Stop Lights Not Turning

[themaffeo]

Ok, Here's something that has started to piss me off a little.  I've found that at some stoplights, my gs doesn't seem to have enough metal to trigger the light change - either that or I'm stopping in the wrong place.  So what will happen is I'll sit at a light for 2 or 3 turns waiting for another vehicle to come behind me and trigger the light for me.

Has anyone else had this problem? Any suggestions on how to fix it?

[stefman722]

Go buy a magnet and glue it to the bottom of ur bike

[Daniely]

Yes we ahve all experienced it. some of the lights around my town dont have sensors in the turn lanes (yeilding turns) in that case you have to get in the straight lane and jog over to turn. Most of the time I would sit for about 2 cycles, then run it. I would always make sure it was clear before I ran it though, to many things can go wrong. But most of the time it would be late at night that this would happen. Around our town, its small so ther eis always a car nearby to trigger it, or at least there has been for me. But id say as long as its clear, with no danger to you or anyone else, id run it. And if you feel guilty about running it, eh, grow old in the turn lane?

[94suzuki500]

you can always call the city and tell them that the sensor is not sensing you, they should turn the sensor up.  Here in TX they do.

[drvmystck]

In minnesota they passed a law that you can go thru a red light after sitting for an 'unreasonable' amount of time. I usually wait two cycles on a left turn arrow and then run it.  Happens alot - seems like every red turn arrow is sensored in Minneapolis.  

I'm not sure what the ruling would be if you could go straight, but chose to turn left, and then chose to run the light... I guess since I'm a licensed, insured, registered rider and not some tool out stunting I'd expect some leniency.

[Mat]

count to 3 and go

thats what i do


i will also run to the sidewalk and hit the crosswalk button

people look at me really funny when i do that

[94suzuki500]

count to 3 and go

thats what i do


i will also run to the sidewalk and hit the crosswalk button

people look at me really funny when i do that

haha Ya I have hit the button before.  Sorta looks weird but it works.

[Dr. Love]

Just yesterday I was stuck waiting for the light to turn at an intersection (it's usually busy so there are always cars tripping the sensor for me, but now that the exams are over and the campus deserted...). I tried moving the bike and putting down the kick stand to no avail.

Miraculously a middle-aged women pulled up behind me in a moss green Volvo wagon, but to my disappointment she stopped just short of the second sensor  :x ... so I waved for her to come forward, but she just smiled and shook her head.  Anyway, it took some more hand-waving and pointing at the traffic light and the sensor on the ground before she eventually edged slowly forward.

Finally, the light started to turn, so I pointed to the light again and gave her a thumb up - only at that point did she realize what I was getting at - you could see the realization dawning on her face... she laughed hard.

[Daniely]

Yea, i used to the the wave too, when they finally realised i wasnt doing some motorcycle demon chant to evoke the concrete gods to smash their car they would laugh.

Im seriously gonna start doin the run to the side and hit the button thing though....thats great!! lol. *pictures big guy in yellow leathers hoppin of bike and joggin to the side of the road to hit the crosswalk sensor* hehe.

[DerekNC]

The stop light didn't change on me this morning. If it wasn't for a car that pulled up behind me I'd still be there. :lol:

Derek

[dyran]

Last night the stop light didn't turn for me for a good five minutes and then the little walk guy changed to don't walk and then changed back to the walk guy  but it would not go green so after a little while longer I went, stupid non changing lights.

[TOMIMOTO]

Drvmystck your right about being able to run lights after a certain amount of time. I'm pretty sure this applies to everywhere because the lights are supposed to be made to sense any kind of street legal vehicle. If you get pulled over running a light because you sat there for more than 3 cycles than you can tell the officer that the light isn't functioning properly and it wasn't your fault.

Dr. Love that's great I always try to get people to come up behind me to go on the sensors too. Sometimes I even go over the white line sometimes practically positioning myself for turning cars to hit me. People can be so dumb. I do the look and point and they just stare blankly. Because of their stupidity I usually let the light cycle through 4-6 times to piss them off than I check right to make sure it's clear and go straight. Yah I know it's not safe doing this but oh well. I think they don't pull closer to you because everyone is taught to stay away from motorcycles while driving.

It's usually only on left turns, it's been really bad now on my CBR. This thing has so much plastic and its 40 lbs lighter than my GS. I'm not sure if the sensors go by weight or metal.

Oh yah also I heard those bike magnets are a joke. I'm pretty sure we've talked about them a bunch of times on here.

[knowlsey]

not sure what type of sencors you have on your stop lights in america, but in england some of them change when you flash your high beam as you aproach it, bit of a cautious one though.

[Turkina]

nah, here we have magnetic induction loops beneath the pavement.  Sport bikes don't have a massive enough lump of metal to activate it sometimes.

Last night I was driving home, and there was some sort of accident on the other side of the highway.  The emergency vehicles forgot to turn off their stoplight flasher (turns the light so they can get through intersections) and we got stuck behind a red light for a while until everyone just decided to run the light en masse.  

[Eklipse]

I have the greenlight stop and it hasn't really helped at many lights. Like maybe two... I guess I'm going to have to start making calls or hitting the crosswalk. It's really only a problem at night or in certain turn lanes, because there's usually some traffic.