Have you ever noticed a little bell hanging off of a motorcycle and wondered why it was there?
In the early 1920’s, British Royal Air Force pilots began reporting that “gremlins,” little demons, were tampering with the mechanical portions of their planes. They began hanging little “demon bells” on their planes to ward off these gremlins. In reality, we know that these early airplanes were probably just not very reliable but, it made the pilots feel better.
During WWII, US Air Force pilots, also encountering mechanical issues, began to do the same. When these pilots returned from war, many of them took to motorcycling to get back some of the rush that they felt while flying. Many of the early motorcycles that they rode weren’t extremely reliable and encountered mechanical gremlins, so they began to hang demon bells on their bikes. These days, you usually see these little bells hanging on Harleys because…well…you know. (Hahaha!)
While prepping for my trip, thinking that one should never turn down a little extra luck, I decided that I should have a little demon bell on my bike to ward off the gremlins. In talking about my plans with my good friend Catalina, the legend of the bell came up and she asked if she could give me one as a gift. I gladly accepted. I have mounted the bell on my bike and hope that this gift from a dear friend will bring me luck as I set out on my adventure.
Thank you, Catalina!
The Adventures of SidewaysTim 