Magnetic sensors in the turn lanes

[Rjeffery]

Just want to rant about the magnetic sensors in turn lanes.
I have waited at lights for the left turn arrow to activate only to watch the signals cycle through several times and it would never give me the "green turn arrow". It's not until another car pulls up and suddenly I would get my turn arrow.

I also had this happen to me at the airport parking lot. I pulled up to get my ticket and it would not produce. Cars were entering the other gates w/o any problem, so I manuvered my bike to another gate only to get the same result. The parking entrance was on a one way road plus on a blind curve so I couldn't turn around. I ended up going around the gate with out a ticket. I drove straight to the exit w/o the ticket and explained my problem. They let me go with out paying. I ended up having to go to a remote private lot to park.

The bottom line is that there is not enough metal on my R1150 RT to activate the road sensors!

Okay I feel better now.

[35634]

Someone makes a gizmo that make those sensors think you're a car. Around here
the bike seems to trip the lights OK, but if it cycles more than once though I have no
qualms about running it. :whistle

[PineGreen]

Have tried several different devices to no avail.

[tommcgee]

Some folks say to drop the side stand down on the loop sensor. Too much trouble, easier to run the light.

[SugarHillCTD]

From what I understand, if you observe a traffic light go through a full cycle without turning green in your direction- you may treat it as "broken" or malfunctioning. Then you may act as if you are at a full stop sign and proceed when clear.

Of course you could always consider something like this:

http://www.whitehorsepress.com/images/products/large/tlthp.jpg

http://www.whitehorsepress.com/product_info.php?products_id=5170

[tommcgee]

Save your money on the big magnets. DAMHIK

[kahuhna]

After trying some smaller magnets I had lying around, I went to Harbor Freight and bought a 100# pull magnet. It was cheap, small and it works. It sits below my tool bag in one saddlebag.

[Paul_F]

A friend told me sometime ago that our bikes have an electro magnet in them that are activated when the bike is turned on. Alone at an uncooperative light, I turn the bike off, then on. This usually produces an immediate change of lights for me. Of course you have to position the bike in the lane where the sensors are located. Lowering the kickstand has never worked for me.

[BubbaZanetti]

I drove straight to the exit w/o the ticket and explained my problem. They let me go with out paying. I ended up having to go to a remote private lot to park.

i believe this is what they call a "win - win situation" :laugh

[hlothery]

I've tried magnets, green light triggers, side stand dropping, headlight flashing, and engine starting.........nothing ever worked. :dunno

Then I bought a Goldwing, and now all the sensors work........eurika!!!!:whistle

[Greenwald]

Just want to rant about the magnetic sensors in turn lanes.
I have waited at lights for the left turn arrow to activate only to watch the signals cycle through several times and it would never give me the "green turn arrow". It's not until another car pulls up and suddenly I would get my turn arrow.

I also had this happen to me at the airport parking lot. I pulled up to get my ticket and it would not produce. Cars were entering the other gates w/o any problem, so I manuvered my bike to another gate only to get the same result. The parking entrance was on a one way road plus on a blind curve so I couldn't turn around. I ended up going around the gate with out a ticket. I drove straight to the exit w/o the ticket and explained my problem. They let me go with out paying. I ended up having to go to a remote private lot to park.

The bottom line is that there is not enough metal on my R1150 RT to activate the road sensors!

Okay I feel better now.

Many of us feel your pain. As our bikes become lighter and contain less ferous metal, getting the electronic loop to 'disrupt' is becoming more of a challenge these days.

I too have tried magnets, dropping a sidestand, cursing, voodoo and other such proven scientific methods ..........none with any consistent success.

Other than positioning your bike at a corner of the cut-out area of the concrete for the best vantage point from which to create an anomaly in the loop current and thereby get 'noticied' by the computer sensor, you may have to deal with the frustration, despite the fact that those scoundrels at the State DOT could adjust the sensitivity of the coils.

Situation so bad in WI that two years ago, we got a law passed (WI State Statute 346.37 (4) ), which allows motorcyclists to vioate a traffic-control signal after waiting at least 45 seconds, and with no other vehicles approaching that might assist in activating the lights. Used it many times, and instruct all my MSF students about it during their Basic Rider Course.

Best of Luck! :dunno

[stkmkt1]

I have great success with magnets. But they must be a special magnet, or at least I'm told. I thought a magnet is a magnet, but I'm told that rare earth magnets are a bit different in that their "circle" of magnetic power is a bit larger than a regular magnet. I think that might be bull. But I have put rare earth magnets on the bottom of my bikes and have yet to have a problem. But you must stop within the detector loops circle. You can see the lines in the roadway unless they have been paved over. I have even tried the bikes with out the magnet and then installed them, and went back through the same intersection. No trip without the magnet.

Again, I don't know what is is about a rare earth magnet that might make it different. And I have never tried with a regular magnet from a hardware store. But I do know that I do not have any issues with the magnets I put under my bikes.

[Peter_Krynicki]

I had the same problem here where I live. I called the dept of works and was told that those sensors are, to some extent, adjustable. They asked which one it was and a few days later problem solved.

Worth a try.

[tommcgee]

Again, I don't know what is is about a rare earth magnet that might make it different.

The magnetic flux density is very high compared to "regular magnets" to the point where if you have a stack of them (even small dime-sized ones), you will prolly need a tool to separate them.

[108625]

I was stuck at a light without a green cycle in Helena once, backing up traffic behind me. I looked at the woman behind me to make sure she was watching, and then got off my bike, hit the pedestrian crossing button, and was back on and ready to go when it turned green a few seconds later. I saw her laughing in my mirror.

[jforgo]

I have equipped all my bikes with the magnetic devices - and they do typically work.
But now a lot of lights arre going to an optical sensor mounted up high, and i do not trigger those. Do I need to stand up an wave my arms around?

[Mika]

:scratch
snipe:
Then I bought a Goldwing, and now all the sensors work........eurika!!!!:whistle

First you sheepishly ask for acceptance for going to the dark side...now your gloating?

:stick

:ha

[SugarHillCTD]

:scratch


First you sheepishly ask for acceptance for going to the dark side...now your gloating?

:stick

:ha

Given what this thread is about, I do not think that the Goldwing is the dark side since it turns on the (green) light! :laugh:laugh:laugh

[535is]

Situation so bad in WI that two years ago, we got a law passed (WI State Statute 346.37 (4) ), which allows motorcyclists to vioate a traffic-control signal after waiting at least 45 seconds, and with no other vehicles approaching that might assist in activating the lights. Used it many times, and instruct all my MSF students about it during their Basic Rider Course.
:bow The RS clock has a sweep hand! :clap

[Mika]

Blue sky with red light
Black asphalt hides green sensor
Bloody red arrow

[KGT1200]

I have equipped all my bikes with the magnetic devices - and they do typically work.
But now a lot of lights arre going to an optical sensor mounted up high, and i do not trigger those. Do I need to stand up an wave my arms around?

No, just get a bike with ape hangers!:laugh

[650flutterby]

We've had trouble tripping the lights even with a group of bikes.
I have found that stopping directly on the sensor works most of the time, even on a 650gs. The lights at intersections with optical sensors usually work in our area.

[henzilla]

A friend told me sometime ago that our bikes have an electro magnet in them that are activated when the bike is turned on. Alone at an uncooperative light, I turn the bike off, then on. This usually produces an immediate change of lights for me. Of course you have to position the bike in the lane where the sensors are located. Lowering the kickstand has never worked for me.

I hop on one foot and swing my left hand east to west:laugh

[bcizmas]

There is a red arrow I end up going through near my house pretty often, thankfully I can see quite a distance in all directions. :burnout

[MotorradMike]

The loops buried in the pavement are inductors. The electronics that control the lights sense a change in the inductance of the loop.

Change in inductance is cause by large masses of ferrous material near the loop(such as a car) or smaller masses(such as a steel plate) on the loop.

Magnets, revving the engine, restarting the bike etc. really don't do anything. However, since the detector circuitry is on the hairy edge of deciding a vehicle is present when a bike rolls up, the rider may assume he has made a difference when in fact it was temperature, atmospheric pressure, or whatever else that tipped the detector over the edge.

All you can do is stop on the best part of the loop and be patient. Or report the light, they can be adjusted.

[MotorradMike]

Then I bought a Goldwing, and now all the sensors work........eurika!!!!:whistle

Does the Goldwing trip the lights better than the Porsche? :laugh

[Sit]

I have found stopping towards the edge of the loop to work the best, whether it is a circle or diamond, stop over the edge so your bike is over as much of the sensor as possible.

I had one by my house that would not change for me and if I used the center stand, it would only some times change. Sent ODOT an email, explained the light, what I do to get it to work etc etc. A day later I got an email back telling me they had checked the light, was in working order, but they did increase the sensitivity of the loop. Road through the next day, and it worked beautifully.

As for running the light after several cycles, careful, check your state laws. Not all states allow that.

[Greenwald]

:bow The RS clock has a sweep hand! :clap

Guess I won't be lookin' for you at a red light anywhere in WI ! :laugh

[Manfred]

Ya'll could move to Texas. We have a relatively new law that requires all traffic light switches that are installed, repaired, or recalibrated to recognize motorcycles. :thumb

I've heard that lowering the side stand right on the line under which lies the wire that forms the inductor can cause such switches to activate. But the aluminum side stand that won't stay down doesn't work too well.

[kgadley01]

I have one of those high power green light triggers on my R1100RT. it seems to work most of the time. I just finished installing a large speaker magnet on the under side of my Harley. I really haven't tested it yet. They passed a new law here in South Carolina about a year ago. if you set at a light for 2 minutes without it changing, you may run the light as long as you can do it safely.

[gfspencer]

Too much trouble, easier to run the light.
That's what I do. I wait an "appropriate" amount of time and then I run the light. It's legal if you are riding in North Carolina. :thumb

[lkchris]

In my town, the traffic light sensor installations are pretty obvious.

Big box with a line up the middle (the patching for the channels dug).

Ride bike right up the middle line, and the mass of the engine (especially crankshaft) is enough to trip the signal every time.

Learned this at a local bicycle club website.

[BubbaZanetti]

Move to NYC, problem solved, we have NO lights that work based on sensors.:thumb

[jdmetzger]

Around here, I haven't run into any "bad" sensors. When I went to the Mini Rally in Sturgis, MI, I waited forever at the Turnpike off ramp light, and it never changed. I finally just went.

Closer to work, there is a McDonald's that I've been known to stop at on busy days. The re-did their drive-thru so it has two lanes to order from, and once that was done I noticed they can't tell I'm out there. It's probably all good since it keeps me from going there just about ever.

[crazydrummerdude]

During a 200-mile loop up the Illinois river road on the R75 yesterday, I encountered several small bridges that were under construction, with one lane closed. A temporary light was set up based on a camera system.

At the first one with a red light, a car and myself pulled up. It turned green. On the second one with a red light, I pulled up alone. For probably 10 seconds I sat there considering running it since I could clearly see the other side of the bridge and that there was no traffic approaching it. Then, a van pulled in behind me, and I noticed a red light on the camera come on and the light immediately turned green.

That's the second time I've ever "had trouble" with a light on a bike. I guess I've been lucky.

[BubbaZanetti]

At the first one with a red light, a car and myself pulled up. It turned green. On the second one with a red light, I pulled up alone. For probably 10 seconds I sat there considering running it since I could clearly see the other side of the bridge and that there was no traffic approaching it. Then, a van pulled in behind me, and I noticed a red light on the camera come on and the light immediately turned green.


lol, i remember one time on my way up to a rally in western mass after a beer run there was a one lane bridge. i sat for a while then just went. on the other side THE one cop for the entire area (off duty) began across the bridge. he was barely on it so backed up then chewed me out. when asked why i went, i said "i waited a while, then took a calculated risk." he told me not to be a smart ass but didn't give me a ticket.:laugh

[henzilla]

Oh, those temporary one way lights are aggravating to say the least...since you cannot see the other end typically...No cars come for a very long time, then you decide to take that "calculated risk" and a Corvette Rally comes thundering towards you halfway into it...:bolt happened in Spearfish Canyon SD last year.

Helen just gets off and does a dance...doesn't help any, other than make me laugh. About the time she dismounts her bike ,the light changes.

[cathdeac]

I contact the local authorities, explain that I have a "legally licensed vehicle" and they "increase" the sensitivity of the loop...

They set it "low" so that big vehicles in the adjoining lane don't set it off.. but as a licensed vehicle using the roadway, they must make it function correctly.

It's easy to "ask" for them to adjust rather than "forcing" them... I even offer to use my machine as a "trip sensor.." they can calibrate it to work...or fix it.

[nrpetersen]

Federal law requires for DOT funding that states set these systems so they will trip for M/Cs and even bicycles. The local traffic engineers will keep turning the sensitivity of these systems down so they don't trip from adjacent lane truck traffic. You have to call them and complain. The law is on your side.

Magnets won't work except to the extent they are additional metal. These detectors are high frequency carrier based systems (like 10KHz to 80 KHz). The game is to place as much metal as close to the search coil wires as possible. That's why the kickstand approach sometimes works (not much metal but extremely close), although two rims paced directly over the wires should be most effective.

It does not do much good to place your metal mass in the center of the loop. You have to be physically as close as possible to the wires.

I got all this from a detailed technical conversation with an engineer at Traffic Control Systems Inc (I recall that was the name).

[amiles]

In addition to all of the previously mentioned black magic, I have on occasion, when an auto is behind me, pulled forward a bit or off to the side of the lane & motioned to them to pull up over the detector loop for activation. Use daytime only & with care.

[hlothery]

I had good experiences with the highway folks in San Antonio. Twice, they met me at troublesome intersections to adjust the sensitivity to my bike. We had two intersections which kept malfunctioning. They finally set the left turn to trigger every cycle for 5 seconds, even if no one was in the lane. That would give a bicyclist or motorcyclist time to get through the intersection, without disturbing traffic flow appreciably. Takes a little effort to talk to them, but they do respond.

[kantuckid]

Move to NYC, problem solved, we have NO lights that work based on sensors.:thumb

My county has NO red lights...:whistle
Poverty has its rewards?