What's going on? Bike's too light

[ital916]

Hey all

I just started motorcycling and ride an RG150..I pulled up to the greenlane intersection today turning right towards greenlane roundabout but the light never turned green for me haha. It stayed red for every cycle in the end i had to go straight as the light woould never turn green. I didn't realise this would happen at the intersection. Remedies for this problem anyone haha. Odd request I know.

Peace Out and Ride Safe

D

[paturoa]

The sensors work by detecting a big hunk of metal moving past a coil in the ground.

If the sensors aren't set senstive enought they wont detect bikes.

There are urban myths about sides stands etc. But the only real ways are to complain to the council to get them teaked, or follow a cage.

[fliplid]

You are probably not going over the reader thingies in the road surface, so the lights are not "knowing' you're there... or summat similar! Try going more towards the centre of the lane, it might help.

[sunhuntin]

as you come up to most intersections, there will be an obvious boxy shape just before the lines. i line the bike up so its directly over the top of one vertical line. havent really missed one since i started doing that.

[discotex]

Yep it's a right pain at times.. If you look you can see the groove they've cut to lay the sensors which is the box shape sunhuntin mentioned.

Putting the side stand on the line or putting engine over the line and revving a few times both work for me. You just need to make it think you're a bigger hunk of metal than you are.

If it's happening really bad at a particular intersection you can complain to the council. If they're not busy spending your money on another stupid logo that day you might find it gets fixed ;)

[James Deuce]

There are urban myths about sides stands etc. But the only real ways are to complain to the council to get them teaked, or follow a cage.

Dude, it's not an urban myth.

I do both - find a way to trigger it, usually with the side stand down and a couple of big revs, and then I ring up the council and let them know which light and where doesn't work for bikes. Complaining is such a negative process! :) The traffic guys are more than willing to respond to any polite request. A whinge will get the respect it deserves along with about 7 pointless phone transfers to people who will transfer you to the "right" person.

sunhuntin has pointed out the best way to address the issue. If you do that it's a very rare sensor that won't respond.

[vifferman]

Another thing that apparently works is parking your bike over one of the cracks in the road indicating where the induction loop is buried, and push your starter button - it's spozed to make enough of an electromagnetic field to create some induction in the loop.

[Pancakes]

Yeah people normally pull too far forward on bikes so their not on the sensor. They can be a bit back from the white line and if you ride in the centre of the lane and stop on it you shouldn't have an issue.

Imagine the loop is like a low archway you could crawl under on the lane and your metal will block it, triggering the lights. They only work side to side not forward/back due to the shape of the "arch" and most need you to stop there cos they will take a momentary signal as a false one.

[EJK]

Hey all

I just started motorcycling and ride an RG150..I pulled up to the greenlane intersection today turning right towards greenlane roundabout but the light never turned green for me haha.
D

I KNOW!!!
somethimes that happens! Lights are being "bikesist"!

Guess I'm not the only one experiencing this thing...
oh btw, the intersection between Carrington Road and New North Road is the worst.... No joke guys, the light did not turn green for.... 4-5 cycles! (routine, round, loop, period whatever the word)

[McDuck]

Move to whakatane, no traffic lights.

[hospitalfood]

I have found that hard braking on the obvious spot ( when possible ) can help.
I usually used the look around for cops/traffic then run the red technique. I would not recommend it to others as that would be naughty.

[McDuck]

The few times i have struck it a car comes.

[McDuck]

But if it didnt i guess i would have doen the run red thing. If you can see it is safe, why not? (this is the only case it should be used)

[Pancakes]

Coming from being acycle courier for fricken ages I had the habit when I was on bikes of using my eye's like crazy and just shooting the gap! Had to break that one. But if ya stop and there's no-one there at 2am off ya go!

From cycling I used to nearly take off in cars and on bikes when the pedestrian buzzers went off! Mmmmm, not the best plan.

[grusomhat]

Saw a video on this the other day on MetaCafe.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/828731/trigger_green_traffic_lights_/

PITA though but if you are constantly find yourself at these lights then maybe this is worth a shot. You can get the neo magnets out of old computer harddrives.