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The r65 rebuild continues
I've tried to start it,it tries but no cigar,no biggie as I'll strip the carbs and replace the jets.
My question is-I had the spark plugs out to make sure the spark was good enough,plugs still plugged into the ht leads(spark plugs grounded of course) and when i turned the ignition key i saw sparks jumping across the plug gap.
Is this normal ?,I've done this test on cars and bikes over the years but never saw spark when the ignition was turned on.
Thanks.

I wouldn't worry too much. Probably a stored charge finding release.
It's good to see a spark of interest when you are contemplating a bit of action.

Electronic ignitions CAN do that, if the pick-up is in just the right place.
On the other hand, a wiring error could be the cause too. Either way, with electronic ignition, you DO have to be careful as you can get zapped when you don't expect it.
The electronic ignition on my little Yamaha sparks immediately when I turn the key to ON, and 5 second later, it stops until the engine spins. HIGH voltage and high-frequency ignition: will toss you off your fanny (butt) if you don't pay attention.

Thanks,haven't seen this before so glad it doesn't seem anything to worry about.

Only worry is if you happen to get intimately involved because you did not know!!
You only do it once tho.