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Every motorcyclist has pulled up to a red traffic light and waited and waited to get the bike to trip a sensor to activate a left-turn traffic light or a green traffic light. Often they just do not trip and the rider has to come up with an answer to a question that a motorist never has to ask: How do I get the light to change?
The average underground traffic sensor used to work by the weight of your vehicle. Most newer sensors use magnetic conductivity to monitor when there is a large mass of metal on the road. Some newer cities have also been using laser spotters installed on the lights themselves.
The following tips on how to get your motorcycle to trip a traffic light are taken from discussions in the Motorcycles and Harley-Davidson forums. There are many solutions. Pick the one that is legal in your area and works for your bike.
- Get off your bike and push the "walk" button if it is safe.
- Sometimes you may just have to look both ways and run the light, but with video cameras at intersections now to catch red light runners, you run the risk of a fat ticket in the mail. In some places it's OK to "proceed with caution" after 15 minutes, in some places after 2 cycles. You need to find out what the law is in your area. Also carrying a copy of the law with you can be beneficial.
- If you fail to trigger the switch, wait at least one more cycle and then proceed when it is safe.
- Sometimes it helps to kill the motorcycle and restart it just to get the magnetic fields going over the tripping device. Put yourself right over the detector if you can still see the grooves in the pavement. Give the bike a couple of good revs.
- Turn right and then do a "U" turn when you can.
- Threaten legal action. Start by calling the street department and complaining. Every week re-check the light. If you get no action, send them a nice professional letter threatening them with a lawsuit for any damage or injury you might suffer if you are involved in an accident because you had to run this defective light.
Often, they will immediately dispatch a crew to fix the faulty sensor.
- As you approach the intersection, there are lines cut into the pavement where the sensor was put in. The sensor pad is octagonal or square. Put the most metal over the intersection of two sides. Cover two intersections if you can. The center of the engine would be a good place.
- Some lights trigger because of weight. They don't use "scales", but an electronic device called a strain gauge. It puts out an electrical signal proportional to the force applied to the device.
- What usually works is to stop your ride on top of either the right or left side edge of the sensor cut outs. Sometimes there are two sets of sensors so the light can stay green long enough for traffic to go through. If traffic permits, stop on the back sensor as this will sometimes change the light faster.
- Another trick is to put out your kickstand. The loops in the road are simply metal detectors like they use at the airport. So if you can get the kickstand out, there is more of a metal area to detect. Don't forget to retract your kickstand when the light finally changes.
- Rig your bike with an electro-magnet under the frame. This is wired into the brake lamp circuit and induces enough of a field to trip most lights.
- Consider the purchase of a device that will trip the light for you. One such product is the GreenLight Trigger.TM
- A possible new trend is the introduction of special motorcycle boxes that show you where to stop your bike to trip the light. The front-most "box" has a couple of additional diagonal lines, with an icon of a bike painted in the box.
- Roll forwards and back in an effort to trip the sensors.
- If you are waiting for a left-turn signal light to change, you can always proceed through the intersection on green and make three successive right-hand turns.
This only works with regular city blocks. One diagonal road messes up the works.
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