Front End Chatter

Hello and welcome to Never mind all that usual bobbins, we've got an actual interview with actual Marc Márquez! In episode 79 of Britain's best biking podcast – supported, sustained and stimulated by Bike Social (that's www.bikesocial.co.uk) as well Bennetts, the record-breaking, crash-saving, championship-leading prodigy of the bike insurance grid: Fallout from the washout at Silverstone. What happened (or, rather, what didn't), why it happened, how it happened, who's to blame, who's not, who thinks they should have raced, who decided to cancel, who thinks they shouldn't have cancelled, is anyone going to accept responsibility, and can we cover all this without getting threatened with legal action? You can't stop the rock – but you can stop all motorsports activity at Rockingham. Britain's newest race circuit is about to become Britain's newest former race circuit – we explain why it's shutting, when it's all over, whether we'll miss it, and what it's going to become instead. And the main event: a solid gol

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter, and E78 of Britain's finest motorcycling podcast, presented, in the loosest possible sense, by Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves, although it's a sobering thought that in an infinite universe it's a certainty there's an Earth-like planet out there with a motorcycling podcast presented by Martin Hargreaves and Simon Fitz-Gibbons.  Anyway, whichever universe you're in, we give thanks to the omnipotent and almighty deities at www.bikesocial.co.uk, the UK's most all-encompassing biking website, and Bennetts, the bike insurance people.  Right, in this episode we have:  MotoGP action from the Czechs... Big Harley-Davidson news, including a guess as to why they're revealing their plans for the next 5 years now... Martin's thoughts on riding the Yamaha Niken... And all your lovely emails – and there are many. We'd love to tell you about them but the damn cat is mewing at the back door and I can't concentrate. Download, listen, you'll find out. Thanks for your ears; p

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter episode 77! Courtesy of the alliterative, improvised, indigenous tribes behind Bike Social (that's www.bikesocial.co.uk) and spoken through the mouths of veteran motorcycle-journalists-slash-opinion-havers Simon Hargreaves and Martin Fitz-Gibbons, this near-two-hour extravaganza covers all the latest comings, goings, rumours and controversies across the motorised two-wheeled universe. Including, but not limited to:   The Goodwood Festival of Speed: what it's like, what it isn't, who goes, who cares, who enjoyed their first taste of a Duke's private passage and who gets all bah humbug about it. BMW Motorrad Days at Garmisch: what it is, where it is, the bits we can talk about (and the bits we can't), plus the new bikes announced there (and the bikes that weren't). KTM's Adventure Rally in Wales: an orange dirtstravaganza which we didn’t actually go to, only we sort of did but were a day or two late. Plus some insights into the forthcoming 790 Adventure and its curious pe

Hello and welcome to episode 76 of Front End Chatter, Britain’s most argumentative motorcycling podcast, presented in the loosest sense of the word by Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves, and spilling seamlessly into your ears courtesy of www.bikesocial.co.uk – the motorcycling world on a website – and Bennetts, the bike insurance people who put back more into biking than any other insurance company, and that’s a true fact. On E76 we have:   Jorge Lorenzo – why’s he started winning on a Ducati, why’s he signed to ride for Honda in 2019, what’s in it for new teammate Marc Marquez, and is there a conspiracy theory we can generate from it all? (The answer is yes)   Peter Hickman’s astonishing Senior TT lap record, and a lengthy discussion (again) about whether discomfort at supporting the event is legititmate   Why so many motorcyclists dislike football   How to do 200mph on the cheap   Should there be courses in basic motorcycle understanding?   Why Honda’s NC750X is a good bike. But only if you

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter, episode 75 of Britain's sweariest motorcycling podcast, presented before your ears by two motorcycle journalists called, literally, Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves, and furthermore enabled by the humungous humanoids at the UK's most enhanced two-wheeled web experience, otherwise known as www.bikesocial.co.uk – which is itself a mere digit on the mighty, but gentle, hand of Bennetts, the bike insurance people.  Among the topics for discussion today are:  • Is the TT more important than MotoGP? • MotoGP silly season, including why Lorenzo will never, in a million years, take a seat at Repsol Honda, oh, he just did...  • TT latest including the unbelievably spectacular riding at this year's race, some slightly troubling consequences, and what's the point of the Superbike class? • How many horsepowers do we a) need, b) want and c) can use?...   • ... and where does Ducati's V4 Panigale sit on that scale?  • What are the worst bikes ever (and haven't we been here b

We’re back! Welcome to Britain’s most paternal motorcycling podcast, Front End Chatter Episode 74, supported by the infinite patience of our friends at www.bikesocial.co.uk, in association with Bennetts, the bike insurance specalists... and while we can’t quite make up for lost time, we can chatter about a bunch of stuff including: armchair gossip about current MotoGP shenanigans – mostly from Argentina, for whom no-one is crying apart from Marc Marquez who, upset at not being disqualified for riding the wrong way up the track, went on to effectively disqualify himself from the race, several times over – what is Marc Marquez on, is he becoming MotoGP’s bad boy, and is he heading for a biggie? a bit of catch-up with WSB and BSB, including a refreshingly new look to the top step of the BSB podium at Donington in the shape of a myopic mop-head from Kent called Bradley Ray... ...plus a bit of chat about Triumph’s Tiger 1200 XRT v BMW R1200GS TE Exec v Ducati’s Multistrada 1260S Touring v KTM’s 1290 S Super Adve

Hello and welcome to a slightly sweary, distinctly snowy Front End Chatter Episode 73, supported as ever by nos amis at BikeSocial (wwwbikesocial.co.uk) and Bennetts the bike insurers – and which ignores the current level of white precipitation (sounds iffy) while resolutely chattering on about: last weekend’s racing season opener, with World Superbike at Phillip Island – was it or wasn’t it dull, and what’s the difference between an exciting race and dull racing? recent MotoGP testes, and what’s the likely outcome of Tech 3 and Yamaha announcing their conscious uncoupling? ...and then FEC73 dives headlong into proper motorcycling and confronts pressing issues such as: the launch of Triumph’s new Speed Triple S and RS, and when is a hooligan not a hooligan? how does Triumph’s Daytona 675R rate against MV Agusta’s 675 and 800 F3s? is it only us thinking this, or have Triumph got some massive holes in their model line-up, and does that presage a completely new, large-capacity engine powering a range of new m

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter Episode 72, Britain's most rambling, shambling biking podcast supported as ever by our gender-neutral comrades at www.bikesocial.co.uk (and definitely *not* .com) in association with Bennetts, the bike insurance people. It's like a great big biking family, packed with road tests, new bikes, used bikes, buying guides and kit git guides; come in, the water's lovely. On a crammed FEC 72, Martin and Simon waffle about: • Sepang MotoGP testing results • the cancelled Welsh Road Races: why it's been postponed and how much damage has been done to the reputation of the organisers and a potential 2019 event – plus some sensible mathematics  • a surprisingly measured and informed opinion on the great grid girls debate... from a man • McGuinness signs to race the Norprilia at the TT • news from the launches of the 2018 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports (not in Africa) and Triumph Tiger 800 (in Africa) • embarrassing crashes, heart-breaking crashes and unpredictable crashes (aren't

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter, Britain’s mostest biking podcast, supported by nos amis at Britain’s foremost and most comprehensive biking website, www.bikesocial.co.uk, and Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists. And in this week’s compact episode Simon (me) and Martin (him) natter about such diverse matters as: the second darkest winter in northern Europe since records began results from the Dakar rally, and whether the race is getting too tough (it’s not), and whether the IOM TT is harder will Michael Dunlop’s recent test on the MotoGP Suzuki GSX-R RR R at Sepang, Malaysia, presage an entry in the 2018 Senior TT, and do we think he was worried about taking to the track alongside MotoGP regulars? what else might or might not happen at the first MotoGP test session of 2018 at Sepang? why has Hutchy jumped on John McG’s ‘unlucky’ Honda Fireblade for next year’s TT? more news on the Ducati, Aprilia and KTM models affected by Brembo’s master cylinder recall first riding reports of Ducati’s V4 Panig

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter Episode 70, the world’s most eclectic motorcycling podcast, supported by www.biksocial.co.uk, the UK’s most informed and entertaining website, and Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists.   My name is Simon and that man over there is Martin, and today we’re nattering about:   the masochism of riding in winter, and whether a hot bath at the end of it is worth the suffering the masochism of riding a Kawasaki H2 and an Enfield Himalayan in winter ...or the historical perspective of riding three generations of GSX-R750 on an old runway in Cornwall details of a Brembo brake recall in the USA; what it is, what bikes are affected, and whether there’ll be a recall in the UK how, despite the Kawasaki H2 SX and Yamaha Niken and BMW F850GS, the Kawasaki Z900RS might just be the best bike of 2018 an enlightened approach to selling a used bike, and how faith should overcome fear... ...or just ask your local dealer to sell it for you why Honda’s Crossrunner is always overlooked when

Had enough of cold turkey? Fear not, here’s your fix of Front End Chatter Episode 69, served in a very small tin foil hat with a side-order of www.bikesocial.co.uk in association with Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists. And, following on from the last episode’s fab interview with Julian Ryder, this time it’s business as usual as we read through a veritable mountain of your occasionally lengthy emails, on topics as varied as: • Does the motorcycle industry do enough to attract young riders?   Does uploading fancy software and a few items from the accessories catalogue justify adding a few grand on the price of a new bike and calling it a premium model?   Is motorcycling becoming too tribal?   Will we be seeing more examples of forced induction on new models? • How British Superbike is also brilliant if you live in the US   Why does no-one build a modular, adjustable motorbike?   Where is the Husqvarna Vitpilen?   Why riding a bike a great cure for illness.   PLUS loads of other nattering

Hello everybody and welcome to Front End Chatter, the biking podcast powered and empowered by the super-swell folk at Bike Social - that's www.bikesocial.co.uk. In episode 68 Simon and Martin welcome a FECing guest for the first time in a long time. And not any guest, but the one and only Julian Ryder (@MotoGPJules) - journalist, broadcaster, author, antiques dealer and former WSB, 500GP and MotoGP commentator. Fresh from putting the finishing touches to the official MotoGP Season Review 2017 (a proper book, with "not too many cockups", on sale now at Amazon), Jules talks all about one of the best racing seasons in recent memory, whether things really were better in the good old days, the greatest racers of all time, tribal fans, the MotoGP riders' rider of 2017, why each of the top names performed the way they did this year, how he'd fix World Superbikes (and whether it's important to fix), and which racing series Jules's dulcet tones might (or might not) be gracing next. Thank you once again for allowing FE

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter 67, the Shakey’s Racing Age episode, ably supported by our friends at www.bikesocial.co.uk who are in turn supported by bike insurance bods Bennetts. This week we natter about the small matter of a race in Valencia, some racing in Wales that actually looks like it might happen, some more gossip about the Motorcycle Live bike show they had last week (including how manufacturers cheat on seat heights), and answer a veritable raft of your emails on subjects as wide ranging as what bike you should buy. Thanks again for your continued ears, and please spread the word of the words we speak. You can find on Twitter – @SimonHbikes & @Mufga – and you can download this on iTunes or from www.frontendchatter.com – but we’d much rather you listened at www.bikesocial.co.uk, not least because you can lose yourself for hours browsing the library of all sorts of archived biking stuff.      

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter E66, supported by our good friends at www.bikesocial.co.uk and Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists – and who better to insure your gleaming new, 2018 motorcycle? Because this week’s podcast is stuffed full of new bike news, gossip and opinion (admittedly, more of the latter pair than the former), fresh from the Milan bike show. In no particular order, we natter about:   Kawasaki’s 200bhp sport-touring mega-bike, the ZZR1400. Sorry! We mean the new H2 SX/SE Ducati’s V4 Panigale, and whether it’s better-looking than the 1299 Yamaha’s Niken and whether it’s actually a motorcycle plus chatter about Yamaha Tracer 900s, Kawasaki Z900RS and Café, Honda’s Africa Twin Adventure and CB1000R, BMW’s F850GS, Triumph’s Tigers, Ducati’s Multistrada 1260 and KTM’s 790 Duke... ...and seeing as how few of us can afford any of them, should we be interested?   Plus we have a brief natter about the forthcoming final MotoGP showdown at Valencia, and answer a few of emails (but not all

Hello and welcome to the long-awaited (well, about a month) Front End Chatter Episode 65 – supported as ever by our magnificent colleagues, pals and beneFECtors at www.bikesocial.co.uk and Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists.   This week FEC bangs on about subjects as wide and varied as:   how does three-time World Superbike champ Jonathan Rea’s win-race ratio match to Carl Fogarty’s, and how to fix World Superbike (again) did the three-way Showdown final British Superbike round at Brands and the subsequent love-in make us want to watch it next year? ...and compare all that to an epic MotoGP race at Motegi   PLUS! words of gossip about what we know about 2018’s new bikes (or do we?) including the 2018 supercharged, sports touring Kawasaki H2R GT... ...and their Z900RS, and how close it’ll be to the existing Z900 Honda’s NSC ‘New Sports Cafe’... ...and if the motor is based on the CB650F inline four Honda’s new Goldwing with its funny front end... KTM’s 790-800cc Duke parallel twin which probably won’t

Hello and welcome to a special, John McGuinness Front End Chatter Episode 64, supported by our good friends at www.bikesocial.co.uk, supported by Bennetts, the bike insurer par excellence, bar none. And what a treat this week – apart from the usual nattering about subjects as random as: tech details from the launch of Ducati’s 210bhp V4 Stradale engine, which is coming to a chassis that may or may not but probably will look remarkably similar to a 1299 Panigale this November Rossi’s broken leg bones, Cal’s severed tendon, the ramifications for the MotoGP title, and who Valentino gets to sign the plaster cast... why Silverstone’s MotoGP was so poorly attended (conspiracy theory alert) how lovely BMW’s R nineT Racer is, and why don’t other manufacturers make bikes that, simply, look beautiful? will the news Welsh police are actively encouraging dash-cam users to upload footage as evidence for traffic offences make you ride any differently? how to learn how to pronounce Ikea, Abba and Öhlins on a Magic Motor E

Hello everybody and welcome to Front End Chatter #63, brought to you by the definitely-not-primates at Bike Social (that's www.bikesocial.co.uk where, as well as all the latest news, views and reviews of all things motorcycling, you'll also find a handy link to the superb insurance services of Bennetts). In this not-especially-numerically-significant episode of Britain's best biking podcast, Simon and Martin chatter about: MotoGP from Austria, where someone cleared off for a bit, then there was a bit of a ding-dong and someone won and someone didn't, and there was a last-lap, last-corner, last-gasp move that was actually just a bit silly even though nobody seems to want to say it (except the bloke who won). British Superbikes from Cadwell Park, which neither of us watched even though one of us was actually there, and which turned out to be pretty brilliant. The new 158bhp BMW road bike that we've both ridden but only one of us can talk about. Touratech going insolvent, which is all very curious given almost

Hello everybody and welcome to Front End Chatter, the semi-regular spoken word salad that refuses to stray into nostalgia (other than to remember when nostalgia was better than it is today). Episode #62 continues to be supported by the wondrous website known as Bike Social (that’s www.bikesocial.co.uk) where you should definitely go to check out all the latest motorcycling news and reviews. And get an insurance quote. Go on. In this 90-minute natter extravaganza, Simon and Martin discuss: MotoGP from Brno, which was either brilliant or boring, where the winner won by a move of either sheer genius or random fortune Is it time to wave the chequered flag on flag-to-flag races? Guy Martin’s future plans, and whether he’s quitting, retiring, or quitting retiring? The new ‘global partnership’ between Triumph and Bajaj – and how many badges can you bodge on a Bajaj? Is the London scooter crime spree creating a potential new marketing opportunity? The most expensive zeroes and ones in motorcycling Plus all of your

Hello everybody and welcome to Front End Chatter – Britain's best biking podcast, powered (and empowered) by the wondrous two-wheeled website known as Bike Social (that's www.bikesocial.co.uk – and you should definitely check them out). It's episode 61, which as everybody knows is the **must remember to search Google for an obscure name of somebody who once raced a motorcycle with number 61 here** episode. Which, ironically, has very little racing at all, being mostly composed of: Chatter about the front end of BMW's R1200GS, and how the previous service campaign – not a recall – to fix the fork stanchions is, erm, ahem, cough, now a recall. Martin rides to a village in the German Alps to drink beer in the company of 40,000 bikes, while Simon rides to a café near Whitchurch for the world's largest all-female bikers meeting. Aprilia's Shiver 900, and why are "middleweight"s getting so big now? Plus roughly one trillion and seventy-two of your finest emails, covering everything from Yamaha Tracer adverts, insu

Welcome to Front End Chatter E60, sponsored as always by our good friends at www.bikesocial.co.uk and backed by Bennetts, the bike insurance boys and girls. And what a scandal-laden FEC we have this week: • despite a truncated MotoGP/racing section we still manage to disrespeculate on Lorenzo’s future at Ducati and compare his debut season so far to Rossi’s disaster in 2011... • get into the financial fall-out from the shambles formally known as the Circuit Of Wales... • details of the new Ducati V4 replacement for the Panigale, after the Final Edition – which, it turns out, might not be so final after all, and will be available from September this year and will cost £35,000... • ...and why the V-twin is the most versatile engine layout ever built • BMW’s service campaign to check all R1200GSs and GSAs built between late 2013 to date, to make sure the forks aren’t about to fall off – and why we should or shouldn’t be alarmed by it • and how Honda’s blighted 2017 FireBlade, both base and SP versions, stands up