Okay...as some of you might know. I'm pretty much a newb when it comes to bikes. I took my riders course, etc. I've been taking it pretty easy too. Mostly I ride weekends and out in the middle of nowhere, nice sweeping curves and plenty of scenic little roads.

Well...short story shorter;
My bike is no corner carver or speed demon, but I came into a turn a with a little more speed than I should have. It was a two lane, pretty sharp, blind right curve with a decreasing radius. I was probably doing about 45-50 when I should have been doing 35 tops. I know you're not supposed to apply breaks while turning, right? But I needed to either scrub off speed quickly, or really lean the bike to make the curve. As this was occuring I had to make decisions fast....either try to lean the bike and risk taking the turn too wide and traveling into the oncoming lane where a car could be around the curve, or I could straighten up the bike traveling in a straight line, and then apply breaks to slow more rapidly, doing so would also cause me to steer into the oncoming lane.
I chose the later...thinking at least this way I could swerve back into my lane faster.

As I straightened up, there was a small road to my left, at the curve's outside...I was now much slower having pulled up and I quickly glanced and was able to veer onto that little road and then was able to straighten up and slow down some more.

All this happened so damn fast. It really scared me. It was the first time I felt almost out of control. Had there been a car in the other lane I'm not sure what I would have done.
Had there not been that little rural road to my left I would have went off roading for a bit.

I didn't think I was going too fast for the turn as I approached it...and I didn't trust my skills to really lean the bike into the corner when I discoverd I was going too fast. In hindsight it proabbly would have stuck fine if I leaned it over to make the curve, but I was afraid to lean it that far.

So question is....how do I practice leaning the bike to take faster curves and learning the bike's and my limit without endangering myself?
Currently I'm thinking of taking some intermediate and advanced rider's courses at MRA.

What would you do? Should I have just applied more break while trying to negotiate the corner at the same time? Can't that cause you to wreck? Thanks for any input or advice.

-Newb