Red Light Changer
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 55
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From: Keokuk Iowa
Red Light Changer
My 2011 Heritage does not have enough mass to change most red lights. I'm told I could just tape a neodyium magnet to the bottom of the bike and it should do the job. Also read these magnets are permanent and very powerful. Could interfere with the electronics on your bike. Anybody have the scoop on this... 
Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 179
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Most red lights are pressure sensored so a magnet probably wouldn't work but I am no scientist. Best thing to do is read up on laws in your state, here in NC you wait three minutes and then you can run it. Which really means as long as a cop isn't around you could pretty much run it when ever because it would be hard to prove you didn't wait.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,048
Likes: 3
From: Central Jersey
Most red lights are pressure sensored so a magnet probably wouldn't work but I am no scientist. Best thing to do is read up on laws in your state, here in NC you wait three minutes and then you can run it. Which really means as long as a cop isn't around you could pretty much run it when ever because it would be hard to prove you didn't wait.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,688
Likes: 6,473
From: Honah Lee
You will probably have more luck with the ones like in the firetrucks. What I have. You can get one on ebay. Quite small. Think they are legal as long as you use it sitting steal at the light in most states. Magnets do not work. Some lights just do not work no mater what. Report it to your locality. We have a fairly new law in VA about red lights and motorcycles. Quite long, two cycles, jump up and down, look for the police and go....
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Jan 15, 2012 at 10:20 AM.
Road Captain
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 577
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From: Upstate South Carolina
In addition to no helmet laws if we could add lane splitting we would have the triple crown in mc friendly laws. Thanks ABATE!
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Tourer
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 324
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From: USA
I thought they were all weight activated. The ones I have encountered seem to be. Whenever I come up to a red light that is activated by traffic, I hit the breaks fairly hard right at the end to throw weight forward onto the front wheel. That's been working great for me. I haven't failed to activate a light yet as long as I hit the breaks hard right at the stop line.
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Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 47
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From: when will the rain stop, WA
Not trying to bust anybody's ***** here but actually those loops, circles or squares you see in the road at a light are not pressure sensors or some big plate acting like a switch waiting for something heavy to roll over it to make contact with another below it. They are inductive loops. So it is more like a metal detector. The whole switching system of that intersection monitors the inductive reading at each light which is a constant reading. Once something large and metallic rolls over it the reading gets higher and therefore knows a vehicle is there and begins it's timing protocol, whatever it may be set to at particular times of the day.
Normally a good sized bike like a Harley should change the inductive field and be detected but as we all know that does not always happen. The loop detection sensitivity can be set at certain levels but a problem arises when the left turn lane loop is set to be more sensitive in that it might detect a larger vehicle in the lane to the right. So I normally ride up on top of the right hand side of the loop when feasible hoping that if a vehicle is in the right hand lane that me plus that vehicle are creating a larger inductive disturbance on the right hand side of the loop. Am I crazy? I dunno. Try not to be so much in the middle of the loop but more on top of one of the lines.
But as far as a super strong magnet on the bottom of my bike? Just introducing a gremlin to the system and I also don't want to be a mini streetsweeper picking up any kind of metal that may be on the road.
Normally a good sized bike like a Harley should change the inductive field and be detected but as we all know that does not always happen. The loop detection sensitivity can be set at certain levels but a problem arises when the left turn lane loop is set to be more sensitive in that it might detect a larger vehicle in the lane to the right. So I normally ride up on top of the right hand side of the loop when feasible hoping that if a vehicle is in the right hand lane that me plus that vehicle are creating a larger inductive disturbance on the right hand side of the loop. Am I crazy? I dunno. Try not to be so much in the middle of the loop but more on top of one of the lines.
But as far as a super strong magnet on the bottom of my bike? Just introducing a gremlin to the system and I also don't want to be a mini streetsweeper picking up any kind of metal that may be on the road.
Road Master
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 762
Likes: 1
From: mission bc canada
Most red lights are pressure sensored so a magnet probably wouldn't work but I am no scientist. Best thing to do is read up on laws in your state, here in NC you wait three minutes and then you can run it. Which really means as long as a cop isn't around you could pretty much run it when ever because it would be hard to prove you didn't wait.
second are you advising people to run red lights ...............really