This has probably been covered before but I will see if anyone has had similar luck. I have seen magnet gadgets advertised that are supposed to be mounted underneath your motorcycle. The purpose of them is to affect the magnetic field at a traffic light, tripping it similar to effect of a car body. These magnets list for $20 plus. I was at the local Ace Hardware store and found some neodymium super magnets ( Ace part #2102267, package #07046) for $3.49. There are 6 to a package, and sized .47" dia. X .11" thick. Very small. I thought what the heck and mounted them across the front of my bike and went testing them. I went to several traffic lights and dang, if they didnt appear to trip the lights. I tried several more intersections, same thing. So I guess they work.

 

really? I gotta try that...

 

I guess I didn't know that traffic lights responded to changes in magnetic fields......

 

local dealer said he has sold a bunch of them and never had a return. in tennessee if a light won't trip you can proceed if safe to do so.

 

The magnets sound like a great idea. I've also heard that if you shut your motor off and restart it the magnetic field from the starter kicking over can trip the traffic lights. Of course, I would only shut my engine off in the middle of the road if it was late at night and deserted.

 

I have that problem wit some lights around here too...if it skips me the first time..I'll run it when safe.

 

If its safe and no cops are around just go.??? Take the twenty bucks for the magnets and fill up your tank and go out and ride.!!

 

I did some road type work when i was a teen (summer jobs), i was always told that they work off of pressure sensors in the roads and that bikes are not heavy enough to make them trip accurately...the town i live in has overhead sensors mounted to the stop areas that can detect approaching vehicles..sometimes i have to wiggle the bike around a bit to set them off..

 

My buddy works for an electrical contractor that installs the traffic signals and asociated controls, I'll have to ask and get back to you.

 

Some of the older systems did rely on weight but now I think most of them use the magnetic interference to change the lights.

Another trick is to put the kickstand down. It doesn't have to be a magnet, it's the amount of steel that interupts the magnetic waves.... that's why with my lifted H2, I get the same thing... not close enough to the ground to break the magnetic field. I could go to the same light with my corvette and it would set it off.

Mark