The temporary tape came off.
Noah cut back damaged insulation.
The conductor itself had minor corrosion but enough clean copper remained after trimming.
Mack suggested replacing a longer section.
Noah agreed.
Ray watched him crimp a sealed splice.
“Too much strip.”
Mack said.
Noah stopped.
Looked.
Mack pointed.
“You’ve got maybe three millimeters extra conductor exposed.”
Noah frowned.
“It’ll be under heat shrink.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Do it clean.”
For one second Noah looked defensive.
Then cut again.
Better.
Mack nodded.
That was their first real lesson.
Not the five-minute miracle.
The correction after.
When Noah finished, they added abrasion-resistant sleeve, replaced the missing rubber isolator, and secured the harness with enough freedom to move without touching bracket.
Ray started the motorcycle.
It ran perfectly.
Noah smiled.
Mack said:
“Better.”
Noah looked.
“That’s all?”
“What do you want?”
“A trophy?”
Ray leaned against lift.
“You got five thousand.”
Mack still owes nothing.”
Noah smiled despite himself.
The next Saturday began differently.
No crowd.
No challenge.
Ray handed Noah a broom.
Noah stared.
“What is this?”
“Broom.”
“I know.”
“Floor knows too.”
Noah looked toward motorcycles.
“I thought I was learning diagnostics.”
“You are.”
“How?”
“You learn where things belong.”
Noah’s face fell.
Mack looked delighted.
“Genius starts with sweeping.”
Ray pointed.
“Oil near bay two.”
“Metal filings near fab bench.”
“Don’t sweep those together.”
“Why?”
Noah knew.
“Metal filings can damage tires.”
“Good.”
“Now sweep.”
Noah spent forty minutes cleaning.
Then parts inventory.
Then watching an oil service.
Then torque procedures.
By noon, he was furious.
Ray noticed.
“Problem?”
“I already know oil changes.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
“Drain plug torque on this model?”
Noah hesitated.
Ray waited.
“Thirty?”
“No.”
“Twenty-five?”
“Look it up.”
Noah sighed.
“Exactly.”
Ray said:
“One right answer in five minutes does not make you mechanic.”
Noah’s jaw tightened.
“I never said it did.”
“Your face does.”
That stung because true.
Ray continued:
“If you stay here, nobody cares about that story after today.”
“You’ll clean.”
“Document.”
“Check tires.”
“Learn fasteners.”
“Learn service information.”
“Make mistakes where mistakes don’t kill somebody.”
“And someday maybe I let you diagnose something expensive without three adults breathing over you.”
Noah looked away.
“You want to leave?”
“No.”
“Then get manual.”