Got Spark?

[je2wheeler]

In the late 70’s, early 80’s, I was wrenching for Honda/Yamaha at a bike dealer in Tennessee. Over the summer when dirt bikes were rolling out the door in almost a steady stream, we hired high school kids to bust crates and assemble the smaller bikes which took some of the pressure off me, the other mechanic and the parts guys and girl. The summer help had the choose of either a weekly pay check or putting a bike on lay-a-way and allowing their earnings pay it up. When summer was over and the lay-a-wayers had their bikes, the weekends often offered up one of our summer hires back to the dealership with a bike that would no longer run. The other mechanic and I would use our lunch break to talk these kids through the troubleshooting and get them going again. This usually consisted of “Remove the air filter and knock off the excess mud. Is gas getting to the carburetor? And is there spark?” One young feller got a little confused when he was talked through the spark check and forgot to touch the spark plug to the side of the head. He held the plug in his hand and gave his starter a mighty kick. With no plug and no compression, the bike windmilled through many revolutions and his body convulsing with each jolt. Barely able to stand, his eyes wide and rolling, I asked if it was getting spark. His answer, “Y-y-y-yes.” My next question was, “Are you sure?” And he kicked it again! His name after that and probably still is, Sparky.

[xs11jack]

I can't believe that person was out in the public without a minder. Or maybe I need one. When living in Cal. in the 80's my wife and I went to Knoxberry Farm with another couple. Now I am terrified of heights, so, of course, the guy wanted me to come with him on the parachute ride. I thought I could make one ride and so I bravely said let's go and we did. you stood on a small platform with a chest high railing around the platform. On the way down, I left my fingerprints in the steel guardrail. By the time we got to the ground, I couldn't hardly catch my breath. The other guy was pumped and hollered Come On! we have to do this again!!! I looked at him, the girls, and with a stupid grin said yeah, lets do it again. The second ride was worse, because I knew what was coming. So, there is a parachute ride in Knoxberry Farm that has two sets of my prints on the steel guard rail. the second deeper than the first.
Ole Jack