Total Motorcycle Community Forums

In a lot of places, you will get off even if there is a camera.

Of course, here in New York, you won't (yet) though there is a bill apparently before the State assembly to change it.

Nibblet99 wrote:Pull the clutch and get off the throttle as you approach, and wait for the revs to drop to your bikes idling speed, then push the starter button as you go over the sensor

This wouldn't work in my area, unless you kept running the starter until the light changed. The system has to continously detect the vehicle. Otherwise, it'll assume the vehicle has gone, and then you're back where you started.

I haven't had much luck with magnets either. I have a 3 lb. rare earth magnet that I salvaged from a 1980s era mainframe disk drive. That thing will suck the electrons off a TV screen at 12". I attached it to the bottom of my bike and it didn't work any better.

The best methods I've found are those that Zed mentioned. Even on particularly tough lights, the kickstand over the wire will do the trick for me. The only caveat is that you have to have a steel kickstand. The sensor is like a giant metal detector and it takes ferrous metals to disrupt its field. One of the reasons that bikes have problems is that they have lots of aluminum mass, but not much steel. If you have a fancy aluminum kickstand (such as on a sportbike), the kickstand trick won't work.

I had the same problem when I first started riding. But a friend told me to look for the rectangle that is cut out with tar on it, usually you can see them pretty good. i ride on the longest line then center myself. Usually that does the tick. I have also backed up and run over it again. Sometimes they don't work, and i look and go.

Had the same thing happen to me, went through about 3 cycles too. I would of went but unfortunately I had a cop car behind me. Eventually the cop inched closer to my bike, and the light finally changed.

I had it happen to me, there was already a bike there ahead of me waiting. I pulled up tried riding on the line and also the starter trick. He just went, I waited a couple more cycles of the light and just went. They really need to change the technology on the lights. The city here isn't too bad cuz the lights are timed.

Snoviper wrote:I had it happen to me, there was already a bike there ahead of me waiting. I pulled up tried riding on the line and also the starter trick. He just went, I waited a couple more cycles of the light and just went. They really need to change the technology on the lights. The city here isn't too bad cuz the lights are timed.

the technology is there its just city's and county's cant afford to put up camaras at all intersections right now.

After a couple days of riding a bike one quickly finds out roads are not designed with motorcycles in mind.

As for the red light that won't change I've found 2 things that work.

1. If there is a cross walk signal nearby get off the bike and go hit the button. That usually makes the whole intersection go into its full cycle.

2. If riding with more bikes have them pull up along side you. More weight on the sensor will set it off.

There was only one light that's ever given me trouble here. I Think these are the magnetic sensed kind but I'm not sure. As I've sat on the side of the road and watched the stupid thing randomly give greens to empty lanes instead of the chock full main road.

It also made me wait through 3 cycles before I got a green once. In a car. at 3 am.

Nibblet99 wrote:Pull the clutch and get off the throttle as you approach, and wait for the revs to drop to your bikes idling speed, then push the starter button as you go over the sensor

Engaging the starter with the engine running is not something that I would do.

I've had this happened to me and it happens when i leave for work at 6:30am. some times i get off my bike and hit the crosswalk button. tends to work very well ....until I jump back on and forget the side stand is down and stall once it's in gear.