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Getting stuck at red lights?  Try this. (Read 1297 times)
MuzzleBlast
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Getting stuck at red lights?  Try this.
12/08/06 at 15:59:38
 
We've all gotten stuck at red lights with magnetic sensors that don't seem to "see" motorcycles and we sit there trying to decide whether to sit there forever or just blow the light, in which case, you-know-who will suddenly appear.  Green light triggers sold on the internet are only magnets in a plastic case, so my solution was to buy a couple of magnets at Ace Hardware (about $2.00) and JB Weld them to the underside of the frame along with a cable tie for insurance.  The magnets come in different sizes so I chose a pair about 1"X2".  I don't think I've been stuck at a light since and they've been there about 2 years now.  
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« Last Edit: 12/04/12 at 11:57:21 by Oldfeller--FSO »  
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HeresPaco
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Re: Getting stuck at red lights?  Try this.
Reply #1 - 12/17/06 at 07:37:44
 
Thanks for reminding everyone of this.  

It's a must for any motorcycle as they just do not have enough steel near the road to activate most traffic signal sensors.

I've been using a magnet under my bikes for 15 years.   Even my 1000lb, large GoldWing needs it to activate many traffic lights.  Smiley
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Savage_Greg
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Re: Getting stuck at red lights?  Try this.
Reply #2 - 12/26/06 at 08:23:13
 
Another trick...for those without a magnet attached to the bike or a green light trigger...

...your kill switch and starter button.

I won't guarantee 100% success, but if you are stuck at a light then simply shut off the bike and restart it.

The power surge to the starter (and it's magnets) will create a field pulse that will very often trigger the roadway sensors as well.
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Re: Getting stuck at red lights?  Try this.
Reply #3 - 12/31/06 at 09:41:47
 
HeresPaco wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:12:
Thanks for reminding everyone of this.  

It's a must for any motorcycle as they just do not have enough steel near the road to activate most traffic signal sensors.

I've been using a magnet under my bikes for 15 years.   Even my 1000lb, large GoldWing needs it to activate many traffic lights.  Smiley
traffic sensors are radio frequency senstive not weight ...
the outside of the area in the road is the pick up antenna the center is where the wires are together thus canceling the signal out ..SO  as you pull up to the sensor area stay to one side of your lane not the center
steel toe boots are enuf to trigger most sensors...
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Savage_Greg
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Re: Getting stuck at red lights?  Try this.
Reply #4 - 01/02/07 at 11:08:53
 
I don't think that he was referring to the weight of the bike as much as the mass of the bike.  Figuring that more mass would be more easily sensed...

The antenna in the road simply detects a change or interruption in the field.  Metal objects or electromagnetic fields do that, but unfortunately they set the threshold sensitivity for objects with larger mass in order to trigger a light change.
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Re: Getting stuck at red lights?  Try this.
Reply #5 - 02/27/09 at 04:35:31
 
Better yet join ABATE they lobbied & got a change in the TN law for bikers.  They can now stop & go at a light.
To be clear stop at a red look both ways and go against a red.
We had a state senator w/  bike.
This does not just happen .
You have to join  & support such.
Otherwise just sit there and be pissed while your motor gets hot
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Re: Getting stuck at red lights?  Try this.
Reply #6 - 03/01/09 at 16:20:37
 
So...   being a electronics tech by training, and having worked at a factory that made radar components with big-ass magnets on them , I realized that just sticking a magnet on may not work.  

You need to test the field of the magnet.   Or.... how far the magnetic affects go out from the magnet.   Remember back to your school days and the paper and iron filings???   I figured that I needed a field that reached from the bottom of the bike to a few inches into the ground, so I guessed about a foot.

How to find the range of the field.... the easiest way to test it is to use a compass, and I suggest using a cheapie compass as the magnets may ruin it. (yep,  a compass.... one of those direction finding things used before GPS).  

WHAT I DID......  

- I found a bunch of magnets laying around the house.  Some strong and nice sized, some tiny and powerful, some long and skinny and only so-so in the strenght department.

- I laid the magnets out on a piece of wood on the concrete garage floor.
- I then took the small cheap compass my son had and from a distance, slowly moved it towards the magnets (one at a time).
- When the needle of the compass started to move I stopped and marked the distance.
-  What I found was the long skinny magnet had around an 18 inches range.  yea!!   The others were less.  The small powerful one was the worse.
- I attached that magnet on the bracket on the bottm of the bike, with doulbe sided tape and some heavy duty duct tape.

TEST DRIVE:
- PITA light number one, just down the street from my house.  Previously I had to wait for a car or a second bike.   NOW.... the light trigggered......  Hmmmm.... "once is luck, twice is coincident, third time is fact ",  .... so, on to the next light.
-  PITA light two,  preivously took three bikes or a car to trigger..... now,  my bike triggered it....  WOW!   On to the next PITA light.
-  PITA light number three,  a turn lane arrow down by the grocery store.   It took a few weeks to get to it without a car behind... but ... IT TRIGGERS NOW!!!!  

- PITA light number four,  at work.... didn't work.....  

Well three out of four isn't too bad.  

EDIT: Note, I still need to be over the wire in the roadway.
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« Last Edit: 03/03/09 at 03:06:29 by T Mack 1 - FSO »  

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Yonuh Adisi FSO
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Re: Getting stuck at red lights?  Try this.
Reply #7 - 03/04/09 at 14:02:01
 
I only have one light in my town that is set with a trigger, all the other lights are set with timers. But the trigger light is a big PITA when I was working. I tried the staying to the right or left of the lane trick and it doesn't work with this light, I either have to run it or wait for a car. Even a second bike sitting there won't trigger it.

I will try the magnet idea as soon as I can get a magnet.

T Mack, I like your magnetic feald test, I will be sure to do that on any magnet I get so I will know if the feald is strong enough.
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Re: Getting stuck at red lights?  Try this.
Reply #8 - 03/14/09 at 16:12:18
 
Now durn, why didn't some of the list oldtimers from years gone by try out this neat sounding trick?   Must a been because they are old foggies and were out of touch with all them newfangled magnetic type thangs.



Or it might be that posts put into the Cafe eventually disappear on you.   And some of our oldest (and best) old members put their pics and stuff on picture sites like Photobucket that autodump stuff by stored age (and some of our best oldest tricks are so old they aren't even around any more).

Ah, the things that Ricochet or Savage Greg could have taught you young puppies ....  things you will never know 'cause even if you could locate the post in the archives you could never make sense of it without the attached pictures which Photobucket Inc. trashed years ago to save some server space.

Now, stodgy old places like gunloads.com,  heck,  they NEVER throw away anything -- them's real gun nuts and they make conservative biker types seem right modernistic in their attitudes towards not throwing anything away.

See, gun nuts ARE good for something -- endless data retention if nothing else.

Wink
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Re: Getting stuck at red lights?  Try this.
Reply #9 - 03/20/09 at 22:48:15
 
i had a lot of luck with earth magnets, i picked 20 of them up on line for $7.00 ( 1" by a quarter inch) and stuck 4 of them to the bottom of the frame. the have 25 pounds of pulling force and worked great. of course there's still that one darn light i cant get to trigger no matter what i try...

if you have a old computer hard drive laying around, rip it apart and steal the earth magnets. it has a nice mounting plate and i crap load of pulling force!
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Re: Getting stuck at red lights?  Try this.
Reply #10 - 03/27/09 at 02:32:07
 
diamond jim wrote on 03/24/09 at 20:04:20:
If you ever need dealer maintenance done, I hope the dealer's mechanic doesn't have a metal plate in his head.  I can just see him leaning down and getting in close to check the oil window... clink!  Let's hope the exhaust pipe is cold.  If he's got a bandage on his head and a pissed off look on his face when you go to pick the bike up, just pretend you didn't know anything about the magnets.  

Reminds me of putting my magnet on, first mod I did!  Got one of those 250# rated utility magnets from Harbor Freight (go by one on the way to work, yeehaw!) with the eyebolt in the middle.  Just used the threaded hole for the bolt to bolt it to the bracket on the bottom of the frame (I'm guessing for a center stand in a different life?).  Went good until I went to tighten it down and the magnet kept pulling the wrench, and my hand/arm/scorchables into close proximity of the still warm exhaust.  Lesson learned: don't get too excited to bolt on new goodies, think first! Roll Eyes  BTW, it works on most of the lights, only came across one by work it won't trigger. Tongue
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Re: Getting stuck at red lights?  Try this.
Reply #11 - 10/04/15 at 13:26:18
 
How about attaching a strong magnet to a non-magnetic lanyard that can be lowered to the sensor on the ground, trip the light and then retrieved and put in your pocket (or somewhere else)? Benefit: a larger area is affected by the magnet since it is lowered directly to the ground.
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Re: Getting stuck at red lights?  Try this.
Reply #12 - 10/04/15 at 20:26:43
 
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Re: Getting stuck at red lights?  Try this.
Reply #13 - 10/04/15 at 20:38:16
 
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Re: Getting stuck at red lights?  Try this.
Reply #14 - 10/05/15 at 16:52:59
 
Oh, ok. I saw that pic and didn't realize what OF was demonstrating. I get it now. There's a magnet on the kickstand. Clever!
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