Magnetic Drain Plug/Light Changer
 

Just thought I'd share my latest mod, lol. Picked up a rare earth magnet at the local science store ($2.50) and put it on the drain plug. It ought to pick up any metal shaving in the oil plus may be effective with inductive loop traffic lights. These magnets are VERY strong and it took considerable effort to separate two of them stuck together.

Attachment 61850
Here's the drain plug with the magnet on the bottom.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/l...nd/MagnetI.jpg

Next oil change I'll see if it picks up anything ;)

Edit: Tested the magnet at a stubborn traffic light, and it worked like a charm :)

sorry but BS? that magnet was picked up by the traffic sensor?

If it is strong enough then it should help a lot. My f4i doesn't trip any signals around me. I make a lot of right hand turns.

can you explain the reasoning for the magnet trip traffic lights. I thought it was by engine vibration and weight that triped traffic lights.

some are by weight...some are by the difference in the magnetic field created by the pad. This in turn changes electrical resistance and that change in resistance triggers the switch. Your big heavy car has enough mass to throw this resistance into "light changing spec" but your little aluminum framed bike doesnt. So you introduce a new pull into this magnetic field that pulls HARDER than just being made of iron to compensate for the lack of iron in our bikes.

I didn't think this would turn into such an educational thread, lol. There is also yet another method traffic signals are triggered. If you ever notice cameras on top of traffic light poles, those are actually connected to a computer which monitors roadway activity and the computer program decides when & how to change the lights, depending on traffic conditions. But the magnet won't help you with those, lol.

flailing your arms in the air will help those ones tho ;-p

"rare earth magnet"
They must not be too rare if it only cost 2.50.

Its called a rar earth magnet because of the metal that its made of. Neodymium is in the rare earth classification of elements. And rare being that you wont find it in the dirt out back of your house.

Hahaha

This is a nice one! Really good idea.

I actually had to buy one of those light triggers and put it under the swing arm. It works pretty good. I couldn't trigger some lights at all. Now I'm thinking about upgrading to your mod lol

+1!!!