Modern Vespa

Sooo does anyone have a problem when they roll up to a stop light late at night and the light won't change for you because, I'm assuming, the vespa doesn't weigh enough(??) or maybe I don't weigh enough? HA. anyway, I can't tell you how many red lights I ran the other night.

I never have a problem with this. But everyone always says that you can kill the scooter and then restart it. Something about a magnetic field.

It has nothing to do with weight, it has to do with the metal in the scooter.

Right, guys?

I've heard flashing hi beams can change the light..never knew if that really worked or not.

In CA if for whatever reason the light doesn't cycle through to a green for you, it is LEGAL to run a red when the signals have gone through at least one whole cycle and you still didn't get a green and than of course when safe to do so.

In Cali, our loops work off magnetic fields and/or cameras.

Flashing the lights dont work.

If the light wont change for you and its an intersection you use regularly, contact your city traffic engineer and let them know. Keep pushing them until they fix the light.

Good luck
Manny

After years of bicycling I hoped that my Vespa would trip traffic lights better due to its metal frame (our lights work on magnetic loops in the pavement) but it does give me trouble at some lights. In Washington at least you are told to treat a malfunctioning traffic light as a stop sign, so that is what I do. Looking down for the loops in the pavement & stopping right over them is the best you can do, some seem more sensitive than others.

Back when I took the MSF course, the instructor said to pull up over the wires, (or where the wires cross, if possible.)

I've had problems at very few places when the scooter doesn't seem enough to trigger the light...but usually there is enough traffic that another car will come along and trigger if for me.

There is one place however, that's a real pain: Exiting the plaza where I have my business. It seems that after a certain time of night, 10PM I think, the light won't turn green for me no matter where I position the scooter. Eventually, I just have to ride on through.

I don't have that problem (prolly because I don't mind waiting at lights). But I do enjoy night riding (Especially if it is 1 AM and there are no cars on the road, pure heaven). It's quite fun.

There is 1 light very early in the morning that just stays fucking green for the cross traffic FOREVER. I always have to get off my scoot...run across the street and pound on the cross walk button to trigger the light green for me. It's a pain in the ass sometimes.

Some sensors can be tripped by the surge of power of a starting engine. If you are alone in the dark and safety permits, I have read (here in another thread, in fact) that restarting your engine can trip the light. Never needed to try this myself, but then, I'm rarely the only vehicle at a light in this city

Anyway, that is worth a try as well.

If I have a problem with a light, sometimes I'll turn right, make a U-turn and then turn right again. (where all that's legal, of course)

Yes, but if it NEVER turns green. That's what they're talking about. I will go thru a light if it's red through a whole cycle. I don't wait. They can pull me over if they like.

yea.. do you guys think cops would really give a ticket for this?? Anyone ever get pulled over for something like this?

I've never really had to do it, except in my car. And no, I don't think they would give a ticket if you said, I waited for the light to change and it didn't, so I went.

Also? I'm in Indy, too. I just don't think they would...but I could be wrong. Probably depends on the cop. You should carry a spare donut, just in case.

I've had this problem a couple times. I either 1) Tried to pull to the side so a car could trigger it, or 2) if alone, just look both ways and go.

Is kinda a wierd problem though, was never quite sure how to fix it. There is some gizmo you could put on the bottom of your Vespa, but I heard it isn't all that reliable? Plus, I only encountered this a couple times - not sure it warrants getting a new contraption.

why would you put thhis on the bottom of your scoot?

Check your state laws. In MN you are allowed to go through the red after you've waited a "reasonable time", usually one cycle of the lights. This helps some times but I have a couple of situation where it won't change on left turns when there's a lot of traffic and I'm screwed till a car pulls up behind me.

None of the gizmos in the magazines have worked for me but your results may vary.

I've got a 95 pound magnet (holding force, not the actual weight of the magnet) attached to the bottom of mine and it has no trouble at the lights it used to.

Do you have a picture of this?

Interesting.... I'd like to see this too.

You know, this has only happened to me when it's like past 10pm. It's funny because I always thought it was triggered due to weight. Are drive thrus the same because sometimes people don't know I'm sitting in drive thru and I have to like yell through the speaker. HA. One time at KFC I think they just flat out ignored me. heh.

Ok, This was actually very funny. I totally LOL'd

Here you go! The only trouble I have with it is cleaning it after a few months of riding hehe. It doesn't like to let go of anything it picks up

And the credit cards in the seat of your pants don't work

We just hope that if we ever get a traffic light installed on Paros that the sensor is sensitive. Must be a really serious problem if it isn't.

To find a traffic light, we have to take a 4 hour ferry ride.

A&A

I have that problem in Oklahoma too. I once sat at a light for 10 mins. in am traffic. It was too busy for me to go so I sat in the left hand turning lane for awhile. I also noticed that the automatic arms at the entrance to the car garage at my work do not want to recognize the scoot ,even with my pass.

Read this: http://www.wikihow.com/Trigger-Green-Traffic-Lights and watch this http://www.metacafe.com/watch/828731/trigger_green_traffic_lights/

In some cities the lights are on a timer during rush hours, sensor/timer on off-peak and sensor only overnight. This may be what you are experiencing. It's all designed to keep traffic moving--just not you.

P.

So thats why they aren't working...

hey guys from toronto, i got a buddy who works for the city doing the street lights. well over here the stop lights work on wieght, they have pressure sensors. we just don't weigh enough. what i do is get off the bike and push the cross walk button

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This is exactly what I do.

Hi SMRF - can you post a source for this so we can print this and carry it just in case an officer is not up to speed on this rule.

Thx!

Check out the thread 'Run on red'...and if things were'nt bad enough, they brought him peperoni when he had ordered a managers special.

Hi drbeamer! You may have better luck sending smrf a PM as this thread is nearly a year old and he/she may not be watching it.

I have rode late at night, but after 12:30am most the lights flash red or Yello anyway in my area.

the problem is trying to prove the light did not change. the guy giving the ticket only see's the violation of the light or right of way. you will try to fight it in court but they will show up with the service records for that light and timing. best to look for the lines cut in road bed and line scooter body over it and roll forward and back a few times.

you will still have to prove light was broken in court. I did see a new member on MV called Chippi he would know 100% for sure.

A good step in that direction is to report the light to the city works department. You'd at least have a record of repeated requests to have the sensitivity of the light adjusted.

It took me several calls to my public works department before they set the signal light at the bottom of my street senstitive enough to allow me to turn left. I still have to position myself right over the cut lines, but now it works.

I do that all the time at lights that don't sense me and it doesn't do crap.

Wayne B

Make it a voting issue at the next local elections. Remind them that Bikers Are Voters Too. (and this isn't political, just practical).