Modern Vespa

Call your local public works Dept. ask whats the best method to trigger lights. I'd also call the local police and ask for the opion of a traffic officer I'm just a fourm member with my own idias

True at least you will have a record to prove the light was a problem.

Right, you must be 'over' the lines, if you pass it, the signal will think there is no longer a car there.

Seth

It's never a time of day problem for me, but I am aware of two local lights that don't seem to be aware of my presence.

I just avoid them.

I complained about a left turn light not triggering for me to my local department of public works.

They called me back 2 months later to see if I could meet them out there one night to set the sensitivity because they don't have motorcycles to test it on. It was cool. I was impressed by how much they cared.

This may work but only for magneti sensors, not weight sensors. When you engage the starter, you are using lots of electrical current and that generates a fairly large magentic field that may trigger the sensor.

Someone earlier referenced the MV post "Run on Red" that indicates the best place to position the bike for magnetic sensors and those are likely the bst place to try the starter trick. I've never tried it so can't vouch its overall effectiveness or reliability.
Miguel

None of these sensors is magnetic. They may be electromagnetic, but that is *entirely* different. They are 'inductive' loops.

Basics, simplified - there is a tuned resonant circuit 'listening' - part of this is a loop of wire under the road. A lump of ferrous metal (and some other variaties) will alter the reactance of the loop of wire - this alters the circuit's sensors in some way (there are several) and the change of light is triggered.

What seems so offensive to me is that in the US it seems common they expect only one-tonne iron cars to be above it - what about a carbon-fibre pedal-cycle? They should be set to *just* not trigger on a cat crossing the road.

We sometimes encounter such arrogant mindsets here. They don't last long in the job - if it's a practical job that is - let's leave politics out of this.