The Legend of the Ride Bell

Years ago, the ride bell originally had an actual meaning.

A long time ago (when the Sturgis Rally was known as the "Jack Pine Races"), when you paid your entry fee you were given a little brass bell on a ribbon to pin onto your shirt, similar to the plastic or paper wrist band they give you now-a-days to show that you paid your way in. Most folks threw it away on their way home but some folks kept them and when they had a break-down or was stranded they would give a bell to the rider that stopped and helped them out and that rider would hang the bell on his bike to show that he was a good Samaritan and had helped another biker.
Somewhere along the line all of that has been lost. I have heard bullshit stories about them warding off pot hole demons or assuring your way into heaven if you die in a crash... there are dozens of legends that people have attached to the bell and now every wannabe out there has one on there bike.
A lot of Shops even "Present" you with one when you buy a new bike!

Now the only true meaning to hanging a ride bell on your bike is to piss off your mechanic. We have spent hours looking for loose heat shields, loose bolts with the washer jingling, loose horn covers and so on, only to find that the noise that we were hearing on the test ride was a stupid fucking ride bell hidden somewhere on the bike. To us old school bikers, a ride bell on your bike is just a flag pointing you out as a poser wannabe yuppy motherfucker that doesn't know any better.
If you bring your bike into my shop with a ride bell on it, I will stuff it with tape so it will not ring while I road test your bike. If you give me any shit about the tape in your bell I will fill the fucking thing with silicone!