Tripping Stoplight Sensors

[holligl]

I have noticed that my S10 is notoriously bad at tripping stop light sensors. I recently read that Illinois laws allow motorcycles to proceed through intersections on a red after a stop and check for traffic, but I am reluctant to go straight or left on a red, unless there is no traffic in sight.

Is there a better placement on the sensors to trip the signal, or does this mostly aluminum bike simply not have enough magnetic properties to ever set these off regularly? I have definitely learned to never assume I will get the left turn arrow you would get in a car!

 

[Sierra1]

It may/may not be a problem with the ground loop sensors. Down here MOST of the lights have been switched over to either radar or camera sensors. They work better, but have to be aimed properly. And, like everything else, are computer controlled. If the computer has a problem, and it happens often, it defaults to a set time for each light. I've been harassing our D.O.T. for years on how they have the lights set. When we had the ground loops, I would approach the light with my tire on the sensor line in the road. When I got to the light, braked hard forcing my bike to dive. I don't know if it actually did anything, but the light did change for me about 75% of the time. It never did change if I put the bike in the center of the loop....like D.O.T. said to. There were many time I would just turn right to go left.

 

[Checkswrecks]

Assuming you mean inductive sensors, which are simply a wire in the cuts in a traffic lane, make sure to sit right on the cut in the pavement. If there are two siamese rectangles, sit on the middle line. One intersection I need to use can detect the bike if I'm on the center and not if I'm on the outer wire. Image copied from a quick Google search for inductive traffic loop

We've also got some that have a second set farther from he light, when a lightly used side street needs to trip a light for cars to make a left onto a major road. I had somebody say that the idea is to wait till a second vehicle is on the second loop before it'll stop the major road, and it seems to make sense. I found that in the truck, if I straddle the two loops the light will change faster.


btw - Inductance is an ac electric phenomenon, not a magnetic one, so inductive sensors detect metal and NOT magnets. People buying the snake-oil magnets are simply putting more metal closer to the inductive loop.

 

[Sierra1]

Yup. I am assuming that's why when I braked harder, on diagram A, it lowered the bike enough to sense it. Of course when a loop breaks/shorts, the light defaults to timer. Which is why at 3am, with no traffic anywhere, you have to wait for the light to cycle (even in a car).

 

[Terminus]

I am with you. The lights around here can be frustrating. I do find that if I am at the far left edge of the lane (out of the oil slick), I have pretty good results and it will trigger. Not always though. I have had to run through a couple of lights on red. A little unnerving. Most of the time I just end up turning right and turning around so I don't risk getting hit.

I have heard of some people mounting magnets on the undercarriage of the bike to put off a stronger field. Not sure if that works or if it is advisable though.

 

[Spider]

My Tenere doesn't see many stoplights, so hasn't run into this issue. But on another bike, magnets on the frame seemed to help a bit but not reliably. The best solution was to shut off and restart the engine while on top of the sensor loop. That always seemed to work. YMMV.

 

[Pterodactyl]

The sensitivity of these things is adjustable. I almost never have an issue here in the Helena, MT area, but do sometimes when traveling. May not do any good, but complain to the transportation (city, county, etc) that is responsible for traffic lights in your area.

 

[RonH]

A complete pain, regardless of what you do. I've tried most methods, and I think for the most part you can't do much to trick a sensor. If it sees you, great, if not either run the red light or turn a different direction and come back. Last time I was down in Florida, a light was stuck red on a left on green arrow intersection, I went straight and made a U turn, those that elected to run the light had 10 or so police officers awaiting that decision. Probably some law that says you have to sit there 10 minutes or more before taking the plunge and running the light. Well the police had the stop watches out that day. Glad some laws may be curbing this bullsheet scam.

 

[scott123007]

I run the light exiting my development when I am on the Tenere. I have waited more than 3 minutes sometimes with no light change. The most it takes from Green to Green normally, is 45 seconds. For some reason the Tenere will not trigger the light. My other bikes, no problem. Go figure. A trick I heard recently is to drop the side stand for a second. I have not tried that yet.

 

[holligl]

A trick I heard recently is to drop the side stand for a second. I have not tried that yet.

Maybe one could kick the center stand down to get more steel closer. Thanks for all suggestions. It sounds like I'm not alone. Unfortunately, I have to ride about 20 minutes to get out to the country, passing through 6-7 intermingled jurisdictions. When the route can vary, and there is traffic, I do try to take lefts behind the cagers. The most uncomfortable feeling is when you are first in line with impatient cars/trucks behind you.

 

[Checkswrecks]

I'll regularly pull up past the white stop line to get a car to inch forward onto the sensor.

 

[Sierra1]

I'll regularly pull up past the white stop line to get a car to inch forward onto the sensor.

::026:: Of course nowadays everybody is checking their texts, and don't notice that you moved forward.

 

[holligl]

Yesterday, me and a Jeep Cherokee in the lane next to me sat through two cycles. He was back a bit in his lane. I tried a center stand touch down, and he inched up a bit. The light changed the next cycle. No idea which of us actually tripped it.

The center stand isn't too hard to find without looking. It has more steel mass, and won't kill the engine when you're in gear.

 

[Sierra1]

It all depends if the light was controlled by ground loops, lines in the pavement, or camera/radar. Regardless, if there was a car present, sounds like something was not working correctly. If you get to the intersection in mid light cycle, the system does not "see" you. If I see the light changing I will slow, if safe, and let the cycle complete before I get to the intersection. Rain will effect cameras, ground loops get broken, and worst of all the computers in those silver boxes get a "glitch". TxDOT engineers and I "debated" the light function for years. On paper, in a perfect world, the lights work great. Then there is the real world.... ::001::

 

[Dr. John]

" Most " , at least in CT will respond to a side ,or centerstand touched down ON the cut in the road above the buried wire.