Stainless steel gremlin bells serve a very particular purpose, helping to keep the rider safe while on the roads. Find out more about these charms on the blog.

 

Gremlin Bells

If you keep a weather eye open when out and about, you’re sure to notice sooner rather than later a silver, pewter or stainless steel charm or pendant hanging somewhere on a motorbike.

While you might be forgiven for thinking that these are just stylish little additions to a bike, these gremlin bells (their real name) actually serve a very particular purpose, helping to keep the rider safe while on the roads.

Also known as guardian bells (as well as spirit, angel and biker bells), these talismans are believed to bring the rider good luck, warding off evil spirits hiding in wait.

As the legend goes, if an evil spirit (or gremlin) does attach itself to your bike, it will be caught inside the hollow part of the bell. Driven mad by the incessant bell-ringing, the gremlin makes its escape as quickly as possible, retreating back to the road to find their next victim.

Naturally, there are countless different origin stories for the use of gremlin bells, but one of the most popular is that of a biker in Mexico who wiped out on a bend. Surrounded by gremlins, he thought the end was nigh - until he reached into one of his saddlebags and found the toys he had been planning to deliver to a local orphanage.

He started chucking these toys at the gremlins to scare them off, but to no avail. Just as he was about to lose all hope, he came across a shiny little bell, which he started tolling vigorously in a mad bid for freedom. Two other local bikers heard the belling and rushed to his aid, fighting off the gremlins and getting the man back on his bike.

To show his gratitude, the biker presented each of his saviours with a bell… and the legend was born!

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