Traffic light wont recgonize my bike

[fubar600]

Have any of you out there experienced this situation?

Are there any tips or tricks to trigger the sensor.

I'ver heard of pushing the cross walk button and running the light all together.

Thanks in advance people!!!!:dunno

[R-ggressive]

i have heard to put the kickstand down and or shut the bike down then start it back up again. i have tried them both and seem to work but i dont know if its a coinkidink or what. :idunno

[tjtripp]

I think we've all run into that problem. I've run lights before and got pulled over once. Luckily the cop was pretty cool and let me go. There is a device out there that is supposed to help trip the sensor or something, but I've never looked into it.

[tjtripp]

Found this

Signal Light Tripper (http://www.tricktape.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=273)

SIGNAL SORCERER (http://www.treestumpmse.bc.ca/page22.html)

http://www.treestumpmse.bc.ca/signalsorcerer.JPG

[xXMaGNuSXx]

I was told by a LEO that if the light doesn't recognize you after 2 cycles, you can go ahead and go without getting penalized. He was waiting behind me for a left turn signal and the light didn't recognize us. So he went on his megaphone and told me to go ahead and go (when it was clear). He then "pulled me over" to the side to tell me "the 2 cycle rule".

[Vtec44]

THe magnet trick does the job. You can get a powerful magnet from a hard drive, if one is available. :thumb

[ChkUr6]

I've hit the starter a few times, (while the bike was on), over the sensor area and that usually does the trick...

[Dubels]

I hate hitting the starter by accident when the bike is on it sounds so bad it doesnt seem like it could be good for the bike. I have heard that the reason that the sensors dont pick up a bike is because most of the sensor loops arent working fully. So when a bike rolls over one it doesnt pick it up because a segment is broken. Unlike a car where the car covers most of the loop so even if a segment is broken it still detects something over the loop. I was told to ride towards the line leading out of the loop towards the main traffic control box. I just do that or wait 2 cycles. Today I was riding and this car was so scared of hitting me he sat at least 3 car lengths back and the sensor didnt pick up either of us so we sat there waiting because traffic was not going to clear until the light changed so I had to walk back there and tell him to pull up.

[`Jotaro`]

buy a 'supermagnet' and stick it, cause that signal sourcerer doesnt work so well.

[McSteven (tm)]

that or join the 2F2F crew! :laughing2

[Earl]

The lights are triggered by an induction loop sensor buried at the intersections, you'll see round "tar snakes," those are the sensors.

They are triggered by the magnetic field of large objects like cars, bikes are not large enough to trigger them.

You can buy a few samarium cobalt magnets at Radio Shack and attach them near your kick stand and that usually does the trick. Just be sure to get as close to those round tar snakes as possible.

Another trick is to stop and restart your bike, the starter motor's magnetic field (while turning) will sometimes trigger the sensor.

[BATMAN]

that or join the 2F2F crew! :laughing2

:laughing2

[FongP]

soo... anyone solve this problem for sure yet? how many magnets do I need to buy from radio shack? or does that hard drive magnet thing work? I got a couple extra hard drives I can destroy.

[tR1stan]

ive also heard it was ok to go if you have been passed 2 cycles. prolly not written down in any law books, but i would think a judge would be sympathetic if it ever got that far.

[Vtec44]

or does that hard drive magnet thing work? I got a couple extra hard drives I can destroy.

Hard drive magnet will work... or so I was told.

[Danish2]

If the traffic lights in your area have those circles in front of them (magnetic? weighted? something like that... ) make sure you are in the very middle of the circle. if i'm to the left/right/front/back, the light doesn't change... the moment i manuever around to the middle and stomp my foot down instead of the kickstand (it turns off my bike) the light changes.

[ZMoe]

For whatever reason, the kickstand trick always works for me. I'll line myself up so when I put the kickstand down, it's over or near the sensor strip. Then I watch the opposing light for when it turns yellow, pull the kickstand up, put it in gear, then the light turns green for me and off I go.

[BadVibe]

...or, you could just lay the bike down on it's side while you're over the sensor. I've heard that works. Can anyone confirm...Master Yoda...? :D

[Streak]

What does the sensor strip look like? This situation just happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I was in the middle of the 2nd light cycle when a car finaly came up behind me. I want to do the kickstand trick, but not sure what strip area you guys are talking about.

[ZMoe]

What does the sensor strip look like? This situation just happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I was in the middle of the 2nd light cycle when a car finaly came up behind me. I want to do the kickstand trick, but not sure what strip area you guys are talking about.

See the diamonds in the below picture? Those are what we're talking about. A lot of roads in LA use circles instead.

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20030308/a3180_1455.jpg

[Streak]

See the diamonds in the below picture? Those are what we're talking about. A lot of roads in LA use circles instead.

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20030308/a3180_1455.jpg

THANK YOU THANK YOU :notworthy

[ACHris]

Or you can put your kick stand down, run and press the walk button and run back. Motorcycle chinese fire drill.

[tR1stan]

If the traffic lights in your area have those circles in front of them (magnetic? weighted? something like that... ) make sure you are in the very middle of the circle. if i'm to the left/right/front/back, the light doesn't change... the moment i manuever around to the middle and stomp my foot down instead of the kickstand (it turns off my bike) the light changes.

you gotta put it in neutral first.

[Master_Yoda]

...or, you could just lay the bike down on it's side while you're over the sensor. I've heard that works. Can anyone confirm...Master Yoda...? :D
Works every time:welcome

:lsvader

[FongP]

hmm, ill try that kickstand trick. and then ill try the hard drive trick. HOpefully, the powerful magnet doesnt mess with any of my bike's electronics.

[Danish2]

you gotta put it in neutral first.

... OBViously... no, i mean the MONSters have a specific "safety" device where the kickstand will act as a killswitch and putting it down... in neutral or in gear, will turn off the motor. I have yet to disconnect this wire. that was the reference... not a failure to put the bike in neutral.

[Hawkster]

You can call city hall and ask them why they insist on stranding motorcyclists at intersections. They'll adjust the sensors if you ask nicely.

Be safe,

H~

[RiceBall]

I've never had this problem because I always drag an old metal bumper when I ride. :D
The times I'm not dragging the bumper, I use the 2 cycle rule.

[Asian Dave]

2 cycles. Look and go.

[clutchjunkie]

i've been noticing this happening more and more to me, tomorrow i am going to swipe a small supermagnet from work and install it in the heel of my boot (sidi's have a little recess in the bottom of the heel and i have been kicking this idea around for a while now). i'll let you guys know if this works. i'm glad i saw this thread, i always forget to do this when i'm at work, hopefully this will remind me. :D

so far, though, i have just been doing the look, look...., look a little more..., LAUNCHLEANGOGOGOGO!!!!!!

[rayw1128]

Lol,

For those of you who was at the skillzday this past sunday and went to GMR, you might wonder why me, gamboa, Kroniclove (think it was him) were just sitting on the left turn lane making the rest of the group wait on the side of the street on Grand..., yeah, we were stuck behind the damn light and it never picked up on us. Think after like three cycles, we finally decided to just run the light.

Can anyone confirm that the 2 cycle rule/law exist?

[RiceBall]

Clutch, just make sure your "super"magnet doesnt pick up stray metal parts while your riding. It can be awkward to ride with a car bumper stuck to your boot.

Ray, the 2 cycle rule is more of a courtesy than law. I'll double check though on the Vehicle code but I don't know if its there. The reason I know of the 2 cycle rule is that I know some LEOs and that is what they told me. *** Disclaimer: This advice may only apply to me and not you. :D ***

[gamboa527]

remember i was behind vince and i moved up next to him i tryed the kick stand thing that didn't do it :dunno thats when i figuered screw it let's look and turn

[bluerider6]

I also abide by the 2 cycle rule.

I too was pulled over for an on road education from a motorcycle policeman because of the light not changing for the turn lane. After I told him my plight with the signal he agreed, but he pulled me aside because he observed that oncoming traffic was too heavy for me to do that.

He didn't cite me, but I came away from that with two things. 1-make sure no traffic from the left, right, or oncoming. 2. Check for the Popo.

As for devices and magnets and strange rituals, to each his own.

[S4-1]

I just reroute, when possible.

[clutchjunkie]

bleh, my lazy azz still hasn't put that magnet in my boot yet. i'll try to remember tomorrow.


which means i'll forget, but it's a happy thought.

[FongP]

oooh good idea. magnet in the boot

thats probably good for your blood circulation or something too.... that is, if you believe all those infomercials.

[Preston!]

Come on everybody, it's just the city's way of kindly asking us to trade our super light aliminum machines in for super heavy(read as "slow") steal rides.:welcome


What it comes down to is there is just not enough ferrous metal on our bikes to trip the magnetic feild.