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BIKERS: I'm having a problem with trafficlights

Joel

Joel

Legendary Member
Joined
11 July 2002
Messages
2,420
Location
Orange County, CA
I'm a new biker and have been practicing with a friend's cruiser.

My problem is that whenever I come up to a red light to turn left, sometimes the sensor doesn't pick up on me so it doesn't give me the green arrow. I tried sitting on the right side of the lane, the left side, the middle and even tried backing off a little. Nothing works. Sometimes I have to wait until a car pulls up behind me so I can go or ride further up the street and make a U-turn.

Last night, I saw it happened to another biker. The sensor didn't pick up on him either so he just ran the red. I don't want to do that but if I have to I will.

What to do........
 
Joel said:
Last night, I saw it happened to another biker. The sensor didn't pick up on him either so he just ran the red. I don't want to do that but if I have to I will.
Click to expand...

I'm not a biker (yet), but as a public safety worker, I would definitely advise against running the red, for any reason. Not only will you DEFINITELY get ticketed if you're seen, you never know when someone won't be paying attention and just cream you.
 
I have a product that works pretty well. It's a 2,000 lbs anvil that you mount on the back of your bike. It's heavy enough to press down on pressure sensors and big enough to be detected by infared detectors. It does turn your acceleration to crap, but you can work a broadsword or horseshoe on it if you like. :tongue:
 
I want the super High powered one that changes the light 50 feet before I arrive :smile:

I never knew that they were metal detectors, I always thought they were pressure sensors.
 
splitz said:
I want the super High powered one that changes the light 50 feet before I arrive :smile:

I never knew that they were metal detectors, I always thought they were pressure sensors.
Click to expand...

We have switches on our engines. I'll sell you one for $500. :wink: Probably won't work if your city doesn't have the correct receivers installed on all their lights, though. :biggrin:
 
PoohBEAR said:
does it reallllllly work? can it be mounted in the car?
Click to expand...

Car's don't need them. They generate enough disturbance in the magnetic field of the embedded road coil to alter its inductance enough to trigger a light change. Motorcycles usually don't create anough disturbance for the light to trigger. That's where the Green Light Trigger product comes in. Been using them for years on my bikes and they work great.

The electronic product that's been mentioned is a MIRT and they are illegal for civilians to use.

How traffic light detectors work.
 
Last edited:
This actually happened in the NSX a few weeks ago. I waited about 5 minutes through many cycles of light changes but never got the arrow. Ended up having to back up about 50 feet and go forward again to make it work.
 
I just run the dumb thing. It's always late at night that it doesn't pick up my bike. Or at dead intersections. I spoke to a cop, adn they said if it doesn't change after a "reasonable" amount of time, or the light skips you a couple times, then just run it.
 
Joel said:
Can a motorcyclist address the original problem please? Thanks. :cool:
Click to expand...

Joel,

Try putting the kickstand down and sit on the bike while it is held up by just the kickstand. If the stand is down anywhere near an irregular pattern on the pavement near the white cross line, it should trigger the sensor. I haven't tried this myself but read about it in the latest issue of Motorcyclist magazine. Unfortunately, I did run a red light like this before because it just would not turn green.
 
When feasible, I usually just go straight through the intersection and do a U-turn, or I just run the light. The kickstand method has worked for me sometimes, but not always. I have also been known to use the cross-walk button to get the light to change. :)
 
Oh yeah! I forgot about that! I'll park the bike in the lane I'm in, even turn lane, then start hitting the both cross walk buttons. Hop on the bike, and hope it changes, usually does :)
 
I believe California laws take this problem into consideration and write the laws that say it is legal to continue through the intersection after exercising due caution, if and when the light does not change.I've done this quite a few times without any issues. I always look around for any cops before I proceed but don't think anyone of them would write a ticket for it.

I have a switch on the kickstand that kills the engine if it's down so options are limited...
If I can find the DMV code I'll post it.
 
MAKE SURE YOUR FEET IS FLAT ON THE GROUND, try it first, save some money. Try it at night on a light that is known to change on sensor. Most likely an intersection with a green arrow that is busy during the day but not at night. Those seem to have the quickest changing lights without having to stop the cross direction traffic. hope you understand what i'm trying to say.

I get the green light everytime, even when riding my Aprillia scooter. I learned that you have to have at least one of your feet completely flat on the ground. I usually only put one foot down and lean some weight on it. It has always worked for me. Last time I didn't get a green arrow was when I was on a big cruiser and had to tippy toe a little, no green arrow, but the cruiser is sure heavy enough. I think it picks up on the size of the foot print, like a tire on a car.
 
Joel said:
I'm a new biker and have been practicing with a friend's cruiser.

My problem is that whenever I come up to a red light to turn left, sometimes the sensor doesn't pick up on me so it doesn't give me the green arrow. I tried sitting on the right side of the lane, the left side, the middle and even tried backing off a little. Nothing works. Sometimes I have to wait until a car pulls up behind me so I can go or ride further up the street and make a U-turn.

Last night, I saw it happened to another biker. The sensor didn't pick up on him either so he just ran the red. I don't want to do that but if I have to I will.

What to do........
Click to expand...
I don't have a motorcycle, but I do ride my bicycle quite a bit. You need to find out what type of sensor the light has (if this is a common problem at a certain light). Most lights in CA seem to be the inductance sensor or an infrared sensor (camera mounted on the signal bar with the lights).

For inductance sensors, make sure you are over one of the cut lines in the road- it should look like something like "☺☺" connected together, about 6 feet wide total, and there may be several in the lane to determine how far back traffic is. Ride over the middle line (if there's one) ending with a wheel right on top of the line, and it should pick you up. They pick up my aluminum frame bicycle just fine, but it's probably the steel rims that it actually reads (which aren't heavy either). If you're not on top of the lines, then it's a toss up.

For infrared lights, I've never had a problem, but haven't encountered any at night. Wearing all dark colors may affect them. I don't know of any real suggestions besides just moving the bike a little to see if it registers.
 
vtecNSX1 said:
This actually happened in the NSX a few weeks ago. I waited about 5 minutes through many cycles of light changes but never got the arrow. Ended up having to back up about 50 feet and go forward again to make it work.
Click to expand...
I reported a similar experience in this thread a couple years ago.
I was told it was a fluke, and had nothing to do with how an NSX
has less steel than most cars. (I have no definitive word either way.)
 

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