Toll Tag

[HondoTX]

I just bought a toll tag. The Toll Trolls provide a thin sticker for cage drivers, but if you have a motorcycle (even one with a windshield) you must get a plastic box. Then they tell you you can stick it on your windshield! Since it looks ugly and it has velcro stickers I didn't want to put it on the windshield. What to do?

I cleaned the right fuel tank on the inside (next to the right fork) for the velcro stickers. Then I wrapped two lock-ties around it with the velcro hook strip removed. I used two because one wasn't long enough and I didn't want to go shopping. I replaced the hook strips, ran a lock-tie through the lock-tie connected to the tag, removed the velcro sticky shield and pressed it to the tank. I then connected the lock-tie to the GS frame.

I tested it in a 15-MPH tag reader and it worked. I have not tried it in the fast lane.

[cmartin]

I put my toll tag on the back of my handguard. Use the velcro. never fails to read at any speed.

[HondoTX]

I examine the handguard option, too. I didn't want it easy for vandals to get to and didn't want to have to remove it. I had first tried to put it inside one of the tank panels, but I have tank guards and couldn't remove them without great difficulty.

[kurt1305]

Mine is mounted on the underside of the tail section. Remove luggage rack, remove 4 bolts on top, remove smaller bolt by the seat release key and lift up. There is a perfect flat spot towards the rear for the transponder box. I think the alarm might go there if so equipped. Bring it up to my house if you need help.

[HondoTX]

Where were you guys with the good ideas yesterday when I needed you?

[The Veg]

D,
It's a little hard to tell in your picture, but is that the Amtech-type tag that we use up here in the Dallas area? I like your idea for mounting and I wonder why the big established toll-systems up north don't use smaller tags and high-speed lanes like we do.
As for the thing about stickers vs. plastic tags, it really doesn't make any sense. The pastic tag can be stolen easily from a motorcycle (unless of course it's hidden), while a sticker is more difficult to steal and makes so much more sense with the less-plentiful real-estate of a motorcycle. But I think that not making sense is a prerequisite for bureaucratic decisions. In any case, I'll bet that if you carefully disected the plastic tag you'd find the functional bit inside to be nothing more than what the sticker is equipped with and you may be able to work easily with that.
Anyway, you may want to check with your local toll-authority (I didn't even know you had toll-roads down in Austin!) for something interesting I learned a while back. I was riding with a friend who knew where we were going, and he took us onto the North Dallas Tollway. I did not have my tolltag on the bike, so I was a bit worried about getting a ticket in the mail. I called the toll-authority to ask if I would be ticketed, explaining that I did have a valid tolltag for the vehicle that I did not have present on the vehicle at the time. No problem, I was told- up here we now have license-plate readers that look at all vehicles, mostly for the purpose of matching them to tolltags as it is illegal to use one vehicle's tag on another vehicle. The employee explained further that as long as the reader recognises the license-plate as belonging to a vehicle with a valid tolltag account, the account will be charged the proper tolls accordingly. Since then I have not carried tolltags on my bikes and have not received any tickets. I did verify the tolls online just to be sure, and yes, they did get properly charged. No worries. I did also find however that despite this mechanism being in place, it is not mentioned anywhere on the NTTA's website- I guess they do officially still want you to carry your tag.

Now if we could just get the powers-that-be off of their crack-like addiction to toll-road revenues...but that is another discussion!

[kurt1305]

Oh yeah....we got toll roads about 50 miles worth this year alone..... and four more coming....

http://www.txtag.org/sh45.php

[FrankS]

Originally Posted by The Veg

...as long as the reader recognises the license-plate as belonging to a vehicle with a valid tolltag account, the account will be charged the proper tolls accordingly...

yes, that's how it works in Austin, too. I have my Toll-Tag in my garage.

Also, don't tell them you need one for a Motorcycle. Just get another one for a car (the small one that doesn't cost a $20 deposit) and just link it to your MC license plate,

regards

Frank

[StuWG]

Ahh, tolls.....

We only have two:

The Dartfrod crossing near London, free for bikes because we used to pull up and fiddle with gloves...... fiddle getting change out of our pockets.....fiddle putting gloves back on...... By which time the guy in the car behind had blown a gasket...... Amazing what you can achive if you try.

Oh and the M6 toll, which I wouldn't use on the bike because it's boring.

Otherwise road tax pays for everytihing else.

[offroadoz]

G'day All
Its a shame that they do not see that bikes are better for the environment. Less fuel, less wear on tare on the infra structure etc.
Here in Melbourne Australia, they put toll charges in the too hard basket and the result being we travel for free on all Victorian Toll roads. The only good thing the mothers have done for us.
They do charge us a $50 safety levy on our registration which they say is to improve our safety, following the introduction they ripped down all to armco safety rail on the freeways and installed a steel post about every 3 metres (10ft) in a run that varies from about 30 meters to a couple of hundred metres. They then ran 4 or 5 steel cables to connect all the posts together. The idea beaing a steel post and wire rope catch fence. Great for cars etc. The result being the best looking cheese grater you could want. Yes a bike on its side can slide under the lower cable. With a bit of luck and good planning, you might miss the post. At least with the steel armco you bounced off and stood a chance of walking away
Sorry about the bitchin but some safety designers are wankers

Keith