Why motorcyclists do things

Autotrader.ca offers some insight into some odd, observed behaviors of motorcyclists. I've been riding for so long, most of this seems just commonsense to me.

Here are a few:

Why dont motorcycle riders ride in the centre of their lane?

The centre of most lanes on most roads is a no-mans land for bikers. Its where the oil, fuel and coolant from all the cars, trucks and buses drops and congeals. Its slippery, and dangerous. The wheel tracks offer much more grip.

Why dont motorcycle riders stop directly behind me?

Youve probably noticed that bikers often stop just to the outside of your rear quarter panel at traffic lights. It might look like theyre about to filter (well get to filtering later) but they dont move. Why? The motorcyclist has set up an escape path for themselves. Bikers are rear-ended far more often than car drivers: this allows us to watch our mirrors and get out of the way.

Why do motorcycle riders rev their engine at stop lights?

Boredom. Mostly. Or because they like the noise it makes. Or to get attention. But mostly boredom. Or as I found out during my test of the 2016 Harley-Davidson Roadster to stop my teeth rattling with the engine vibration at idle.