Traffic Light Sensors Ignoring Bikes

[n4mwd]

I searched but didn't find anything listed about this, but in talking to a few old timer bikers they said it a pretty common problem - even with big cruisers.

What I'm talking about is when I get to a RED traffic light in the left turn lane and there are no other cars around. The light ignores me. Then when a car pulls up behind me, it instantly changes. Several guys just said that they just go through anyway.

I was wondering if there is anything practical that would cause the light to trip. I have heard stuff like putting a magnet on the bike or putting a steel washer in your shoe, but does any of that stuff actually work?

I try to pull right on top of the wires in the road, but it still doesn't work.

Any suggestions?

[bob706]

If I have to go left on a red I usually make a right then a quick u turn(traffic permitting). If there is no one around just go through.

[reaubideux]

I've had this happen to me twice, once there were no other cars around so, after waiting a minute or 2, I just went ahead and ran the red light. Second time there was too much cross traffic and even after waving the car behind me to pull up the light still didn't change so I just went right and made a quick u-turn into a side street.

[Alex]

Couple threads here, I found 'em by searching on "magnet".

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=11414
http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=53625
http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=61574
http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=19893

Consensus is that the magnets don't help at all, but a few disagree.

[DaBlue1]

This is old news, but I ran across some interesting info a while back in the state of North Carolina. You can legally run red lights on a motorcycle....albeit a few small caveats. Also it seems a few more states allow the same or similar thing.
Check your state and see if there is a law that allows the same as others.

Check the link for the story. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...ght-laws_N.htm

Missouri & Virginia have also adopted similar laws.
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/...motorcyclists/
http://www.vagazette.com/articles/20...8030203894.txt

Georgia could next to approve a similar law as well.
http://www.clutchandchrome.com/news/...sts-red-lights

[rockNroll]

2 minutes without a light change, we can go when safe. This goes for bikes, mopeds and motor bikes.

[GeorgiaHooligan]

put the ninja in neutral, and put your kickstand down on the pavement. If you can see the lines in the pavement where the sensors are installed, put the kickstand down as close as possible too the lines. Another trick is , cut the bike off and then restart it. The electro magnetic charge from the starter will trigger the sensor. Try it next time.

[RedCromwell]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaHooligan

Another trick is , cut the bike off and then restart it. The electro magnetic charge from the starter will trigger the sensor. Try it next time.

Wow, I'll have to try this one. Most of the time I can see the sensors in the pavement and just stop above one. But, I can't see the sensors on the main road leading out of my workplace. So, there I'll sit... waiting, and waiting.

I normally end up doing the right-hand - u-turn thing but, I'll try this starter trick next time.

[Cali619]

I have a magnet on my kickstand and it doesnt really help , sometimes flashing the high beams can trick the light into thinking an ambulance or fire truck is coming. But after a while just go on the red when its clear. There was a MC CHP guy at my MSF course one day and even he stated it would be overlooked if the Red was ran after it cycled a few times.

[kaiserz]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaHooligan

put the ninja in neutral, and put your kickstand down on the pavement. If you can see the lines in the pavement where the sensors are installed, put the kickstand down as close as possible too the lines. Another trick is , cut the bike off and then restart it. The electro magnetic charge from the starter will trigger the sensor. Try it next time.

I've been doing this, but for this particular traffic light it just wont work.

And wow I learned something new today http://www.vagazette.com/articles/20...8030203894.txt

[Jinx250]

I avoid those intersections like the plague. Supposedly the street maintenance people are required by law to fix them when notified, but good luck actually getting someone on the phone.

[Green Streak]

I will have to try putting the kickstand right on the wire. I haven't tried that.

[Fly'in Ninja]

use crosswalk button..only if safe to do so

[warlord]

Different type of inductive loops require different triggering strategies. I can trigger all the ones in my area where I can see the lines. They all happen to be dipole loops, I just put my wheels right on the line and it works just fine. Still, there's one on my regular drive where I am unable to determine the location of the induction loop. They put a light coating of asphalt right over the loop in on direction (to work) however in the other direction (going home) the loop is exposed so triggering works just fine.

http://www.wikihow.com/Trigger-Green-Traffic-Lights

[DR1300R]

I run the earth magnets on the Busa and they do work 99.9% of the time..

I will be putting them on Mary's Ninja as well.. As I am a believer that they do work..

[SSR]

I've also heard (can't confirm) that some sensors are pressure triggered. In which case you'd be...well...stuck.

There have been a few times I've gotten off the bike and pressed the cross walk sign. I always chuckle to myself thinking how silly I must look.

[Liquidtoon]

I'm glad I read this, and now looking back understand why some people probably thought I was an idiot. I have had a hard time on my way home, it is generally after 10pm and the lights never trigger for me, so my logic never really looking into the function of the lights was they were all pressure switches. So I, thinking I was clever, brake super hard on the front brake coming up to the light so the extra force will trip the light. .
guess I know why I rarely get lucky with this.

I wonder if I was to run a strip of this(magnetic strip) inside the tire on the rim next time I swap tire if it would work. Just pull up to light with tire on inductor and if the magnet goes all the way around the rim inside the tire there should be enough magnetic field to effect it, even on the lights were the inductor isn't visible just going slow should be enough.

[n4mwd]

Originally Posted by Liquidtoon

...
I wonder if I was to run a strip of this(magnetic strip) inside the tire on the rim next time I swap tire if it would work. ...

It might work for the light, but it would likely throw the tire out of balance.

I'm going to try the neodymium magnets glued under the plastic underneath. I live in Palm Beach County, FL and there is usually plenty of traffic to come up behind me and trip the thing, however, sometimes not. The other day I was coming home at a large intersection with a double turn lane. I was first and there were two pickups about 50 feet behind me - both were about 20' short of the trip wires. The idiots would not pull up. The light cycled several times while I was there, but it skipped my turn lane. It even activated the turn lane on the other side, but skipped mine. Meanwhile, traffic actually backed up in the turn lanes. Finally, the idiot behind me got off the phone and pulled up and tripped the sensor.

I was reading the website above and it said that magnets might not work because they are DC and the loops are AC. If so, then I wonder if something like a personal stun gun would trip it.

http://www.personalarms.com/stun_gun...l_stun_gun.htm

They are basically just a high voltage transformer.

[RedCromwell]

Originally Posted by n4mwd

I was reading the website above and it said that magnets might not work because they are DC and the loops are AC. If so, then I wonder if something like a personal stun gun would trip it.

http://www.personalarms.com/stun_gun...l_stun_gun.htm

They are basically just a high voltage transformer.

Cool. But with my luck, I'd shock myself pulling the stun gun out of my jacket.

[demp]

Orrr you could ride around with your buddy on the back to run over and hit the button when it won't change

[Fly'in Ninja]

This just happen to me last night..while riding(20mph) up to the intersection, I put the high beams on, that didn't work.

Tried the kick stand down and restarting the bike, didn't work.

End up having to push the cross walk button.

[Cedilla]

I hate these traffic lights, I try to plan my route as to avoid getting stuck at a light where I am the only vehicle going a particular direction. Another problem I have is that when cars pull up behind me they hang way back and it does not trigger the light. I got really soaked and ruined my cell phone one night sitting at a busy traffic light in the pouring rain for several minutes because the large amount of cars behind me were sitting too far back to trigger the light.

[setasai]

Looks like the easiest is to do a right turn then a U-turn. Some lights are difficult to change decisions too because by the time you're in the left turn lane, getting to the point where you can make a right becomes difficult. There are several of these lights by my house and at night, apparently nobody likes to make turns so I dont even have cars sitting behind me but still too busy for me to comfortably and safely run the RED. Lame really.

[kamikaze]

I"d had to run 2 red lights already this season. 2 days ago we had 2 bikes on the loop and it still wouldn't change. just phoned the company that looks after the signals and asked them to fix it, since it's on my way home and the intersecting highway can be pretty busy it's really not safe

[Mazakawi]

There's a red light on a 2 lane freeway ramp on my way to work. I just wait for the other lane to get a green and when it's red for them I just go through my red.

The first time I went through there I sat and watched it cycle 6 times before I finally realized it couldn't sense my bike and just ran it.

[jlbabuin]

I have a lot of trouble getting home at night since my route requires a left turn that is almost always red. In NC, if you wait a few minutes and its still red and there's no traffic you can run the light. Never had a cop stop me and I've run this particular intersection almost every night I close. I've heard that killing the engine and restarting the bike works if you are in a group, but my boyfriend and I have never managed to get it to work. Same goes for the magnets. Never tried the kickstand thing. I do wave cars up sometimes when someone is too far back to trigger the light, but I make sure to give them enough room to pull up without hitting me. In the end I usually just run the damn thing...

[Liber]

In Arkansas, the law states that if the light goes through what would normally be 3 cycles, you can run it as long as it is safe to do so. I think this applies to cages as well, since I've had this happen to me twice in my Jeep, and never had any trouble with the police.

[Murtasma]

How has the communities experience been with this bike and traffic lights. I decided to go for a ride last night and I got stuck at almost every single traffic light. Unfortunately many of them I could not see the cable lines for the signal on the pavement so I used my best judgment. I had to run several red lights yesterday when it was safe.

I've always had this issue with this bike even when I place my engine right over the wire when I can see it. I've heard magnets sometimes help. How is your bike with traffic signals? Any tips out there to get through these lights better? I tend to do lots of right turns at night for this very reason and go out of my away to avoid lights that I know cause issues. I've reported a few lights to MDOT before but they never do crap.

[CC Cowboy]

I've never had the problem. I did notice in the other threads about this that there a few suggestions how to beat this problem.

[slolane]

I have this problem at some lights and just turn right or if I have to go when it's clear.

[Linuss]

I haven't had the issue happen, but Texas also has a law requiring lights controlled by the detection devices to be able to be activated by motorcycles, so the issue really should never happen to me either.

[nakedhunter]

I can't find the thread here but it's there somewhere... It has been recommended to put your kickstand down, etc. Sometimes it works for me sometimes it doesn't. I just have to wait for a car to come.
There are 2 lights I have been stuck at, One does not have that busy of traffic so I try sitting in the middle of the detector, put kickstand down, etc. Then I run it.
The other day I was on a cross street to a rather busy street and sat there for about 7 minutes before another vehicle came, The turn lane was separated by a long divider so I couldn't really back up and turn right. I tried the kickstand, repositioning the bike, etc.
I guess sometimes your just screwed and the local cities really are not going out of their way to help with MCs.

[p4174w]

This has happened with me a few times on older intersections that still use the ground sensors. It sucks. Illinois is trying to push through a new law that will allow motorcycles to run red lights with caution after waiting a “reasonable” amount of time. Most people think the law won’t pass though

[pinkninja]

I get this from time to time and I have also been stuck inside a gated community, where the gate works on metal detection. I had to wait for another car to leave and follow it out.

[blink]

Omg yes, this one light at about 11:30 pm.

I was litterally there for 10 minutes, luckily my OCD didn't kick in like it does in my jeep since it use so much gas!
I had to wait since there were cops driving by a number of times =[

[p4174w]

Originally Posted by pinkninja

I get this from time to time and I have also been stuck inside a gated community, where the gate works on metal detection. I had to wait for another car to leave and follow it out.

I need to go through two security gates for my work. The sensors they use are weight sensors, and me+bike is not heavy enough so when I swipe my badge nothing happens. Fortunately there is a guard on duty at each gate so they can let me through. Still, it's annoying. There is another guy that rides a bike (HD) and he can get through with his weight

[Mizono]

Ive had a few do this to me in my area. Usually i just wait till its clear and go straight and bust a U turn and come back. Its annoying but oh well.

[glock_19]

In VA you're allowed to legally run them if they refuse to change. I always just turn right and then pull a u-turn somewhere. The real problem is when the light won't change and it's a no turn on red. In that case I have to make the right on red.

In DC all the lights are on timers so it's not an issue.

[Alex]

Here's a link to a related thread.

(found it by searching on "magnet')

[headshrink]

I put magnets on my bike, and I'm convinced they are snake-oil.