[G L]

.........and the damm thing wont change.

prequel-
im borrowing my buddies bike to do some late-night, no traffic, practice riding. no stunts, no racing, just easy riding in full gear to get some more seat time in. im riding in parking lots and doing low speed figure eights to get acclimated to the riding position of a sportbike.

anyway, its late at night and theres no cars around. i come up to a red light to turn left, and wait. and wait. and wait. and wait. and wait. the damm light wont change. so, i sneak back over to the lane next to me and go straight so i can u-turn and go about my business. i come to another left-turn scenario, and the same thing happens. by now i figure that my 240 pounds plus bike still isnt enough weight to trip the in-ground sensor to let the stupid light know that someone is there and wanting to turn left. WTF?

does this happen to anyone else? what do you do? run the light? go straight and u-turn to abide by the law?

 

[the great ESKIMO]

i've had to run a red every once in a while cause of that problem. now i wait untill there are no cars around and take it. if a cop pulls me over ill just tell him the situation.

 

[L8 Braker]

This has happened plenty of times...One of the simplest things you can try is to put your kickstand directly on the magnet...Sometimes it works, sometimes it dosen't...Most people in your situation just run the light...I've done that myself...

My town has gotten pretty good...There used to be quite a few lights that wouldn't turn green when I'm on the bike...But the city seems to have put stronger magnets down, or something, because it's been a while since I didn't get a green...

 

[Tweak]

It happens all the time to me too. I just run it. Or if there are other cars around sneak ahead far enough that if there are cars behind you, they will trip the light. That works for me at freeway on ramps that have meter lights.

 

[ZX7R95]

I hate that...you sit and sit and sit, waiting patiently for the damn light to change with cars behind you. A few times I had to tell them to get infront of me so the sensor will do its job.

 

[Get_1]

HAHAHAHAHA that just happen to me on the way to work today i ran it like a step child

 

[patfitz9]

i used to think that it was the weigh issue, but actually, most of those sensors sense metal. they are essentially big magnetic fields, and when enough metal is around it, the field gets disrupted and the light knows to change. bikes don't have a huge metal frame as cars do, so the lights don't change. and yes i am dork, but thats what happens and i think in some states it is actually legal to run the light on a bike. they also have things you can put on your bike, but not sure how good they are.

 

[Hagios]

They make magnets to put on the bottom of your bike to disrupt the magnetic field. Those work nicely, and will catch 3/4 of the sensors.

You can also cut the engine and start the bike again. That'll get the other 1/4 of the sensors (If the magnet isn't strong enough for the particular light).

 

[G L]

lol. thanks for the replies guys. im glad im not the only one this happens to. :lol

 

[taziscool]

i've had to run a red every once in a while cause of that problem. now i wait untill there are no cars around and take it. if a cop pulls me over ill just tell him the situation.

You mean you'll actually pull over the next time? :lol :twofinger

 

[AnnieMei]

I experience it from time to time (especially if i ride my YSr on the street. the motor isn't "big" enoguh to trip the sensor)

So, i either run it, or get off the bike, run to the corner and press the walk signal.

 

[RayOSV]

There are a few lights in my area that I know I can't trip so I usually avoid them unless there are cars around to help. The loop sensors are magnetic and only work with iron or steel (ferrous metals). Bikes have too much aluminum and plastic which won't do anything for tripping the sensor. Side stands are steel, but putting mine down has never helped. Plus you have to remember to be in neutral when you put it down or the engine gets shut down. :twofinger

 

[japbike]

it happens to all of us. THere avtully is a law somewhere in some states that state that you are alowd to turn left on a red after 2 changes on a light.

I have to sometimes, or I just turn right, then pull a shyty (a U turn)

 

[sonix]

the loop detector is strongest on the corners, when you are pulling up to the light, move to one side or the other, you can usually see the corners of the detector, pull up to the corner of the detector, then move the bike back to the rear corner, then pull back up to the front, that will trip the sensor 9 times out of 10 (I have installed/worked on these before)

 

[the great ESKIMO]

You mean you'll actually pull over the next time? :lol :twofinger

after what happened? HELL YEAH!!! two months and still havent ridin it. i hate my 250! now if im goin 100+ i might have to reconsider. :twofinger

 

[Frek99]

if you pull up to the light weaving back & forth like you're warming up the tires that'll usually trip the sensor.At least it seems too..

 

[demonbane]

As long as I can see where the sensor is at (some of them get new pavement on top so you can't tell where exactly it's at) I have no problems tripping them. I just make sure that I'm dead in the center of it. Front and rear tires on the top and bottom edges of the loop. Doing that I've never had a problem.

When I can't see the sensor I do have a problem sometimes, but we were told in the MSF that after the light changes twice you're allowed to go when it's safe. I don't know if it's an actual law or not, but if I get pulled over that's what I'll tell the judge.

 

[L8 Braker]

I have to confess something...I just got home about an hour ago...Wednesday is one of our main bike nights, so I was riding...Well, I stated earlier that my town seemed to have made adjustments with the sensors so it would recognize bikes...

Well, take mouth, insert foot...At a light right around the corner from my house, I got stuck for about 3 minutes...I go through this light everyday and the most it has ever gone is about half of that...So I ran it...Gotta love irony...

 

[21 natas]

I'll wait for awhile but then if it does not change I wait till no cars are around and then go.

 

[firefighter81]

*most* cops will leave you alone about running it. Hell, on two seperate occasions I have had a cop directly behind me when that happens, I'd look back at him and he just waves at me to go.