The morning after the desert sleep, and things weren't right from the start. Eventually my need to get moving overcame the unsatisfactory pack of the bike. Riding, I was struggling to get into a groove. I pushed on.
100k's later and I decided last minute to pull into a service station. The hard braking did not agree with the sandy road, and over we went. I felt ghost shadow slip away. I'm not sure how fast we were going, but it was fast enough that when my hip hit the ground I felt a serious thud.
Full of adrenalin, I picked up Shad and wheeled it off the road. I checked myself, and decided I wasn't hurt badly. It was time to inspect the damage. I had made a promise to Ghost Shadow that I would never damage or drop him from acts of recklessness. I ate those words and shared apologies. Right mirror smashed, right peg missing, and foot brake lever flung up beyond usable.
I was more than pleased when Shadow started up as per normal. Ghost had excepted my apology, and showed me this was true by riding another 350k's without skipping a beat. It was not the most comfortable ride, having my right foot stationed on the passengers footrest.
Next day, the mechanics said it would be six days till they could even look at it. After some 'not so smooth talking' Spanish, they said it was ok to come in the next morning. Shadow is now in the mechanic being loved and cared for, as I take a few days of rest and relaxation with my new Chilean friends in this vibing beach town located in the desert.