Waiting at Red Lights

[Kagrenak]

Every time I pull up to a red light with no other car nearby, nothing happens. The light doesn't operate on its normal timer, as the scooter doesn't have enough metal to trip the inductor loop, is there any way of fixing this?

[Lunytune]

We have the same problem with gates at the lake. The Elite, even two Elites will not trip it. Interestingly, my Helix will trip it. So is it mass or weight? Solution? I don't know. Run the light?

[turtle13]

most lights usually work off of magnetic induction. I have heard of people strapping a small medium rare earth magnet to the frame of the scoot to help with this. I have never tried it though...

[evilone]

Good question, i'm on the outskirts of Kalamazoo where we have cameras/sensors mounted by the lights and that's what senses/sees the vehicle. Even my Elite.

[Kenny_McCormic]

There are VERY few lights that are still magnet triggered.

[scooterwerx]

no one around=run it

[capturedbyrobots]

In my area, sometimes I can see the cut out in the street where they put the pressure sensors.
I try to ride over them, and give a good jump up and down to trigger them.
Usually it works.
The light designers did not think about scooters when they made them.

[toboggan]

s***. i never knew street lights were so complicated. i always thought that they were on a timer. lol

[Kagrenak]

There are VERY few lights that are still magnet triggered.

Come to Lowell, MA; it's almost every light that uses them around here, and they're all the less sensitive single coil type, too.

I'll try getting a neodymium magnet for my scooter soon. I've also heard that operating the starter motor works in much the same fashion, seeing as it's an electric motor that generates a magnetic field. Does anyone know if there would there be extra wear because of doing this?

[Lunytune]

There are VERY few lights that are still magnet triggered.

So where is the technology now? I don't know what it is, but I do know the gate at the lake won't sense the 80-90 lb Elite but it senses the 350 lb Helix and ATV's. I can run redlights and have done so on one that had difficulty reading a car if you hit it at the wrong time, like right behind another car which made it through the light. Like I say, I don't mind running a light, but can't overcome the gate.

[Videonut]

oh man since the 90s i have had to make a right turn then u turn then right turn.........or just run it hahhahah

[Kenny_McCormic]

s***. i never knew street lights were so complicated. i always thought that they were on a timer. lol

Some do.

There are VERY few lights that are still magnet triggered.

Come to Lowell, MA; it's almost every light that uses them around here, and they're all the less sensitive single coil type, too.

I'll try getting a neodymium magnet for my scooter soon. I've also heard that operating the starter motor works in much the same fashion, seeing as it's an electric motor that generates a magnetic field. Does anyone know if there would there be extra wear because of doing this?

I would not recommend doing that, it will grind the gears. Here in Jackson County MI there is only one magnet triggered light, and anything short of a semi truck wont trigger it reliably(I have sat there 5 minute before saying f*** it in a 2000 Malibu). I think it was put in back in the day when car bodies were as thick as today's frames.

[GIJoeBob]

The lights in our town are camera operated.

Just put your bike up on the center stand and walk over to the corner and push the crosswalk button.

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

This topic made the rounds in the HD Fora. Yellarosa uses cameras all over town. They work great until they get dirty, which is often. Deepinnaharta has no cameras but those square cutouts at the Stop lines of all the intersections betray the vehicle sensors. Two corners in particular are annoying, although I found if I park with the Aero engine squarely in the center of the cutout my presence is sometimes recognized. On one occasion when I sat through a whole light cycle without seeing green I have actually moved aside and invited a car behind to pull up and cover the sensor.

Several states have enacted laws permitting motorcyclists to proceed through the intersection after certain criteria are met - a full cycle of light sequences, 2 minutes of waiting or whatever. Then the burden of safety responsibility is placed on the bike crossing against the red; "must proceed with all due prudence..." or language to that effect. Needless to say, if you cause a wreck you're screwed. But theoretically you can't be ticketed if you meet all the requirements.

I don't even know what the rules are here in Texas, let alone other states. I'm typing this from the saddle of my Aero. I've been sitting here at the corner of Jimmy Johnson and Tom Landry streets since a week from last Thursday. I'm running out of gas and I really need to pee...

[scooterwerx]

surprisingly enough, ive heard CA has a similar rule, proceed cautiously after such a time, only for motorcycles. huh. dont know if its true or not, but i have heard it.