Traffic light problem

[mrmike]

   When I had my 600+ lb Harley I would have this problem occasionally. Now that I have a 400+ lb Kymco it happens more often. What happens is that the scooter isn't heavy enough to trigger the sensor in the road that changes the traffic light. You can sit there for several minutes, and the light doesn't change. I usually wait for 2 cycles, and then end up going through a red light. I don't know how kindly law enforcement will take to this if I ever get caught. Has this happened to anyone else?

[Iahawk]

happens all the time...I just wait until it's clear and run the light. I figure if I ever get caught they'll be understanding.

[randyo]

the anarchist in me ignores the light

[rjs987]

Most states in the USA have laws allowing you to run a red light. Normally after 3 cycles at least AND if the way is clear. Sometimes it's 10 minutes and if the way is clear. I think both of those apply in Iowa State Law IIRC (used to work for the state and spent some free time browsing the state code... your tax dollars at work).

BTW- it's not usually about the weight of the bike. Most traffic sensors are not weight triggered and don't have a weigh scale in the pavement. They are coils of wire usually in the shape of the lines cut in some pavement where the sensor was added. The metal mass of the vehicle, mainly the engine, is what triggers the sensor. I found that even with a lighter bike as I have now, with less metal mass, I can stop in a certain place over that wire loop and trigger the light. If I sit right in the middle of the loop or am not stopped over it at all then I sit. What amazes me is the cars and SUVs that stop way out into the intersection past the loop and they sit there longer than they should because they passed beyond the sensor where the planners didn't put one out into the intersection. If I stop with the main engine block sitting over the forward or rear diagonal wire line of the sensor I get better results.

Of course there are always one or two lights that just don't trigger unless the metal mass is as much as a SUV anyway so I revert to state law for waiting at the light.

Oh, and I did try the big magnet trick way back in 2001 but that was a bust. No difference using a large computer hard disk voice coil magnet... the kind that practically needs a crow bar to pull it off of stuff it attracts to (and then another one to pull it off the crow bar).

[CROSSBOLT]

When I started riding motorcycle in the spring of 1960 the San Diego and socal traffic lights had these big, flat rubber insets that cars would trigger but a 400 pound motorcycle would not. So there I would be at 0200 on my way back to the ship stuck at a light with desolated streets in all directions. Jumping on those rubber bars was ineffective but tended to wake one up! I would then run the light rather than go to sleep waiting.

I tried the magnet which failed.....

There are optical sensors in places. Saw a bunch on the Colorado front range....

No change? Run it.

[randyo]

almost all new lights have optical sensors, and more and more inductive sensors are being converted.

the inductive loops work like a metal detector at the beach.  Locally our DPW uses a bicycle to set the trigger sensitivity, some depts use the pickup truck they drove there.

[Stig / Major Tom]

In Ohio lights are triggered by that metal wire rectangular box laid into the blacktop.
Weight has nothing to do with it here.
Picks up on the metal in your ride.

I have two lights that won't work for me....so I pull over and wait for a car to come, then fall in behind. Or cut through a muffler shop...on weekends.

I have one light I avoid altogether - after running it dead in front of a sheriff one morning. We chatted. He didn't site me.

Change your route - or trade for an H.D.!

Stig

[randyo]

In Ohio lights are triggered by that metal wire rectangular box laid into the blacktop.

inductive sensors

[aschrauth]

I was just thinking about posting on this topic the other day. like Stig stated most of the lighgts in my area use inductive sensors. However there is one light where I live that still uses old fashoned senor pads and it is located right next to a school, whenever someone presses the crosswalk button to take their kid to school it takes forever for the light to change due to being on a timer. The school also has the ability to activate the flashing light that signals drivers to have a set speedlimit on school days. Here is a wikipedia article regarding the Inductive loop
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induction_loop#:~:text=Vehicle%20detection%20loops%2C%20called%20inductive,is%20installed%20in%20the%20pavement.

[aschrauth]

Most states in the USA have laws allowing you to run a red light. Normally after 3 cycles at least AND if the way is clear. Sometimes it's 10 minutes and if the way is clear. I think both of those apply in Iowa State Law IIRC (used to work for the state and spent some free time browsing the state code... your tax dollars at work).

BTW- it's not usually about the weight of the bike. Most traffic sensors are not weight triggered and don't have a weigh scale in the pavement. They are coils of wire usually in the shape of the lines cut in some pavement where the sensor was added. The metal mass of the vehicle, mainly the engine, is what triggers the sensor. I found that even with a lighter bike as I have now, with less metal mass, I can stop in a certain place over that wire loop and trigger the light. If I sit right in the middle of the loop or am not stopped over it at all then I sit. What amazes me is the cars and SUVs that stop way out into the intersection past the loop and they sit there longer than they should because they passed beyond the sensor where the planners didn't put one out into the intersection. If I stop with the main engine block sitting over the forward or rear diagonal wire line of the sensor I get better results.

Of course there are always one or two lights that just don't trigger unless the metal mass is as much as a SUV anyway so I revert to state law for waiting at the light.

Oh, and I did try the big magnet trick way back in 2001 but that was a bust. No difference using a large computer hard disk voice coil magnet... the kind that practically needs a crow bar to pull it off of stuff it attracts to (and then another one to pull it off the crow bar).

Here is an example of the coiled wires inside the pavement

[mrmike]

   When I had my 600+ lb Harley I would have this problem occasionally. Now that I have a 400+ lb Kymco it happens more often. What happens is that the scooter isn't heavy enough to trigger the sensor in the road that changes the traffic light. You can sit there for several minutes, and the light doesn't change. I usually wait for 2 cycles, and then end up going through a red light. I don't know how kindly law enforcement will take to this if I ever get caught. Has this happened to anyone else?

 Thank you everyone for the response. I'll have to check New York State law for their take on it.

[monkeybongos]

I'll make a legal right on red, then a u-turn at the 1st safe opportunity, then another right at the original intersection.
Be careful about u-turns at red lights, though.  In some states it is illegal and I recently got a ticket ($261 !).

[randyo]

Here is an example of the coiled wires inside the pavement

that type, the induction loop, is being gradually phased out in favor of photo sensors that can turn everything red except the direction of an oncoming emergency vehicle

[aschrauth]

that type, the induction loop, is being gradually phased out in favor of photo sensors that can turn everything red except the direction of an oncoming emergency vehicle

Where I live our county still uses the induction loop

[randyo]

Where I live our county still uses the induction loop

still mostly induction loops here too, but switching over gradually