The new style is optical, maybe infrared off engine heat, or radar or something, looks like a camera, and they work well.The old style ones with the buried wires works like a metal detector, a coil with a signal on it, put a mass of metal inside the coil and it triggers the lights.It was designed for LOTS of metal though.I never heard of any system using weight, how would that work?They are not going to put a scale at every light, dig a big hole, put in a plate to park on, springs, sensors, that is just silly....One time in Palm Beach Florida, a cop told me to treat the lights like stop signs since they would NEVER change for a motorcycle....Brett

 

It's not all bad. We have pretty good gun laws! Hopefully, with the new Governor, attorney general, and some turn over in the General Assembly, things will get even better.

Shelbyville, huh? I've spent quite a bit of time there for work. Kind of getting a craving for some Claudia Sanders now.

 

I thought the problem is that the light isn't cycling... How do you know when a cycle is if the light isn't changing?

 

Try flashing your brights at the light. That usually works here.

 

What I know around here is if I find a light that I do not trigger I call the highway road dept. They are actually quite accomadating. Got a call back one time, they were at my last reported light and couldn't get a bike to come through. Asked me if I could make a run for them and I did.

 

Google "traffic light changer" and there's an overpriced kit that you strap on to the bottom of your bike. However, you can probably make something a lot cheaper since neodymium magnets aren't that expensive and you don't need anything huge.

I think I'm just going to go with the run the red light when my patience runs out method for the time being.

 

One thing that has worked for me is switching the bike off and on again. The starter draws enough amps and creates enough EMI that it will trigger the sensors for the light. Revving the engine sometimes helps as well because it spins the alternator on the bike faster which increase EMI, but that doesn't always work.

I agree with the others that the newer optical sensors seem to work the best.

 

with no magnets,,
The sensor IF you can see the box lines,,
It is most sensitive in the corners.
I put my engine right over one of the front corners
of the rectangle,,
always changes for me.

 

You need to wait 3 mins? Dang, good old WI is 45 secs after you can confirm its a sensor light.

 

I'm amazed over how many problems people are having. My bike changes every light I have ever come up on???