When approaching a curve, what is an essential skill for safely navigating it?

When navigating a curve on a motorcycle, looking through the curve is a critical skill to ensure safety and control. This technique involves turning your head and eyes to focus on the path ahead rather than just looking at the immediate curve. By looking through the curve, a rider can better assess the road conditions, anticipate the turn's apex, and identify any obstacles or vehicles that may be present.

This practice helps in maintaining an appropriate speed and positioning on the road, allowing for smoother steering inputs. It also assists in developing muscle memory for handling similar curves in the future. Overall, looking through the curve promotes better balance and confidence while riding, which is essential for safely navigating turns.

Leaning into the curve and accelerating through the curve are techniques that can be applied after properly assessing the turn, but they are secondary to the fundamental skill of looking where you want to go. Braking hard before the curve may destabilize the motorcycle and is generally discouraged unless necessary for safety.