Any secret to tripping traffic lights? Occasionally I ride late in the evening when traffic is low and I seem unable to trip the traffic lights. I have seen products that you can put on the bottom of your bike that are supposed to help - anyone ever tried any? Thanks.
Cheers,
Dan
Yeah, on a Harley - not a sportbike. It's a magnet that lets the mechanism "read" you presence. Not sure if the weight of the bike helps/hurts.
Seems like the magnet would have to be stronger for a lighter bike.
Is there an engineer in the house??
if you dig around on google you can find a guy who had the same problem and put some neodymium magnets under his bike.. i read it and moved on, i just run the light.
the sensors are wires embedded in the pavement, one along the stop line, one about 10 ft behind the stop line one in the center and one up each side of the lane about 2 ft from the shoulder and the center line. Your best bet is to stop over the wire.
Yes, they work. I sold them for years when I was in the bike biz. They stick to the bottom of the bike and trip the field when you ride up to the light, and they actually do a decent job. A new unit came out just a year ago which was supposedly better, but I never got any complaints from any of my many customers who bought them. Now if I could just remember the name . . . guess the memory is the first thing to go.
A neo magnet is what you need put it on your oil filter. also benefits the oil filter as the magnet collects materials in the oil. neo magnets are small and power full [thumbsup]
There was a recent thread about this here. Some people suggested putting the sidestand down.
QuoteThere was a recent thread about this here. Some people suggested putting the sidestand down.
Really... Hmmm
I will try it tonight on a left hander that will never turn for me.
I always have to go straight and make a U turn and then make a right :-\
I haven't had any trouble with the S2R 1k. I just position myself along the edge of the embedded wire. In my area the wire is in a circle...
I've heard if you position in the middle of the circle, which is looking for changes in a magnetic field, bikes don't have enough metal to make the required change.
So, I position over the edge, and no trouble so far... :)
Most of em, shutting the engine off and re-firing (with the electric starter!) will trip them. The starter motor generates a pretty good magnetic field.
There is this one stubborn light at Bunker Lake Road and Crosstown that will not trip. It wont even trip with a car behind you. If it's a light you know about, pull well off to the side of the lane and wave a cage up beside ya. Works every time, assuming a convenient cager!
We finally got a law passed in MN, if you are on a bike and miss one cycle, you can proceed. I hear the law is somewhat subjectively interpreted.
Or, like the man said, run it!
No luck for me
I tried putting my kickstand down and leaning the bike. I also restarted my bike but I could not trigger the light :(
Quote from: ROBsS4R on June 19, 2008, 01:18:23 AM
No luck for me
I tried putting my kickstand down and leaning the bike. I also restarted my bike but I could not trigger the light :(
You need to play with positioning a bit more. The way the wires are arranged there are dead spots. Where the dead spots are is a bit hard to say, because it depends on the geometry of the loops.
You also have to realise that a narrow, and bits of metal high up away from the road, are harder to trigger the system(1). Cars have floor pans which, in general, are lowish to the ground (raised monstertrucks notwithstanding, but they're just massive conductive things). Ultimately, it's the conductance (conductivity multipled by the volume) that matters and the separation (signal falls off with the square of distance) that matters.
The sidestand trick works if you can find a sweet spot. The bottom of the sidestand is close to the ground, well, should be very close unless your bike likes to fall over. The starter trick works because
The magnetic thing... I'm not sure. It's not something I know anyone to have actually worked - they triggered the lights without as well, when they were removed... the times it didn't work have been due to . Needs further testing. The signal induced in the receiver loop due to even a rare earth magnetic should be fairly small, in fact. It also depends on the system - lots will filter out signals which look very funny. Starters induce spikes which start to look like the frequencies used (sort of), so they sometimes aren't filtered out. It can also be more of a problem to get them to trip in areas with lots of electromagnetic noise, or lights which are supposed to trip to let people turn into other roads - they need to be set up to be very sensitive so they don't detect cars driving in the lane next to them.
How do I know this shit? Well, I have friends who work on these. I'm a geophysicist, and we use electromagnetic systems to find things.
(1) A frequency domain electromagnetic system (FEM). Transmitter coil transmits a time-varying signal (usually a sine wave), sets up a magnetic field, which sets up an electrical field in any conductors, which then sets up a secondary magnetic field which is detected as a time varying signal at the receiver coil. The amplitude and phase difference of the transmitted and received waveform is a fairly nasty but resolveable function of conductance. Frequency-domain electromagnetic systems are also used as metal detectors, for simply interpreting their response in terms of conductive materials is easier than the other option (time-domain electromagnetics - TEM).
Look very carefully in all directions, run the light [moto]
Quote from: Duc L'Smart on June 19, 2008, 06:53:55 AM
Look very carefully in all directions, run the light [moto]
+1.... No cop, no stop!! ;)
Quote from: Duc L'Smart on June 19, 2008, 06:53:55 AM
Look very carefully in all directions, run the light [moto]
Some intersections are too busy for that. :-\
there is a company that manufactures a plastic tubular cylinder( appox 1/2" in dia x 8" L ) that has a ferrous type strip in it that is specifically for this. i think j c whitney or competition accessories sells it. i will update this when i find it.
You guys are thinking of the Green Light Trigger:
http://www.greenlightstuff.com/trigger.html
A previous thread also suggested reving the engine as the alternator gives off a large magnetic field.
Me, I've got neo magnets on the oil filter.
Quote from: ROBsS4R on June 18, 2008, 07:30:57 PM
Really... Hmmm
I will try it tonight on a left hander that will never turn for me.
I always have to go straight and make a U turn and then make a right :-\
Fill out this form and they will adjust the sensor for you.
http://www.dot.ca.gov/maintform.html (http://www.dot.ca.gov/maintform.html)
Quote from: msincredible on June 19, 2008, 08:02:22 AM
Some intersections are too busy for that. :-\
Agreed, I was 1/2 joking.. But if I'm at an intersection (say at night) and there's absolutely nobody around, then yeah, I'd consider running it...
I've actually been pulled over for running one that wouldn't turn. I told the cop I sat there for 2 cycles (which was true) and it never changed, so I went anyways (wasn't a busy intersection anyways). He still gave me a ticket :-[
i have noticed that sometimes the pavement is marked where the sensors are buried...
with a cut mark, or a patch of pavement
To many camera's in my area to run them.
I will look into a magnet perhaps.
If it's an inductance sensor with the metal strips in the pavement, just set your side stand down on the metal strip for a few seconds. That should change the inductance enough to get it to change.
I've used this technique many times in RTP. On weekends there is zero traffic and all the lights have sensors so it becomes a necessity.
Quote from: ROBsS4R on June 19, 2008, 01:28:17 PM
To many camera's in my area to run them.
I will look into a magnet perhaps.
Just fill out the form. It only takes a minute and they are responsive.
In my conversations with leo's I usually bring this up. Most say that if it's safe to turn they won't ticket you... if it isn't safe you need to wait for it to cycle through (most of ours trip the sensor lights on the third cycle regardless), wait for a car, or go a roundabout way.
Seems like common sense to me.
I just get off the moto and hit the button.
It's just about the only form of exercise I get in a day :-[
Two friends and I were stuck at one so we repositioned our bikes and nothing happened. We just waited for a clearing and ran the light. Why spend money on some device for their defective system.
Quote from: msincredible on June 19, 2008, 08:02:22 AM
Some intersections are too busy for that. :-\
I would think most of the time if the intersection is that busy you would also have traffic in your direction as well, let a car go ahead of you and trigger the light. ;)
Quote from: SKOM on June 19, 2008, 01:47:22 PM
I just get off the moto and hit the button.
It's just about the only form of exercise I get in a day :-[
I did that once and it cycled the walk light and not the dang turn light!
I've tried every trick ...but most lights won't budge at all.
Fortunately some States recognize this problem and have passed or are considering passing red-light laws for bikes
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-06-10-red-light-laws_N.htm (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-06-10-red-light-laws_N.htm)
Ah, I see. So "tripping traffic lights" doesn't mean this:
(http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk226/tomsrenner/trippinglights.jpg)
Personally, I find that positioning over the sensor wire itself (meaning, at least in my area, the rectangular cutout in the ground that's been sealed up with tar) usually works for me. Alternately, pulling a bit forward (but not so far that you get smooshed) can let the car behind you pull up a bit, and then _they_ may trigger it.
in cali you can run the red if you are waiting too long.... (I don't suggest this... better safe then 5 minutes early)
Quote from: Dareduc on June 19, 2008, 06:06:10 PM
in cali you can run the red if you are waiting too long.... (I don't suggest this... better safe then 5 minutes early)
someone lied to you.
Quote from: mxwinky on June 18, 2008, 06:57:09 PM
Yes, they work. I sold them for years when I was in the bike biz.
Yes, as a retailer, I bet they work great. You buy them for $.99 and sell them for $19.95. [laugh]
In reality, it's all about placement.
(http://humantransport.org/bicycledriving/library/signals/wheels.gif)
http://humantransport.org/bicycledriving/library/signals/detection.htm
Quote from: Adam in MO on June 19, 2008, 01:46:18 PM
In my conversations with leo's I usually bring this up. Most say that if it's safe to turn they won't ticket you... if it isn't safe you need to wait for it to cycle through (most of ours trip the sensor lights on the third cycle regardless), wait for a car, or go a roundabout way.
Seems like common sense to me.
Quote from: Dareduc on June 19, 2008, 06:06:10 PM
in cali you can run the red if you are waiting too long.... (I don't suggest this... better safe then 5 minutes early)
Quote from: Le Pirate on June 19, 2008, 11:35:50 AM
I've actually been pulled over for running one that wouldn't turn. I told the cop I sat there for 2 cycles (which was true) and it never changed, so I went anyways (wasn't a busy intersection anyways). He still gave me a ticket :-[
You should have fought it. AFAIK, every state has a statute that states that a malfunctioning traffic light should be treated as a four-way stop. Even a shyster lawyer coming off a four-day bender could successfully argue that a signal that wouldn't change for a vehicle was not functioning properly.
And fwiw, it there is one on your path that CONTINUALLY won't change, call the traffic dept of your municipality. They ARE adjustable.
Quote from: Pakhan on June 19, 2008, 02:12:29 PMI would think most of the time if the intersection is that busy you would also have traffic in your direction as well, let a car go ahead of you and trigger the light. ;)
Not necessarily. For example, you are waiting to turn left but the traffic is almost all straight-through. Or you are on a small cross street to a busy road.
the signal that i have to use to leave my complex will not change no matter what I do. I have to wait for someone to come up on the other side of the street or behind me to get going.
that or hook a right, ride a half mile to another signal that may or may not change depending on it's "mood" so that I can make a u-turn.
OR
I just run it. after looking both ways like mommy taught me of course.
Quote from: zedsaid on June 19, 2008, 06:40:22 PM
someone lied to you.
No they didn't. If the light won't cycle it would be considered inoperable. Then it's to be treated as a four way stop.
Quote from: ROBsS4R on June 19, 2008, 01:28:17 PM
To many camera's in my area to run them.
I will look into a magnet perhaps.
yeah...same here...dallas wants to put up more, too...and cameras don't give a crap if you wait two cycles or ten...running a red is running a red. just ask bryant8 :-\
i ran neo magnets on my M750, and would still have stubborn lights more than i would have liked. maybe i just needed more magnets. come to think of it, i think i'll order some more right now.
Wait until the light is running. Stick your foot out ~
JM
Quote from: hbliam on June 20, 2008, 11:38:29 AM
No they didn't. If the light won't cycle it would be considered inoperable. Then it's to be treated as a four way stop.
You may have grounds to fight a ticket, but you're going to get a ticket. (PoPo dependant)
If a car pulls up to the light, and it changes, it ain't "inoperable". You just couldn't operate it.
Even if you're in a car, and the light won't change... you'll get a ticket for running it.
Quote from: zedsaid on June 20, 2008, 12:25:51 PM
You may have grounds to fight a ticket, but you're going to get a ticket. (PoPo dependant)
If a car pulls up to the light, and it changes, it ain't "inoperable". You just couldn't operate it.
Even if you're in a car, and the light won't change... you'll get a ticket for running it.
Possibly. But you have strong grounds for fighting it. Thus...most cops won't write one, it's a waste of time. You better sit through a cycle or two though.
If you can't operate it the light IS inoperable.
Quote from: msincredible on June 19, 2008, 11:19:47 PM
Not necessarily. For example, you are waiting to turn left but the traffic is almost all straight-through. Or you are on a small cross street to a busy road.
Your right, that's why I said most of the time.
Red lights can be a pain, but I was stuck at a toll that had that sensor and gives you a ticket that determines your toll based on distance. It wouldn't activate and none of the toll workers would help get this ticket. After 15 minutes of horn honking and arm waving (that at least 3 workers saw) I ran it and the destination toll.
Quote from: trenner on June 19, 2008, 04:25:25 PM
Ah, I see. So "tripping traffic lights" doesn't mean this:
(http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk226/tomsrenner/trippinglights.jpg)
No, No, No.
That is a picture of someone tripping, and looking at a traffic light. "Tripping traffic lights" are looking
at the traffic doing all that melting and stuff.
Quote from: trenner on June 19, 2008, 04:25:25 PM
Ah, I see. So "tripping traffic lights" doesn't mean this:
(http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk226/tomsrenner/trippinglights.jpg)
Umm, yeah.....thanks for the flashback! I had to stare at it for a while to realise I was staring at it. What traffic light? ;D
Some how I tripped a traffic light today. Don't know what I did but what ever it was worked . Too bad I can't remember what it was .......
anyone seen this product?
they have 2 versions.. I wonder if the more expensive is just hype and works just as well as the original.. thoughts?
http://www.greenlightstuff.com/trigger.html
NC Just passed a clause that allows motorcyclist to run a sensor operated light that misses a motorcycle for 2 consecutive cycles. You can still be ticketed, and have to plead your case in court I supposed, but at least they recognized sensor operated lights aren't always going to pick up a bike ~
JM
Quote from: julianista on June 20, 2008, 09:14:43 PM
anyone seen this product?
they have 2 versions.. I wonder if the more expensive is just hype and works just as well as the original.. thoughts?
http://www.greenlightstuff.com/trigger.html
I would just use the kickstand down method. It's free, and its not extra stuff hanging on your Cycle.
Quote from: trenner on June 19, 2008, 04:25:25 PM
Ah, I see. So "tripping traffic lights" doesn't mean this:
(http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk226/tomsrenner/trippinglights.jpg)
that looks like my poop the morning after having mexican and indian in the same day