traffic lights

Hey everyone.
Now that my bike's up and running and I've been riding for a few weeks, I've been noticing there are places that i can't take my bike to. I live in northern VA where there's a ton of traffic and a ton of traffic lights. All the lights have sensors that will change the light when there is a car waiting. My bike is too small to trigger the sensor to change the lights. This is probably a stupid question but does anyone know of a trick to make the lights know you're waiting?

I have read on this forum that some people have put strong magnets under the frame. And that somehow triggers the light. Worth a try. I used to have the wife hop off and push the walk button late at night. Most of the time it changed before she could get back on.

It seems like ALL the left turn lights around here will NOT change for a motorcycle. Curious about this myself I looked it up on the TXDPS website and this is the answer...


No, there are no provisions in Texas law that will allow any non-emergency vehicle to bypass a red light. You will need to turn or change lanes legally when safe then find another route. As stated in Texas Transportation Code (TRC) 544.0075 certain traffic-actuated electric traffic-control signals are required to be capable of registering the presence of a motorcycle.


Ya, right. So I'm supposed to walk the motorcycle backwards to get out of the left turn lane??? Then what, drive across the straight lanes and get into the right lane so I can legally turn right on red? All the time with other traffic wizzing by me? Tell me how that's legal and safe. Then find another route? A route with no left turns?

No way....when a light wont change I wait until it's clear and then go. I'm not going to be a sitting duck in the middle of the road waiting for someone to slam into me from behind.

If there is a car already behind me I will pull up as far as possible and wave at them to pull up so they trigger the light.

around here, the sensor is normally a box. Try putting the bike right on top of the line. The magnets are mixed reviews, but I've not had any here not change for my super light CBR1000RR. Luckily, TN law allows to run it if needed for bikes.

This has been a problem for 40yrs riding a motorcycle. The bad thing is now all the rediculous left on arrow only and right on arrow only crap even at 3am when there is not another vehical for 3 miles any direction. I've tried all the "tricks" and none work. Only choices you have is run the light or go 2 blocks forward if you're lucky, and hopefully not a left on arrow only and make a quick u turn. This is the safest method, as some citys main criteria to be a police officer is to write tickets and make money for the city.
I was down in Florida one time and there was like 10 cars in front of me waiting to make a left and of course for safety sake left on green arrow only. After waiting there like 5 minutes I pull out and go straight and make a U turn a block up the road, while at the same time several of the cars finally gave up and ran the red light. Plenty of cops hiding waiting for that and they were all arrested and hand cuffed. Well even not, they had to sit there and waste time, waste time more than already wasted sitting needlessly talking to Barney Fife and explaining the light is crap.

Run the light, nuff said.

I put my side stand down for around 15 seconds(then retract side stand) :pinch: on the line to trigger the signal change .......works every time

in minnesota they changed the law last year to deal with this problem. it's called red light green light law. i have used this on a couple of instances.

Look right, look left....no Smokey the bear....blow the light.....but do it with style.....

There is one light here in town that never turns green while I'm on my bike. I've ran the red more than a dozen times. I've even done it with a cop across the street. I rode up to him and realized I knew him. He says people bring up lights like that to the city, but the city says it's a state thing. He told me just to run it because even the PD knows that particular light is dumb.