Pavement sensor with automatic gates...PIA on a bike!!!

[blue-yamaR6s]

Does anyone else have trouble opening an automatic gate with a pavement sensor when on a bike?  It is sort of like the ones at traffic lights that work either on pressure in the pavement or interference sensor in the pavement.  Where I work our personal vehicles sit in a fenced in area.  No one messes with our vehicles and everything is on security cameras - that I don't mind.  My bike is either not heavy enough or have enough metal to trip the sensor in the pavement to open the automatic gate when leaving.  I have to follow another vehicle out of the gated area otherwise I cannot get out.  Sometimes you leave at odd times and don't have a vehicle to follow out the gate.  The entry gate is controlled by a key card issued to every employee.  Getting in is easy, it's getting out!!!

 

Any ideas, helpful hints?  Don't know there is a good solution.

 

One guy jokingly said to "put some more metal on that bike"...LOL!  Too much plastic, I guess.  The bike is a R6S.

[Gixxus Christ!]

It's a metal detector under the pavement. Get a few large neodymium magnets and stick them to your exhaust, should produce a large enough magnetic field to trip the sensors.

[vf1000ride]

One of these should do it.  You wouldn't have to worry about it falling off and it will also act to pull any metal particles in your oil to the bottom of the cases.

 

https://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=BZX0ZX0Y0-N52&cat=168

 

 

I also doubles to help hold your bike to the earth when it get windy out.

[PhilD'oh!]

If you can see the lines they cut into the pavement, experiment with the position of your bike relative to those. On a single loop system (one rectangular cut) stop with your wheels directly on top of one of the lines. On a dual loop system (two rectangular cuts in the pavement) stop with your wheels directly over the center line. You might also try putting your kickstand down on top of the line. Like has been said above, it's just a big metal detector.

Also, the sensitivity of these systems should be adjustable...I know the ones they use at intersections are. You might ask some questions at work and see if somebody can get that adjusted a bit for you.

[blue-yamaR6s]

If you can see the lines they cut into the pavement, experiment with the position of your bike relative to those. On a single loop system (one rectangular cut) stop with your wheels directly on top of one of the lines. On a dual loop system (two rectangular cuts in the pavement) stop with your wheels directly over the center line. You might also try putting your kickstand down on top of the line. Like has been said above, it's just a big metal detector.

Also, the sensitivity of these systems should be adjustable...I know the ones they use at intersections are. You might ask some questions at work and see if somebody can get that adjusted a bit for you.

Thanks...didn't think about the kick stand idea...will have to try it.  Tried positioning the tires over the cut lines with no luck.

[Gixxus Christ!]

Keep a bar of steel on a string with you.

Idk how the plc decides to open the gate, if it's the size of the ping it gets from the sensor or if it's the proximity...If it's always looking for a ping the size of a buick then the kick stand won't help much. Getting someone associated with security or maintenance or a general ptmf to adjust the gain on that sucker.

[C-bus]

Thanks...didn't think about the kick stand idea...will have to try it. Tried positioning the tires over the cut lines with no luck.

Kickstand.... I do this at some stoplights as well. Many parking garages will have a "no motorcycles" sign not because they hate motorcycles, but for this reason.

Edited May 23, 2014 by C-bus

[wagnem10]

I never thought about some of these (i.e. kickstand down idea) but I get stuck at lights all the time! I'll have to try that.

[magley64]

Second the neodymium magnet idea.

[ReconRat]

I've done the kickstand thing and the light changed right away. But really not sure if it was about to change anyway.

 

State of Ohio traffic engineers say to position the largest chunk of metal in the corner of the grid cut in the street.

upper left is about where you want to be to drop the kickstand on the sensor cut anyway.

[blue-yamaR6s]

One of these should do it.  You wouldn't have to worry about it falling off and it will also act to pull any metal particles in your oil to the bottom of the cases.

 

https://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=BZX0ZX0Y0-N52&cat=168

 

 

I also doubles to help hold your bike to the earth when it get windy out.

Yikes!!!  What kind of price is that for a magnet?

[vf1000ride]

Its a 4" x4" x2" magnet that pulls with over 1200lbs of force.

[ReconRat]

Its a 4" x4" x2" magnet that pulls with over 1200lbs of force.

lol, my imagination sees a bike stuck on the side of a passing dump truck.

I certainly wouldn't park too close to a trash dumpster. Might take a while to pry it off...

[Helmutt]

Its a 4" x4" x2" magnet that pulls with over 1200lbs of force.

lol, my imagination sees a bike stuck on the side of a passing dump truck.

I certainly wouldn't park too close to a trash dumpster. Might take a while to pry it off...

His bike would collect every damn manhole cover in Ravenna!

[blue-yamaR6s]

His bike would collect every damn manhole cover in Ravenna!

and there's a lot of them...thanks everyone for all the great advice.  Will have to try them.

[JackFlash]

I bought one of those $20 magnets from Iron Pony when I got my bike.

It has double sided sticky tape so you can stick it anywhere under

your bike.  Just make sure to clean the spot well before you try to

make it stick.  There's only one traffic light that I've had an issue with

since then.  You only need to buy one.  I thought it was $20 well spent.

 

.

[blueskeyes]

Don't forget that most good boots have a steel shank so that can work well, too. I usually found the kickstand works well. Ferrous metals are the best since most of the detectors are based on inductance and the more conductive the metal is, the better. Higher end sportbikes these days are going to have more of a problem due to more aluminum and plastic.

[conn-e-rot]

I used to have trouble with several local stoplights on my zx14 so I added one of the green light trigger magnets and the lights that were a problem were never an issue again.

[Tonik]

You can also report them to the state. They seem to drop a pretty big hammer on the locals. I was fighting parma on one getting no where. Filed the complaint and parma ripped it up and fixed it in about two weeks after my email to the state.

http://www.dot.state.oh.us/divisions/operations/traffic/Pages/OTEHomePage.aspx

Edited May 26, 2014 by Tonik

[DerekClouser]

As a side note, not to derail the thread, but if you do come across a light that doesn't activate, In Ohio, you are authorized to safely yield through the red light after 2-3 minutes if the light doesn't activate. (I am not a lawyer)

 

And I know this doesn't help the OP's problem, but felt fairly relevant. 

[Gixxus Christ!]

Good to know.

[magley64]

As a side note, not to derail the thread, but if you do come across a light that doesn't activate, In Ohio, you are authorized to safely yield through the red light after 2-3 minutes if the light doesn't activate. (I am not a lawyer)

 

And I know this doesn't help the OP's problem, but felt fairly relevant. 

 

Lol, same applies to gate... if it doesn't open, just go through...