Switched Traffic lights

[BLUEJEEPLAB]

Other than gaining about 500 pounds, does anyone have any way of being certain to trip the signal switches for traffic lights. I have lots of those in my town and the Battle Cruiser and I aren't heavy enough to trigger half of them. Old ladies in Caddies think I'm nuts as I gesture to them to pull up on my tial as I alternate pointing at the roadbed and traffic light....

[Pat Kelly]

It's not weight that triggers the traffic lights, it's the mass of metal.
The square or circle you see in the road is a wire imbedded in the road surface. Electricity is run through the wire and it creates an inductive field. A large mass of metal (car) disrupts this inductive field and triggers the light to change.
One thing to do is when you come to the intersection, roll the bike about 2 inches from one of the side wires. This places most of your bike along one side and it should disturb the inductive field.
They also sell "Green Light Triggers" that are supposed to help with this. Essentially it's a strong magnet that disrupts the field.
I've triggered lights to change with my bicycle by laying it down across the wire (dark line).

[JWSanders]

Luckily in Nashville they're replacing many of the induction loops with video sensors (cameras). They use the video signal to determine if there's a vehicle (of any type) in the lane and change the traffic signal accordingly. Motorcycle friendly!

Not the kind that catch you running red lights...though a few areas have those too. Those are much better cameras, very high speed and high res. A regular video camera is useless at capturing a plate at any speed above 10 or so mph. I get a chuckle when I hear people think the regular lane cameras are the "bust you" kind. I think the city tries to perpetuate the myth, though.

[Pat Kelly]

At the hospital I worked at (got layed-off in June) there were those convex mirrors all over the place. People thought there were cameras behind them. I didn't tell them otherwise . Made my job as security supervisor easier.

[Hobbit]

red light

Another thing that seems to work is to put the kick stand down on one of the imbedded wires, just remember to put it back up before you leave!

[BLUEJEEPLAB]

Dang, I guess I really looked foolish jumping up and down on the middle of what I thought was the pad, LOL. Seriously, I used to try and get dead center of the square or rectangle made by the wires. As soon as the Carb Rebuild parts get here (that's another thread), I'll try lining up on the line instead...

[mro]

Dang, I guess I really looked foolish jumping up and down on the middle of what I thought was the pad,

lol...had a "vison" of you doing that and there was some government joker watching you on a street cam LHAO...

I have one particular intersection that has little traffic going my way at night during the week. Will not "sence" a bike. If heavy traffic going across I go over and press the walk button, if not I'll wait a bit and go thru the red.


mro

[BLUEJEEPLAB]

The little burg I live in isn't about to spring for traffic cameras. Their idea of resurfacing is to lay some more tar and gravel down. I think they got a deal on the switches from Columbus or Cincy when they started doing the traffic control cameras...

[The Lorax]

I feel your pain brother. I ran into the same issue one night over here outside Dayton. waited three cycles of the lights, lateralled a lane and did the right on red deal and found a different way home.

[FL4x4offroad]

there is a plate you place on your undercarriage that triggers traffic signals...www.greenlightstuff.com/trigger

[BLUEJEEPLAB]

Lorax,

The carb kits should be here tomorrow and BC should be on the road Saturday. I have a two week business trip starting Tuesday, but maybe we can hook for a ride? Fairborn here.

[BlkMage]

Originally posted by mro

lol...had a "vison" of you doing that and there was some government joker watching you on a street cam LHAO...

I have one particular intersection that has little traffic going my way at night during the week. Will not "sence" a bike. If heavy traffic going across I go over and press the walk button, if not I'll wait a bit and go thru the red.


mro

Watch yourself mro, I was checking up because I used to do that as a passenger for an old friend and found out it's illegal in some places to get off the bike and push that button! Better hope some A-hole cop isn't watching you do that .

[mro]

it's illegal in some places
While I'm almost never surprised by the stupidity of government, would be really pissed to get a ticket for it. 99 percent of the time I ride with in the "law" . If I were ticketed for it, think I'd get rather stinking on the cop as well as when I went to court. Then again over the last 20 years the three tickets I've got I deserved legally but one in particular was just BS and revenue enhancement which I pointed out rather bluntly to both the cop and the court. Still had to pay tho

In CA CA land a “malfunctioning” traffic signal is to be treated as a four way stop, which would be my argument for going thru a red when safe after stopping and finding it won't sense my bike. Pushing the walk button is for when theres a steady stream of cross traffic and no cages going my way to help. Screw em


mro

[The Lorax]

Jeep,
I'm up for it, I have some carb issues to get dealt with as well, but nothing I shouldn't be able to handle...sticky float on #3. as long as the five mile list of other things I have to do doesn't get out of control, I can make the time. I'll try to get my stuff ironed out this weekend, but I do have to finish a water pump installation on my pickup, anyway, I'm up for a go. there are others who live semi-close. one in piqua, another in westerville, that's all I can remember right at the moment. might make a nice meet & greet, could be fun, let me know, I'll try to keep my schedule open. have a nice day and ride safe

[HobbyMan]

I don't even bother with those lights. With no cars and a clear view of every angle, I treat them like stop signs. Not exactly legal but when I asked the local PD, they told me to "Use my best judgment" They did not say don't do it. I only do that on the lights I know don't change.