Green Light Triggers?

[Willy]

Does anyone have this and does it work? It seems like after 10 pm the lights in my town switch over and I'm stuck waiting awhile before a realize it doesn't know I'm there. My concern as of late is rolling through a red only to get a photo of me "running" a red light. ???

[R J]

Does anyone have this and does it work? It seems like after 10 pm the lights in my town switch over and I'm stuck waiting awhile before a realize it doesn't know I'm there. My concern as of late is rolling through a red only to get a photo of me "running" a red light. ???

The Valkyrie will set off any of these if ya position the bike in the right place on the hunk of concrete that is cut..

IF, ya do run the red light, most Judges will dismiss the case when ya appear in Court......    The ones trying to make Payroll, that is a different story............

[Willy]

Never actually looked for it.  I'm gonna go out now and try it. Thanks!

[Willy]

Well that didn't work. Positioned my Valkyrie right over the square cut out and moved it into several positions at two seperate lights with no luck. A car pulled up afterwards and the light changed. So the question still stands. Does the Trigger work?

[NiteRiderF6]

All the Red Light Trigger is.... are you ready? is a Magnet...

We don't have those fancy cameras around here where I live, but we do have some lights that are triggered by cars/trucks, etc. If I sit at one for very long (usually at night) for over a few minutes,I will go ahead and run the light as I feel that the ticket could be disputed in court if the trigger can't detect your vehicle. (Makes sense to me that the city should have equipment that would detect any vehicle....

To answer your question though, I know some people who have them installed on their Wings and they say they work every time... Good Luck!

[Skinhead]

All the Red Light Trigger is.... are you ready? is a Magnet...

We don't have those fancy cameras around here where I live, but we do have some lights that are triggered by cars/trucks, etc. If I sit at one for very long (usually at night) for over a few minutes,I will go ahead and run the light as I feel that the ticket could be disputed in court if the trigger can't detect your vehicle. (Makes sense to me that the city should have equipment that would detect any vehicle....

To answer your question though, I know some people who have them installed on their Wings and they say they work every time... Good Luck!

I heard the biggest complaint about those triggers is they become clogged up with Harley parts.

[Oss]

I call the NYS DOT and speak to a fellow who is in charge of the sensors in the Hudson Valley area at least once a year. Nice fella.
DOT is pretty responsive to calls if you leave a spot on description of the light and the direction and lane that is out of kilter and come out to adjust the sensitivity

Big problem is Route 9A at Chappaqua Rd where I turn left a few blocks from home

After one full cycle of the light I turn.  Sometimes there is a local cop on the intersection and I sound my horn (rivco air) to let him know I am pissed and am turning at the next cycle 

Never lit up to chase me yet.  Maybe he rides when he is off duty

He says stop dead center in the lane around  6 feet in back of the stop line. Also he says if you put down the kickstand that can help so I will do that. DOnt forget to lift the stand before shifting into 1st or the bike will die   Not that I have ever done that

[ChromeDome]

Had an instructor tell me that when stuck at a light like that .... shut-off the engine & then re-start, the electrical surge when re-starting will trigger the sensors. I believe there has only been a few times when it hasn't worked.

[John Schmidt]

Put the kickstand down right on one of the lines. When I was flying regularly I would sometimes come in late and to get out had to use the gate triggered by your car. Coming in was no big deal since I had to use a card, but going out could get dicey...especially if there was a lot of runway traffic. Someone told me about dropping the kickstand, sure enough...it worked. When it didn't, I had to go back to the plane and get ground control on the radio for permission to cross the end of the runway. There was a walk-through gate I could use on the other side and the bike just could squeeze through. The walk-through was triggered from inside the FBO, you had to press a button and they responded on a speaker next to the gate. They knew who I was, but sometimes the gals inside would still give me the business...wouldn't let me out until I came in and bought them both a donut and coffee. Then I ended up sitting around chatting with them until waaay too late.

But I digress....put the kickstand down, should work.

[fudgie]

I run into that here also. Usually we will park 2 bikes on it to change it. But if I'm solo, I 'usually' will wait 2 cycles then run it. But I look around and check my radar detector 1st! I only waited 1 cycle yesterday tho...As far as the 'trigger', save the money and buy chrome. My crotch rocket coworker has one and says they work, most of the time.

[Titan]

I've had a large magnet under my bike for about 8 years. I can not say emphatically that it helps or doesn't help with traffic light sensors. What I can say is that I've been fortunate (lucky?) to have never been stuck at a light. Maybe I just don't ride enough!

After reading this post I searched Google on the subject and found a lot of opinions and good reading material. But I found nothing at all that proves that a magnet will or will not work.

If you're looking for serious magnets here's one place that sells them in all shapes and sizes. They even have some with a lot of warnings about the dangers of handling them.

http://www.unitednuclear.com/magnets.htm

[Gear Jammer]

I don't ride that much, so my experience may be unlike that of others.  I have had to run several red lights when they wouldn't change.  I did install a "red-light changer", and have not had the problem reoccur.  YMMV   And I'd rather spend $20 on a magnet that is supposed to work, than spend a lot of time and possibly money convincing a cop    and/or traffic court     to let me off. 

[R J]

I don't ride that much, so my experience may be unlike that of others.  I have had to run several red lights when they wouldn't change.  I did install a "red-light changer", and have not had the problem reoccur.  YMMV   And I'd rather spend $20 on a magnet that is supposed to work, than spend a lot of time and possibly money convincing a cop    and/or traffic court     to let me off. 

You got a link to that red light changer you installed?

Curious old farts want to know...........   LOL

[2tonevalk]

Here in SC they passed a law, "if your at a light for a 'reasonable' amount of time, you can proceed thru it."

One of the few laws passed that makes sense. 

Ride safe
Robert

[2tonevalk]

If you get one, it will pay for itself.  You can sell the Harley parts it picks up.

Shift levers will probably be your biggest seller.

Ride safe
Robert

[Gear Jammer]

I don't ride that much, so my experience may be unlike that of others.  I have had to run several red lights when they wouldn't change.  I did install a "red-light changer", and have not had the problem reoccur.  YMMV   And I'd rather spend $20 on a magnet that is supposed to work, than spend a lot of time and possibly money convincing a cop    and/or traffic court     to let me off. 

You got a link to that red light changer you installed?

Curious old farts want to know...........   LOL

Here ya go RJ,,,

I got it at this online retailer, though I'm sure they're availalble from others too.   It's called the Green Light Stuff Green Light Trigger HP (High Power)

www.cruisercustomizing.com/detail.cfm?Category_ID=53&manufacturer_ID=262&product_ID=14237&sblid_name=Green_Light_Stuff_Green_Light_Trigger_HP__High_Power_&model_id=0

[Gear Jammer]

If you get one, it will pay for itself.  You can sell the Harley parts it picks up.

Shift levers will probably be your biggest seller.

Ride safe
Robert

Hotglue says he'll buy the parts you pick up if you'll give him a good deal !!   

[Willy]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I've decided to buy one. My brother-in-Law rides a Harley and he always gives me grief (good natured) about my Valkyrie. So I can not wait to tell him about all the Harley parts I keep having to remove from it.  He got a Harley tattoo last year and he was so proud of it and I said,"Don't be surprised if that tattoo falls right off your arm". 

[LemonDrop]

The way it was explained to me is that you position the bike over the "cracks" where the cement/blacktop has been cut.  There supposedly is a magnetic sensor in the cracks that is activated by the metal in the bike/car to trigger the light to change.  Seems to work around here.

[Hogg]

A magnet is supposed to work, since the sensors are........ magnetic !  They detect the metal of your bike/car.  To simplify further.... stop over the litlle black line thingies.   

[Hollywood]

we have had one for a few years now, still no proof they work. Mostly though, here in Ft. Worth, there is a sensor mounted on the light signal, so if there is no car behind us, we wave with both hands and maybe get lucky that it sees us! ROTFLMAO 

[DavidT]

The way it was explained to me is that you position the bike over the "cracks" where the cement/blacktop has been cut.  There supposedly is a magnetic sensor in the cracks that is activated by the metal in the bike/car to trigger the light to change.  Seems to work around here.

Hey y'all, they're not quite magnets.  The lines in the roads are an induction loop...just a big loop of wire, that goes back to a sensor.  When a big piece of metal goes over it (car engine, car wheels, etc), the metal moving over the wire causes a teeny, tiny current to be generated and the signal electronics picks this up as a car in position and cycles the light.  The problem with bikes is that the induction loop only works with ferrous metals and our rims aren't ferrous so they don't trigger the loops.  You'd think our engines would do it, but they don't work all the time either.  The suggestion from Lemon Drop is correct.  The best bet is to roll right over (or just inside) the crack in the road.  This will give the largest signature to the signal electronics.  I've got one light on site that refuses to change for me and I'm thinking about buying one of these signal changers and giving it a test on a light that I know doesn't switch right.

[Bob E.]

Hey y'all, they're not quite magnets.  The lines in the roads are an induction loop...just a big loop of wire, that goes back to a sensor.  When a big piece of metal goes over it (car engine, car wheels, etc), the metal moving over the wire causes a teeny, tiny current to be generated and the signal electronics picks this up as a car in position and cycles the light.  The problem with bikes is that the induction loop only works with ferrous metals and our rims aren't ferrous so they don't trigger the loops.  You'd think our engines would do it, but they don't work all the time either.  The suggestion from Lemon Drop is correct.  The best bet is to roll right over (or just inside) the crack in the road.  This will give the largest signature to the signal electronics.  I've got one light on site that refuses to change for me and I'm thinking about buying one of these signal changers and giving it a test on a light that I know doesn't switch right.

Rzrsg is correct.  And the corners of the loop are the most sensitive spots, but it still doesn't always pick up a bike.  The sensitivity is adjustable.  The problem is that setting the sensitivity is a touchy thing because they have to be set sensitive enough to detect small vehicles such as motorcycles, but no so sensitive as to detect the big semi in the next lane.  And often the signal owners of the signal err on the side of not sensitive enough unfortunately because they don't test them for motorcycles...just a car.  Of course none of this means anything if the signal is equipped with camera detectors rather than loops, which is what most new signals in PA are being installed with.  But those can also miss bikes...though less often it seems.

Generally, I'll wait 1 cycle of the signal, then run it when the coast is clear.  If it doesn't see the bike in the first cycle, it's not ever going to change unless you get lucky and another car pulls up behind you close enough to trigger the light.  If you have a problem with a signal, call and complain.  Every state is probably different, but here in PA, the local municipalities (not PENNDOT) own and maintain all traffic signals.  Just call the municipality, borough, etc. and complain and be sure to document who you spoke to and when...and call multiple times.  It may or may not get you out of a ticket for running the signal some time, but at least you could show a magistrate/judge/cop that you tried to get the signal fixed to no avail.  And that would surely up your chances of getting off.

[Willy]

Ok, I was dead center of the square. Tonight I'm putting it on the line or groove.   

[inspector]

Hello, I'm a new Valkyrie owner that has come over from the VTXOA site and the was a fellow over there that put alot of us onto a cool website for magnets and other fun stuff it's  www.unitednuclear.com they have differant sizes and good prices. just dont get these near anything electronic.  I bought the 1/2x1/2x3" for $15 and it works fine on the VTX, havent tried it on the Valkyrie yet as its in the shop for getting fixed.

[Big IV]

NC can now turn left on red lights onto one way left roads.
NC can also wait a reasonable time then turn if nothing is coming. I find the law to be a bit sketchy and figure I'll eventually get a ticket for that too.
Haven't tried a magnet under my bike to trip the sensors. Luckily, unless it is late at night, these roads are usually fairly well packed with cars and trucks behind me.

[Udo]

Snake oil, i think.