Traffic Light Trigger

[PCX Commuter]

Hey everyone. Anyone have a favorite solution for a traffic light trigger? I've looked at a few different options, but always like the opinions on the forum! Well, most of the opinions...

I assume it the same everywhere, but in the US, we have a magnetic fielded box created by a loop of wire in the pavement. When your vehicle rolls over it, the traffic light is triggered to give you a green light. On my Metro scooter, it was all aluminum so I could never get it to trigger. Was hoping the PCX had a enough steel in the frame, but with an aluminum power train, I'm still not able to turn the light. Thanks in advance for your help!

[maddiedog]

Many lights around here only come on if they detect a vehicle. I have two strategies:

1. If cars are around -- Center stand down, run over and hit the pedestrian crossing button. Run back. Wait.
2. If no cars are around -- Run the light. Bah. Alternatively, if I feel like a law-abiding citizen, I take a right turn, then a u-turn, then another right turn.

[you you]

Move to Italy/spain /France/Egypt/Cuba/Brasil etc etc. What's a red light?

[Urbanian]

Check your local law regarding this. Some states make it legal to proceed as though you are at a flashing red.

[PCX Commuter]

Here in Tennessee, you have to wait a "reasonable" amount of time for the light to change. If it does not change, you are allowed to proceed carefully and in a safe manner through the intersection. Man, that can take a while!

[WhiteNoise]

I don't know about this http://www.instructables.com/id/Trigger ... ic-Lights/ (video included)

[djcat]

In the UK some traffic lights and most of the provisional lights on road works have light sensors. When I approach one before I hit the magnetic inductors I give it a flash with my high beams; when I hit the light it usually already changed to green and I don't even have to come to a full stop.

What I love in some German cities are the so called "green waves". These are jointly switched sets of traffic lights that will allow you to cruise through the entire length of the road always hitting a green light. All you have to do is to keep to the speed limit, speed up and the next one is red, be way below and it will have switched to red as well. Never understood why transport for London never came up with that idea...

[gn2]

Don't know if they still do it in Germany but they used to turn the traffic lights off on the priority routes and had flashing yellows as give way signs at the non priority roads.

[djcat]

Yep, still do it in most places after ten or midnight or wherever there is very little traffic. I have seen it in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Netherlands, Sweden and Latvia, too.

[gn2]

Never understood why transport for London never came up with that idea...

Wouldn't work in the UK because there is no priority route system.

[djcat]

Never understood why transport for London never came up with that idea...

Wouldn't work in the UK because there is no priority route system.

The green wave is only for main routes, would be great e.g. on the north circular A406, the A502, or the Strand or that one way system in Reading.

[PCX Commuter]

Alright, based on what I'm gathering here and have read elsewhere it really depends on the placement on the bike. From what I understand, you have to have a steel frame (yes, on PCX) and the magnet needs to be touching the frame to allow the frame to contribute to the magnetic field. Home Depot (hardware store in the US) has some super neodymium magnets that I think I'll try first. I'll report back with my results!

[WhiteNoise]

Yes do!

[Theboybilly]

I remember a few years back Chris Tarrant (Morning show host on London's Capital Radio) saying that you could go all the way through Slough if you stuck to the 30mph limit with greens all the way. He added that this also worked at 120mph.....I miss that show

[OriginalRocket]

Illinois just passed a new law allowing motorcycles to run a red if after waiting at least 120 seconds, and it is safe to do so. Except for districts with over 2million population. (Chicago)


I've only had a few lights I couldn't trip with the PCX. I learned in my MSF class that the key is to stop the mass of the bike ON THE TRIGGER LINE. Most lights it is a square box. Stop on 1 of the 2 lines parallel with the flow of traffic. Stoping in the box does nothing.

Now it does get tricky when the lines start multiplying. Then I just pick a line slightly left, or right of center and hope for the best.

[PCX Commuter]

Illinois just passed a new law allowing motorcycles to run a red if after waiting at least 120 seconds, and it is safe to do so. Except for districts with over 2million population. (Chicago)


I've only had a few lights I couldn't trip with the PCX. I learned in my MSF class that the key is to stop the mass of the bike ON THE TRIGGER LINE. Most lights it is a square box. Stop on 1 of the 2 lines parallel with the flow of traffic. Stoping in the box does nothing.

Now it does get tricky when the lines start multiplying. Then I just pick a line slightly left, or right of center and hope for the best.

Thanks! Great tip and that definitely helps! We have the same 2min rule here in TN. Only place it really bugs me is in protected arrow turn lanes.