin Bell? We have a 2019 RTL.

Just this weekend I put my wife's on her new 2019 RTL at the lowest point of the brake pedal with a zip tie. this way it is lower than the floorboard and wont get tangled up with her braking.

[casey111]

Thanks so much. Sounds like a great solution.

[ozarkryder]

Traditionally the bell is placed as low and as far forward as possible. I put the one that was given to me on the lower control arm for the front right wheel on our 2018 RTL. I used plastic zip ties to attach the bell to the trike.

[TicketBait]

Have mine attached to trailer hitch with no problems what so ever!, lost one attached under my floorboard.

[Mazo EMS2]

Lower A-arm

[casey111]

Thanks for all of the great suggestions. I now have plenty of options.

[ARtraveler]

There is a whole "protocol" in reference to the Gremlin Bell. A very interesting read. Just give it a google....

I have put them on the A-arm, on a saddle bag buckle (Vulcan), and on the shift mechanism on the handlebar. All have been attached with zip ties. Never lost a bell. Never had a mis-hap either. I guess they work.

[casey111]

I read about the protocols, thanks. Whatever reduces mishaps, I'm all for it!

[Revalden]

My bell came with a metal ring attached, so I pulled the bottom spring on my muffler and slipped it over the spring.

[ricford]

I don''t know if this is a tradition or not, but a Goldwing rider says the best luck with the bell is if someong gives it to you. Possible old wives tale.

[Revalden]

I don''t know if this is a tradition or not, but a Goldwing rider says the best luck with the bell is if someong gives it to you. Possible old wives tale.

That's the way I read it. Someone from this site sent one to me after I hinted that no one loves me enough to give me one. I know that's kinda blantant, but the way I ride I need all the luck I can get. Thanks again Pegasus.

[Peter Aawen]

The traditional story that I heard many decades ago now is that Guardian Bells ONLY work if they are given to you - but if the 'giver' OR the 'givee' already has a Guardian Bell, their luck & gremlin protection can be improved further by paying it on and either passing on a newly given bell (if they already have one) or giving another (or others) a Bell too!

So it might not be worth your while to go out & buy one for yourself, but you can still reap some of their benefits by giving others Guardian Bells, even if you haven't ever been given one yourself!

[ozarkryder]

I posted this on a Goldwing forum when the bell thread came up back in 2005. A few additions or changes to the original post I made for this current thread are in red :

Gremlin bells, bike bells or whatever you call them are an old tradition. They supposedly keep the gremlins away that cause breakdowns, crashes and generally bad juju on your bike. They don't work unless they are freely given, and should be put on the bike as far forward and as low as possible. In the old days before the marketing types got into the act with chrome and little cards to sell you on the bell and angels, logos, cute sayings and such on them, the bells were almost always brass. Usually bought at flea markets, found in grandma's junk drawer or the like. The little cards explaining "The Legend Of The Bell" are a marketing ploy, not tradition. One place I used to get brass bells was at Pier 1 back when it sold cheap stuff from India before it got trendy and expensive. Now I get them at flea markets or ebay. Check "Brass Bells" or "Bells of Sarna". I usually pick up a half dozen for around $10. Picking one of the chromed ones with angels, sayings, logos or a service insignia and such at a bike shop, swap meet or rally is fine. It's not old school tradition, but it is the thought that counts.

I have had one on every bike I've owned. Never even hinted that I wanted one to anybody, was just given them. Was given my first one by a friends dad (A M/C "gang" member - 1st 1%er I knew) when I was 9 years old (I'm 64 now) for my Sears & Roebuck minibike and told about the gremlin deal. It was, and still is, a large round brass sleighbell, about 2 1/2" in diameter. That bell is on my Harley in the garage as I type. (Note- sold the Harley after 28 years last summer, 2019, kept the bell) The one on the Goldwing was given to my wife by a guy at a rest stop in Iowa. We were talking bikes (what else?) and he noticed there was no bell on the trike. Seems he was just at a yard sale and bought 2 brass bells, and gave one for our trike. (Passed this bell along to the new owner when the Wing trike was sold)

Every time I see mine or hear it jingle I know that someone thought enough of me to give me a token that they wish me the best. Superstition about the road gremlins aside, what they really signify is that someone cares and they want you to be safe. And for me I think about them when I hear the bell or clean it while washing the bike.

Later in that thread folks started to ask for a bell, which was considered bad form in the old days before internet. A further post:

Since the old tradition is to not ask for a bell folks just mentioned that they don't have one, and someone else would post to the effect"I'll freely send you one, email me your address."
Now I am of two minds about this. Old school thought is that a bell is freely given out of the blue, not asked for or even a hint that it's is wanted or it doesn't mean anything. That was before internet when folks you know were close by and people met pretty much only In Real Life.
Now with the interwebs great friendships are formed and go on for years without a face to face meeting. In this case how would a friend know if there is a bell on the bike ir they hadn't seen it? I guess the new reality would be that it is OK to let someone know there isn't a bell - like, "I've installed a new Intelocking Granistan Joint, put the Winter air in the tires, ordered some new blinker bearings and figured out where to put the ride bell if I get one." Be subtle, I guess that would be OK.

I have met a few folks that told me a bell on the rear is in memory of friends that are no longer with us, especially if they passed in a motorcycle accident. I don't know if this was regional or something within their group or club.

[carbonation]

Lower bolt on muffler at rear with an Adel clamp.IMG_0712.jpg

[SPYD3R]

As low as you can get it.....
Gremlins can only jump as high as the bell... So if it's at the top of your windshield, gremlins can attack everything below that.....

[CopperSpyder]

From one of our Sponsors here at SL http://store.valueaccessories.net/Mo...dianBells.aspx click on Type of bell to see the different bells they have. Keep a friend in mind.

[casey111]

Thanks for all of the great info. My wife bought one for me. I'll hang it as low as possible.