Hello Sparky! History of Ignition, Spark! Open Flame! Hot Tube! What?!
Hello Sparky! History of Ignition, Spark! Open Flame! Hot Tube! What?!  
Podcast: Cycle World Podcast
Published On: Wed Feb 11 2026
Description: We just want to light the fire, that's it! Kevin and Mark dive into all the different ways internal combustion engine builders have found to light the combustible air/fuel mixture. There has been spark, open flames(!), a thing called "hot tube" and more. Even compression can light off the charge, and we'll talk about that too. From magnetos to coil and points to fully electronic coil-on-plug ignitions with upward of 60,000 volts, we try to cover it all. Join us for the latest Cycle World podcast!