In a typical blind turn, your...
In a typical blind turn, your line of sight is limited by the obstruction that the turn was built around. A conventional line around the corner with a tight apex will restrict how far around the corner you can see, leaving you less time to react to debris on the road or oncoming traffic in your lane.
Most sportbike riders will list blind corners as their least favorite part of a twisty road, and with good reason. Quite often danger lurks where it can't be seen until it's too late to react, with gravel or an oncoming car in your lane. Just the surprise of that danger suddenly coming into your sight can sometimes be enough to cause you to make a mistake, when you would normally be able to deal with the situation easily. This can cause anxiety in many riders, making a bad situation worse. Navigate a blind turn ready to deal with whatever may be ahead, however, and you'll be able to minimize that anxiety and be more confident. Roads end up twisty mostly because they were built to go around things like hillsides and trees, and those objects usually end up making it impossible to see around the corner. Less often, turns are placed at the crest of a hill, again making it impossible to see. The two types of blind corners each require a different approach to minimize the chance of trouble.
As we mentioned in a previous Riding Skills Series ("Lane Position", June '09), it's worth pointing out again that curving roads often follow the side of a hill, with the majority of the obstructions that make the turns blind on the uphill side of the road and a drop on the other side. Travel in the direction that keeps the hillside to your right, and the right-hand turns will be blind with the obstruction directly to the side of the road. Travel in the opposite direction, with the hillside to your left, and now you've got an extra lane between you and the hillside, offering a buffer zone in most of the blind turns, which lets you see farther around each turn. This means the road is generally safer - and less frustrating - travelled in one direction than the other, and you can make a ride more enjoyable by planning the route accordingly. A prime example of this is the Pacific Coast Highway, which in many spots hangs on the side of the mountain jutting out of the ocean. Heading north on this road, you will encounter many blind turns while the southbound trip is somewhat easier.
Keeping a wide line through...
Keeping a wide line through the first part of the turn will allow you to see as far as possible. This does, however, leave you exposed to other dangers, especially in right-hand corners; keep your speed down enough so you can tighten your arc if necessary. Once you can see the exit, return to a conventional line for the remainder of the turn.
In a turn that is blind due to something blocking your view, keep a wide entry to maximize how far around the corner you can see. While a wide entry does leave you open to additional dangers should the radius of the corner tighten or you come upon debris in the turn, the benefits of being able to see farther around the corner - giving you more time to react to a situation - outweigh these downsides. Keeping your speed down will allow you to tighten your line if necessary, as well as giving you even more time in hand. This is one situation in which you'll have practically no choice but to look closer to your front wheel and not a distance down the road as you would normally. Let more of your attention be drawn to a point however far that you can see, so that you are ready to react immediately upon seeing something around the corner. If something unexpected does appear, don't let your focus be shifted away from where you are going. When the exit of the turn is apparent and your lane is clear of debris or oncoming traffic, it's safe to arc in to an apex and finish the corner.