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Traffic Lights

Z

zigzag

Member
Wondering if anyone has used any of the traffic light trigger devices. I have a 1200 GS, leave for work very early and sit at red lights always. Thanks for any info.
 
I'm waiting to get pulled over because in situations like you say (very early or very late at night) I hardly wait now. I stop, wait about 10 seconds and then run the red light unless I see a car pulling up behind me. I have tried stopping over the loop, the middle of the loop and even the corner of the loop to see which works best. Does not seem to make a difference.

I don't see why we can't sue the states! We pay our license fees and gasoline tax yet the roads are not designed for bikes. Sounds like a class action that can make a lawyer a lot of money and we'll each get about 35 cents for our troubles. LOL!

I know this doesn't help you but I understand what you are saying. Only thing I can add is that if you are alone at the light I cannot see you being found quietly of running of the light.

tsp
Blog: www.swriding.blogspot.com
 
Better yet, call the local road maintenance crew chief, ask to have the traffic sensor recalibrated for a motorcycle, and then offer to have your bike there to calibrate it. Then it'll be set for you, your bike, and you'll learn where is the best placement for your bike to trigger the lights.
 
I have one of those "rare earth" magnets on both my GSA and Vstar 950. They seem to work great. I can tell you that especially on the Vstar, it did not trigger most sensors until I installed the magnet. Fortunately for those around here, Most all new intersections as well as those being remodeled now use the cameras rather than the detector loops.
 
My advice is to wait a reasonable amount of time before 'running' a red light. And by reasonable I mean at least 3 minutes, 5 would be better. And do this every time, even at the same intersection. Johnny Law may be watching the day you dont wait, and not watching the days you do. A red light ticket can seriously affect your insurance and they are quite expensive

A 3-5 minute delay every day, if you know it is going to happen, is not worth a several hundred dollar ticket and a raise in your insurance rates, IMO!

Of course, do follow up with local agencies that are maintaining the lights.
 
At most of the lights in my town it's easy to see how the wires are buried due to asphalt strip patches. Looks like a box with a line down the middle. Ride right over that middle line and it will trip the light.
 
The rare earth magnets do work, but only on the lights which are triggered via the wires in the pavement. The newer lights around here use some sort of photo/motion sensor mounted up near the traffic light, and those of course are not tripped by magnet. I have double waved at the latter type with some success.
 
I can't hear Rare Earth w/out thinking this...:laugh
 

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jforgo said:
The rare earth magnets do work, but only on the lights which are triggered via the wires in the pavement. The newer lights around here use some sort of photo/motion sensor mounted up near the traffic light, and those of course are not tripped by magnet. I have double waved at the latter type with some success.
Click to expand...

supposedly, flashing high beams at those sensors also works. have yet to need to test the theory.
some states allow you to proceed (on a m/c) thru a red light after waiting a "reasonable" (undefined in concrete terms, unfortunately) amount of time for the light to trip, thereby treating it as a non-functioning light (or functioning stop sign). CT did, CO does not.
 
On my primary route to work, I have two intersections that won't trip for a motorcycle. On Monday through Firday's it's not a problem because of all the cars. However, if I'm working Saturday or Sunday mornings, I've now resorted to a slightly modified route to bypass those two intersections.

The good news though, as of last year (July 2011) Virginia now has a red light law for motorcycles on the books. I've only had to rely on that a couple of times when I've been out and about.
 
I have had a thought but not put it together yet, If I find something that works every time, I am going to make a sliders or something for my boots to trigger the lights. Then you can simply step down on the wires.
 
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