I realized a plus for a heavy bike that we ride!

After this first year of ownership the VFR is one of two bikes I have owned (the other was the 95 Kawasaki GPz 1100 at 533lbs dry) that allows me to activate the street light sensors and actually not wait 3 cycles to turn left or straight- late at night or on Sunday being solo in the lane! This lovely little heavy weight bike at 498lbs dry in addition to my own weight will let me get on with riding without another car or two in the turn lane to change the light to green. Priceless! I hated riding in Salt Lake with my previous ride ( 2003 sv1000s at 417lbs dry) with low traffic and having to wait and wait, hoping that someone would pull up behind me and needed to go left or straight.

 

Is it the weight? Or the magnetic sensor loops in the road that detect a vehicle. Sometimes all the plastic shields the metallic field of the engine, so the light won't change.

 

drag your center stand accross lines.

 

No light change is mostly from aluminum frames, sometimes wheels too. I have my DR650 down to a little over 300 lbs and it has no problem triggering lights, steel frame. My CBR is 420 wet and if I don't serpentine over the sensor strips it sometimes will not trigger the light.

 

here in jersey...if the traffic is that light, that another car wont set off sensor somewhere in the intersection...its probably quiet enough to run the light.

 

It has absolutely nothing to do with weight. It is a simple loop of wire set in the road that works just like a metal detector. The problem with motorcycles not being detected comes from there not being enough ferrous metal. I've heard that attaching a good sized, powerful magnet somewhere under the bike can help.

 

Most of those sensors are square boxes cut into the pavement, I've been told to sit right on top of one of the "sides" of the box, so it's running right beneath the bike for the best chance at triggering it. It's worked pretty well for me since I've been riding.

One of the few things I can't criticize Illinois for - it's legal to run a red light if you've waited for the light to cycle through without changing, and you can safely merge into traffic. Except in metropolitan areas of 2+ million population.

 

Pretty much legal anywhere, I have one light I have to run half the time on the way home. I try running right over the sensors , draging center stand works sometimes. And out bike is not heavy, my last pig the honda ctx1300 at 725 was heavy and steel framed with a large 1300 motor, that never had an issue with red lights.

 

Actually only legal in about 15 states
https://www.thestreet.com/story/13227983/1/states-where-motorcycles-can-run-red-lights-legally.html

 

Yeah, it's not weight. My bicycle is capable of triggering most activated lights if I position it right on top of one of the conductors. Of course, more metal makes it more likely you'll cross the activation threshold.

 

In Utah, they seem to think that going into an intersection is like driving on the interstate. Thou they do not do this on the interstate at 60+ they do keep 3 car lengths behind the other vehicle in a Fricking intersection. Well, ok maybe 1-1/2. And then it takes them 3 secs. to realize that the light turned and you get stuck for another rotation of the street lights Fricking soccer moms and millenniums!

 

Shit, Utah in not one! Damnit!

 

Utah is so ass backwards that they may still be using the weight sensors or timed sensors. (actually they are probably not, and I have no Idea about the transportation system, but I like to think so)

 

That's it, I am putting my grandmothers cast iron skillet under the seat! now if only I can cut it up and make it work! Does anyone have a acetylene torch I can borrow?

 

I guess you are right. I did not know this. I thought it was weight or timed. That makes sense since the 1995 Kawasaki was a steel framed bike to save money vs. the Ninja that year. Thanks.

 

Same problem at certain lights here in the east bay, I normally stop and sit right in the loop. Otherwise I wait till the coast is clear after a healthy stop.

 

Just imagine the cost involved with embedding scales in the pavement at every intersection, VS cutting a rectangle line and laying a wire. Nobody has ever used scales for vehicle sensing at traffic lights...ever.

 

Actually pressure activated strips were used in parts of the U.K. for traffic signals, they needed a decent amount of pressure to activate them ....set so the average person (then) couldn't set with their own weight, now we have people who easily outweigh our bikes, just like the USA

 

What's bad is when they repave the intersection and cover up the tar strips where the wires are buried. With the tar strips exposed you can tell where to place the bike for the best results.