Sportbike riders or any motorcycle rider...do you ever have trouble making lights turn green?

Question

I always have trouble making left turn lights turn green for me. It sucks cuz I'll be stuck there until a car comes behind me or I have to run it red.

Answer 1

There are some lights in my area that will NOT work for a cycle. There is not enough metal for the sensor to detect. One of the guys I ride with wears a helmet with a big steel plate on top. He just takes off the helmet and lays it over the wire. Bingo, problem solved.
Oh but that is not for me. I once sat at a busy intersection where it was too hard to tell which lights were green for the crosstraffic. After about five changes of the light a cop pulled up next to me and I got his attention by honking the horn. Told him the light was stuck and he put his lights on and pulled out to stop traffic for me. Said he would make a note of it but the light still didn't work last time I went that way.

Sometimes I can trigger it by lowering the kick stand right over the crack where the wire is....

Answer 2

This can happen to any bike or even smaller cars. The electromagnetic strip in the pavement might not pick you up if the thing hasn't been calbrated in a while.

Try stopping directly over the seams in the pavement where the strip has been laid down, or putting your kickstand down on them.

But that might not work either. I've heard of people calling and complaining and getting the strip calibrated so it will work, I've even heard of a story where the local government set up an appointment with the guy that complained. He brought his bike out and they set the electromagnetic strip up so that it would detect his bike. So you could give that a shot, who knows, you might find someone at your local highway department who cares enough to help you out. Try complaining to your local elected officials or newspaper to get some attention.

If that doesn't work you could just wait until it's clear and then proceed. Be very careful that it's safe to do so. In the unlikely possibility that a cop sees you and pulls you over take the officer to the intersection and show him that the strip doesn't pick up your bike. Since this means that the lights at that intersection are not functioning properly you did the right thing by waiting until it was clear and then proceeding - just like you would if the lights were not working at all.

Stay away from the "green light trigger" things you see advertised in the magazines. They don't work.

Answer 3

LOL!!! Even riding double we often have the problem of making the lights change... we've had to go with out a light alot of times, or have moved up so the car behind us could trip the switch.

Answer 4

Well it is illegal to go if the light is red, no matter what. Usually I pull uo a bit and motion for the car behind me to get in closer to activate it. If it is really dead, get off and push the pedestrian button. But it is usally faster to turn right (where I am, that is legal on a red) and take another route.

Definitely you can phone the city and tell them of the problem.

Answer 5

Happens all the time. Some states have laws in effect that if you sit through 2 sets of lights, you can legally run the light.

Answer 6

Yes. In my state we are asking the legislators to either make the devices sensitive enough to detect motorcycles, or to allow bikes to safely "run the light" after a full cycle of signals.

Answer 7

I think this is a common motorcycle problem. I bought a little magnet at my local motorcycle shop and mounted it on the underside of my BMW. It helps a bit but not 100% of the time. NOTHING works in a particular intersection I frequently use and will blow reds when it's safe. The cops know and don't hassle me.

Answer 8

Eh, obeying all those lights and signs and things are OK, but the benefits are kind of over rated as far as the ultimate benefits involved.

Answer 9

Yes. It happens all of the time. It has to do with the sensors not picking you up. It's a real pain in the bum!

Here is a link about how the sensors work: http://www.howstuffworks.com/question234.htm

Unfortunately there is not much that you can do about it.

Answer 10

Fasten a magnet to the bottom of your motorcycle helps. There are some sold but any strong one will do.