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Stoplights not detecting motorcycles

2K views 26 replies 21 participants last post by  dreamzboy 
#1 ·
Just wondering what you guys do when you're stuck at an induction loop stoplight that doesn't detect your bike. Happened to me a few times now and I tried moving around to different positions in the lane but it didn't make a difference until a car pulled up about 6 minutes later.

I was reading online and it seems many states actually allow riders to run a red light if the sensor doesn't detect them. I couldn't find much more info on that law so I'm not sure how it works in regards to time limit. I'm not sure if that's legal where I am in Canada, I'll have to research
 
#2 ·
Yeah for sure do the research, you don't want to get a ticket for that sh!t.... I have also got stuck at a light or two before....I try to go between regular and high beam lights.....of course that might not work during the day and actually don't remember if it worked or if I had to wait for a car. If I'm on a bike I try to avoid roads I know might give me those sort of problems.

I think some have said something about magnets, I'm sure they Will be around to give their suggestions....
 
#3 ·
The magnets have mixed reviews, some claim they work while others say they're junk. In most states if you wait through one complete cycle, then you can go through a red light.
 
#8 ·
not gonna argue, as i'm not 100% but i think it does work, at least it has for me, unless my jeep has been the luckiest of vehicles ever. stuck at a light for 5 minutes, start flashing and light changes. :drunk:
 
#12 ·
Do you hold clutch and then bump starter, or kick to neutral then bump starter?
 
#11 ·
I've never tried to bump the starter. That's a good idea and might try that when I get in that situation again. I've always moved around the magnets. Here in San Diego you could usually see them on the road. They are shaped like a circle. Well I think they're magnets. But yeah I just try to move back and forth on those and usually it works. If that doesn't work then I will wait about 3 cycles and then go if the intersection is clear. The safest way without risking a stupid ticket is to make a right, do a U-turn (if possible), and make a right. It's stupid and can be extremely inconvenient but whatever I guess.
 
#15 ·
Either go threw the red light or make a right hand turn then U turn and right turn again.
 
#16 ·
Put the kickstand down always works for me.
 
#17 ·
I've tried the suggested magnets but I don't quite remember the name/type of magnet needed for this to work. Mounted it strategically on my lower fairing and it did not work. I tried moving it around on the lower fairing and nothing worked. I have this one light that I tried this on because I know exactly where you need to be on a cruiser for it to work and on my 600RR it would never work regardless of having a magnet or not.

Make sure its safe, look for cops and go through the light.
 
#20 ·
Do your research based on where you live/ride OP. Every place is different. For example, where I live I am not required to wait through a cycle... I can proceed as if it were a stop sign after the signal fails to recognize the motorcycle. Note, that does NOT MEAN I can go through red because I don't wait for the cycle. It has to have not triggered when it should have.
 
#21 · (Edited)
Induction loop signals (the ones with the lines in the road, sometimes circles, sometimes rectangles, sometimes octagons) detect metal. The sensitivity of the loops can be changed, so towns usually set them to be just sensitive enough to pick up most motorcycles but not so sensitive that it picks up a bus in an adjacent lane. What works best is to put the most amount of metal closest to the loop. All of the loops around me are rectangles, and some have 3 vertical lines and 2 horizontal lines. Stop with your wheels on these lines (the middle one is usually the most sensitive), and it will pick you up no problem. For a circle or octagon, stop to one side just so that both wheels are directly on top or just barely outside the line.
Weight based signals are very rare, because it's more expensive to install and maintain. Light based signals do not run on visible light, they run on a specific frequency of IR only available to emergency vehicles. Most lights have both induction loops and IR sensors.
 
#22 ·
Think I read somewhere that quite a few traffic lights use a sensor mounted on top of the lights to detect vehicles, with bike often not detected due to the size. I think if you flash your headlight at the sensor it might detect you...or I might be wrong, I've always been lucky enough to be at the lights the same time as other vehicles.


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