I've gathered quite a few tips on riding from scanning through the forums but have not really been able to find anything helpful on this topic, so I figured I would make it my first question.

I got my bike about 6 weeks ago and have been riding quite a bit. One thing I need to improve on is my ability to go through curves/corners at a higher speed. Right now I can cruise along at 17-20 mph but as soon as I anticipate a curve in the road or path I hit the brakes and slow to 10-12 mph. I do the same thing at intersections when turning. I have tried to go a bit faster through them but end up going too wide, eg - make a right hand turn but end up near the yellow line instead on the right hand side of the road (I've only tried this with no traffic around). I have the same problem on the MUP with smaller turns. I see other people effortlessly ride through these at a much greater speed than me so I know it's just a skill I need to develop.

I've read about countersteering and am more aware of this now when I ride. I also know to have my outside leg down. I still have to consciously think about these things, its just not automatic yet. I've also heard that I should practice in a parking lot. I don't really know what to practice though - just going in circles?

So any tips on how to improve my speed on curves/corners?

Thanks for any advice.